Ball that is like cat

[sapphire_moon]

I'm thinking along the same lines.....She doesn't do it all the time. And sometimes she even kind of stretches out and just lays there. I think she goes to sleep. But I can't tell when she's actually asleep because of she has no eyelids to close! lol

[tHeGiNo]

My snake will do that do. My guess is that the snake is nervous and is arching to see what is touching him, whether it is a predator or not. Think about it, a tiny little ball python with a huge human grabbing onto it's back. Wouldn't you be scared?

[sapphire_moon]

she's not that little, she's 37-40 inches. And she has never showed a threatening display before. Never hissed, or struck or puffed, or even went into stike position. She has never displayed anything like that....(and personaly I wouldn't be scared) But she is a calm snake. On the other hand my step dads BP struck at me when I reached in to change his water. came extremly close to actually biting me, that was the last time I took care of his snake for him!

[Invictus]

I'm with Balakoth on this one.

If a snake is capable of interpreting its own senses, it is also capable of enjoying certain stimuli, and disliking other stimuli. Scientists and snake owners alike are pi$$ing into the wind when they attempt to explain snake behavior. All you can do is observe and form a GUESS as to what the snake is interpreting from the stimuli at the time.

Linds, we all respect your opinion here, but you seem to portray snakes as mindless drones who are all cut from the same cloth - ie, because one species arches its back in an attempt to look "puffed up" and intimidating, it must be true of all species. Just because science suggests that snakes merely "tolerate" humans doesn't mean that a snake can't enjoy having its back scratched. For all you know, that BP equates the sensation with the relief it feels after a good shed. You don't know.

You also seem to portray snakes as human haters. In other words, you assume that any behavior is in defense, and any calm behavior is merely tolerance. You refuse to acknowledge the POSSIBILITY that snakes can develop a genuine trust and bond with the humans who tend to their needs. If snakes hate humans so much, then maybe the animal rights activists who are trying to get reptiles banned are absolutely right. We are being cruel by keeping them.

These are just my observances, Linds... I'm not trying to assault you here, nor am I trying to be an anthropomorphist. I know my corns don't "love" me, but they sure exhibit behavior that shows that they do genuinely enjoy certain types of human contact. They have also proven to have a genuine trust for my gf and I. Thus, I say it's possible that sapphire's BP genuinely likes a certain type of contact. At least, I acknowledge that it is POSSIBLE....