Enclosure question

puffinluffin · 02-01-13, 07:30 PM

..sort of. More of a question regarding snakes and their reflections. Hah

If mine sees his reflection, he rubs his face against the glass.. what exactly is he doing?
What could it mean, I guess..? Hes never agressive. More than not hes affectionate about it.. hah

**Aaron_S** · 02-01-13, 08:06 PM

He doesn't actually see it or care about it. I think he's just rubbing up against the glass.

Outside chance he thinks it's a female and he's trying to get her attention. I'm going with the fact he probably doesn't see it since they have poor eyesight.

bcr226 · 02-01-13, 09:21 PM

Ours do that and to every object in their enclosures. It's like they're scenting the objects to claim them.

We change their enclosures every once in a while to stimulate them. We might put new sticks in or a new hide or bit of rock or something and they just have a ball, no pun intended, checking it out.

puffinluffin · 02-02-13, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcr226

Ours do that and to every object in their enclosures. It's like they're scenting the objects to claim them.

We change their enclosures every once in a while to stimulate them. We might put new sticks in or a new hide or bit of rock or something and they just have a ball, no pun intended, checking it out.

Hah. Alright.

puffinluffin · 02-02-13, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

He doesn't actually see it or care about it. I think he's just rubbing up against the glass.

Outside chance he thinks it's a female and he's trying to get her attention. I'm going with the fact he probably doesn't see it since they have poor eyesight.

I don't think he's even so much as seen another snake since he was purchased at 3-4 months. Thats why I found it so strange.

I knew the eyesight wasnt that great. So I suppose his just rubbing hah.. he yawns alot too.. or what I assume to be yawning. Hes not gasping, and he usually does it when he wakes up at night to do whatever he does in his enclosure ha..

Its cute, but should i worry he opens his mouth frequently?

**Aaron_S** · 02-02-13, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by puffinluffin

I don't think he's even so much as seen another snake since he was purchased at 3-4 months. Thats why I found it so strange.

I knew the eyesight wasnt that great. So I suppose his just rubbing hah.. he yawns alot too.. or what I assume to be yawning. Hes not gasping, and he usually does it when he wakes up at night to do whatever he does in his enclosure ha..

Its cute, but should i worry he opens his mouth frequently?

Not unless there are other signs. Mucous, clicking, wheezing.

They do yawn and it looks just like a person yawning but a bit bigger and with more sharp teeth.

puffinluffin · 02-02-13, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

Not unless there are other signs. Mucous, clicking, wheezing.

They do yawn and it looks just like a person yawning but a bit bigger and with more sharp teeth.

Hah, yes.

Theres never noise or anything coming out of his mouth. Just a lazy snake lol

**Aaron_S** · 02-02-13, 09:51 AM

Yup. Ball pythons are lazy. Still awesome to have. I enjoy all the colours/patterns.

puffinluffin · 02-02-13, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

Yup. Ball pythons are lazy. Still awesome to have. I enjoy all the colours/patterns.

Me too. They are such a nice temperment as well. Can't really go wrong

jarich · 02-02-13, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by puffinluffin

I knew the eyesight wasnt that great.

Actually, was just reading about this. In low light these guys can see better than we can. They have almost no cones, all short rods, but very densely packed. There is some speculation that some of these rods actually act like cones in low light, and that they may actually see some colour in low light as a result. I can send you a reference Aaron if you like.

**Aaron_S** · 02-02-13, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jarich

Actually, was just reading about this. In low light these guys can see better than we can. They have almost no cones, all short rods, but very densely packed. There is some speculation that some of these rods actually act like cones in low light, and that they may actually see some colour in low light as a result. I can send you a reference Aaron if you like.

Post it for all to see.

Until further tests are done, speculation is just speculation.

jarich · 02-02-13, 02:18 PM

Yes, and no. Some of it is just simple density. Take a look at the article below. I love the part where they mention that the packing is higher than either a possum or a cat. Your ball can see better than your cat! And it can see certain UV wavelengths on top of that. Definitely not as blind as I was lead to believe.

The photoreceptors and visual pigments in the retina of a boid snake, the ball python (Python regius)

**Aaron_S** · 02-02-13, 02:53 PM

Interesting read. Thanks.

I noted that they can see, a bit better than I initially thought but not far off. It mentions very limited accuracy so I still think the snake can't see it's reflection clearly enough to think it's another snake and react to it. Especially since it puts off no scent.

It brings to light a bit more information but I'd also like to see something that wasn't written in 1999. Brings more food for thought for sure though.

I hope you can show this to those who have lead you to say they are blind. They aren't, just not very good but I may stand corrected there.

Lankyrob · 02-02-13, 04:07 PM

How about a little experiment, put a mirror in the viv and see if the snake reacts at all to it. It would provide a much sharper clearer reflection than it would get from the glass

jarich · 02-02-13, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

Interesting read. Thanks.

I noted that they can see, a bit better than I initially thought but not far off. It mentions very limited accuracy so I still think the snake can't see it's reflection clearly enough to think it's another snake and react to it. Especially since it puts off no scent.

It brings to light a bit more information but I'd also like to see something that wasn't written in 1999. Brings more food for thought for sure though.

No problem, and here you go, one from 2009

http://www.jneurosci.org/content/29/23/7519.full.pdf