Bonding with snakes?

I've been researching like crazy in preparation for welcoming a pet snake. Some claim that a snake of any kind, corns included, are incapable of feeling any affection towards their owners like a dog or cat can. One person stated that no reptiles *enjoy* handling, but merely tolerate it and the people who keep them. Any thoughts on this from experienced snake owners? Can a cornsnake be a loving, affectionate pet even though they can't fetch your slippers or newspaper? Can a snake really bond with its owner?

I don't think affection enters into it as with a cat or dog. However I do believe that a Corn comes to recognise its primary carer as a safe place to be, and if given a choice will express a preference for them over a stranger. It's more to do with trust and instinct than any kind of bond. They certainly won't experience "love" in any sense. You might form a relationship with the snake, but it will not be reciprocated.

Handling preference differs from Corn to Corn. Most will tolerate it and be comfortable with being held by a human. Odd ones will actively come out of their tank if the lid is opened and climb onto a human of their own accord. Conversely, odd ones will never become used to it and will always struggle to be put down. There are no real rules to that one, although most Corns are relaxed and easy to handle - it's one of their advantages as a pet snake.

Be aware that a new Corn will be naturally nervous of handling, especially a hatchling. It may take weeks or months of gentle handling before they seem OK with the process. Don't worry that this will always be the case - sometimes they can be slow learners!

Then again, there are also those who say that dogs or cats don't show affection towards their owner either, they just take their owners as the alpha animals. It's a difficult thing to say, really.

Personally, I have thought that animal sociality is about "family members", meaning those who don't want to eat you all the time, with who you can have safety in numbers. I suppose snakes can feel this way too, some snakes do form groups in special situations, for example gravid females with some species.

If a snake is cannibalistic, they won't differentiate between blood relations and other snakes. I don't believe that any snake recognises "family".

Jmho snakes tolerate us. Some tolerate us more than others. Everything i keep tolerates me handling them pretty well and doesn't recognize me as a threat, but that's about it.

Keeping snakes is a fun, rewarding hobby, but a snake isn't a "pet"...

As Chris said, snakes tolerate handling. They don't enjoys it, and it's not a mutually enjoyable activity. Snakes are not the most intelligent creatures and are best handled once a week if you must.

bitsy said:

If a snake is cannibalistic, they won't differentiate between blood relations and other snakes. I don't believe that any snake recognises "family".

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Bitsy, check this out!! Some snakes are definitely social, and definitely protect family members from predators. Watch the videos!

I will disagree with David. Some snakes tolerate handling, some do not. I think getting out of the viv, for a snake who does not mind being handled, provides enrichment. (The book, The Art of Keeping Snakes, has some observations of the benefits of enriched environments for captive animals). Additionally, I think some snakes enjoy petting or light muscle massage, and the exercise can be beneficial, especially for gravid or overweight individuals.

Hundreds of thousands of cornsnakes are kept as pets and handled several times a week if not daily. If the individual is feeding and growing, I don't see any reason to limit the handling except during periods of digestion. (I fall on the conservative side here, and handle only after 72 hours of digestion).

Conversely, with 50 snakes in my home, most are only handled once every two or three weeks for feeding and all, without an exception, retain the same degree of "tameness" that they had when being handled on a daily basis.

Nanci, you are correct, many snakes do well with handling. Many snakes may benefit from handling, but I do not see it as something they enjoy. They may benefit and learn that we're not trying to hurt them, but I don't think they actually enjoy it. Now you have a lot of snakes, and it takes an individual who has worked with a wealth of animals to understand this. I think you Nanci (better than anyone else on this forum, and perhaps in the community), provide one of the best environments for your animals hands down. And I know your animals benefit from it. I just don't think that snakes actually enjoy handling, even if they may benefit from it.

I will however say that some species such as Elapids, Old World Colubrids, and Retics, all have been shown to recognize their