Teaching tricks?

Hey i know you can't teach a snake tricks like a dog or dolphin, but it has memory to know different scents and locations mean different things. For example if you use a separate feeding tank, your snake eventually put 2 and 2 together knowing it's feeding time when it's in that tank. You snake knows the scent of a mouse and knows it's food. I wanted to know if i kept doing the same things over and over again such as tapping on the glass, that it knew to come out of it's hide to be handled. Or any other method. Are snakes smart enough for this? Just wondering i know it's an odd question.

Almost anything can be trained in such a way. I trained my rabbits to go sit in thier cage when I shook thier treat container. I trained my rats to get in and climb to the top of thier cage when I said "sticks".

However, snakes may be more like cats. Smart enough, and some may even take to training, but most just have that aloofness, like you want me to do what? It's an individuality type of thing perhaps I could be wrong though, Im only on my first snake

I'm going to say no, in my experience. I've been trying to get Amel boy to figure out that pooping at a certain time (when I take him in the washroom) will get him what he wants - to be put back in his cage. So far, I think it has more to do with my good timing than his IQ. Seriously, he's like clockwork but I think if he really "got it" he'd just go as soon as I took him in there. He LOVES his hide.

They aren't pack animals (no drive to 'follow the leader') and you can't really motivate them, it's not exactly like you can give them praise or treats.

My Cali King Choco will definitely come out if I knock on his viv- even if it's not feeding day. He also comes out hopefully if he hears the TV or vacuum cleaner.

Actually, adult corn Maizey will come out if I knock, too, but I only do that to get him out when I want to feed him. Choco I just take out to watch TV, and he still comes out when I knock.

Snakes think we are the pets and they have trained us well. :grin01:

This is a list of the "tricks" that I taught Choco.

1. Choco hangs off my hand, and I say "Choco, you're going to fall, you're going to fall!!" and he drops down, but catches himself by his tail at the last second.

2. Choco reaches off my left hand, to my right hand, straight out like a stick, and I say "Choco, you can trust me, come on Choco!!" and I hold my hands far apart, and he reaches my right hand and slowly transfers his weight without flopping down- he stays stiff.

3. (This is the one where the person I'm explaining the tricks to gets a glazed expression) Bicycle. Choco is wound around some fingers of both hands, and I "pedal" my hands backwards, and Choco stays in one place by crawling, as I sing the song "I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike."

4. Toilet Paper Roll. During Bicycle, at some point, I switch the direction I'm pedaling my hands and say "Toilet Paper Roll!" and pedal forward and Choco unwinds off my hands, like runaway toilet paper.

5. Caduseus. Choco dangles from one finger, his head and tail at the same level, and he twines around himself.

6. Kathy Love's Cornsnake Treadmill. It's hard to describe- you have to see her do it. Kathy claims it tires energetic snakes out enough to make them cooperative photo subjects. Plus it's just relaxing. You hold the snake's neck in your right hand, and ind the snake in a figure eight around the fingers of your left hand, holding it in that Vulcan hand thing sort of, and you get the snake to start crawling, but hold it steady with your right hand, while alternating the fingers of your left hand so it keeps moving forward. Impossible to describe. All snakes do it pretty easily once the owner figures out how it works. Except, of course, Inez, who will go along for a minute, then tighten her coils so fast it's like she's slamming on the brakes! She's funny.

7. Hangman's Noose. Choco drapes himself over one finger, then makes a loop around his body with the end of his tail and drops through it.

All these "tricks" are easy to do with a small, light snake. By the time the snake grows up, they are too big and heavy for a lot of the tricks to work any more.

Good point got me thinking

Jimmysan00 said:

Hey i know you can't teach a snake tricks like a dog or dolphin, but it has memory to know different scents and locations mean different things. For example if you use a separate feeding tank, your snake eventually put 2 and 2 together knowing it's feeding time when it's in that tank. You snake knows the scent of a mouse and knows it's food. I wanted to know if i kept doing the same things over and over again such as tapping on the glass, that it knew to come out of it's hide to be handled. Or any other method. Are snakes smart enough for this? Just wondering i know it's an odd question.

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I always clean feeding bins with cleaner and water therefore it has nothing to do with scent when my snakes are put in the bin. They move like crazy as if they know they are going to be fed. The day I put them in not ffeeding day but just to weigh them they were all over when I returned to the viv they seemed to be like what no food today? If you think about it and science how mice are trained to push buttons for reward and we all know about the Pavlov and the dog. Horses and moving away from pressure positive and negative reinforcement. I think the big problem with snakes is that unless you are training them at feeding time only once a week what other reward or positive reinforcement can you really give them? just my thoughts but you have me thinking now. Hmmm

Not sure I really want to teach mine "tricks". I'm OK with her being a Normal Corn Snake (pun intended).
I try to avoid tapping on the tank, or teach my grand kids not to do it when they are down. . . .I know they're as fascinated with the snake as I am, and was at their age, but they're naturally nervous creatures and when they're in a hide and they feel the vibrations, or the tapping, I'm sure their first instinct is not to come out and do something to get food, or just to check on things. . . I think they're first instinct is so curl up deeper and stay hidden until the tapping stops. . . .they're cool just like they are. Enjoy 'em when you can pick 'em up and the rest of the time. . . give them the privacy they want. (IMO)

A few times i have been able to get mine out from hiding by softly tapping on the glass beside their hide. If they poked their heads out i would move my finger in a circular motion on the glass, moving it away from them and back, drawing interest. If they are interested they will flicker the tongue wildly and ensue in a chase. Not much of a trick, most likely hunting behavior prompted by movement. Still cool to lure them out once and a while though

Well the only trick i'd like to teach is to come out of the hide. I almost feel bad to bother her and wake up her from being curled up in a hide to handle her. So i wanted to do a light tap or hear the mesh tank top rattle and she'd come out knowing it was time for exercise or time to eat and be put into her feeder tank.

All of my snakes, especially my boas, ball pythons, and baby burm, are "hook trained". Not so much a trick, as a useful tool. When they're picked up with the hook, they know it's playtime. A couple of 'em tolerate being picked up by hand, but do tend to get a bit snippy.

Really? Interesting...I would think a snake would prefer a nice warm hand to pick it up rather than a hook. I will have to look into that. I just assumed hooks were for snippy snakes/aggressive snakes, and wild snakes. But for pets kinda makes sense.

Jimmysan00 said:

Really? Interesting...I would think a snake would prefer a nice warm hand to pick it up rather than a hook. I will have to look into that. I just assumed hooks were for snippy snakes/aggressive snakes, and wild snakes. But for pets kinda makes sense.

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Well, especially with my larger constrictors. I don't wanna reach my hand in a 6' boa cage. A hand just looks like food to them. One of my girls pounds rats that are bigger around than my hand.

Jimmysan00 said:

Really? Interesting...I would think a snake would prefer a nice warm hand to pick it up rather than a hook. I will have to look into that. I just assumed hooks were for snippy snakes/aggressive snakes, and wild snakes. But for pets kinda makes sense.

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To snakes with heat pits, "nice warm hands" probably look a lot like dinner. I'm sure it depends on the individual snake, but I can tell my python always has more interest in my hands around feeding day.

Do Rosy Boas have heat pits???

Janine the kingsnake does not, and she is a maniac on feeding day, and feeding day only. Last time I tricked her, though. I got her out and into her feeding bin before moving any other snakes or defrosting mice. She didn't catch on.

Nanci your last post made me laugh out loud! I wish I could see some of those tricks, especially the bicycle followed by loo roll! :grin01:

That's one sentence I never thought I'd say..!

Nanci said:

Do Rosy Boas have heat pits???

Janine the kingsnake does not, and she is a maniac on feeding day, and feeding day only. Last time I tricked her, though. I got her out and into her feeding bin before moving any other snakes or defrosting mice. She didn't catch on.

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I don't think rosy's have heat pits.

It was just a thought, Thanagar won't eat something unless it's warm enough so I know it's an issue for him, plus it's a hunting tool they use. He also seems to be interested in my hands when they first come near him, but once he smells them a few times he leaves off. With your kings maybe it's the motion they're attracted too? Room temperature objects don't interest my python. I think it's also up to individual snakes and how they are.

Nanci, I've gotten a good belly laugh for the day out of the mind-movies prompted by your list of tricks! Naturally, I can hardly wait to make a fool of myself trying some of them with Yohsong or Doree, who are both SERIOUSLY people-friendly. Boz is too laid back; trying to get him to do a trick would be quite the challenge. It's too bad they eat so seldom; no "snake biscuits" for rewards.

Hey Guys.

Iv just come across this thread and its very interesting.I thought i would chip in and give my view.

In my opinion i think that snakes 'get used' to being handled and picked up. Its something that they learn to tolerate and even enjoy but as far as snakes learning tricks?
I dont know, Its not something i really like the idea of. Snakes in general are a very different type of pet to keep when you compare them to say, dogs and kittens. I think that the whole attraction of keeping snakes is that they cannot be 'taught'. They just are very instinctive and so on.
I adore the fact that snakes can be handled and enjoyed but i am kind of pleased that you cannot teach them anything to advanced. I mean it may be possible, Im not saying that they couldnt be taught but i think its kool how they are no push overs, like dogs are. I like dogs though dont get me wrong.
But if a snake doesnt want to be picked up or is in a bad mood, they let you know about it. Its part and partial of owning these great animals.
I just think this is what makes a snake so special.

I hope i have got my point across without making what i was thinking sound too confusing. lol (i have been thinking about this subject all day.)

:cheers:

Snakes can learn... but they will not do "tricks".... because there is absolutely no way to motivate them.


I know that a lot of people are going to hate hearing this... but I am sorry, but your snake does not "like" you. He or she uses you! you provide the food, the snake eats the food, and after that, you are of no use to him. Sure, he will tolerate your presence and may even want to come out of the cage for a while (i would too if I lived in a box my entire life)... but snakes do not have feelings for their owners.

I think that the way that some people personify their snakes sometimes is borderline silly. Sure, its always fun to do it just for a good laugh... but there are people who seriously beleive that their ball python gets "happy" when it is picked up... the term "loves to be handled"... is not really feasible. It's more like "tolerates being handled extremely well."

sure... a baby snake is cute and my 40 something baby garter snakes make me melt on a daily basis... but I keep reality in check, I know that they do not see me as a friend or a big friendly giant... they see me as "hey, there is that giant thing that always seems to be present when food arrives... and makes my poops dissapear!"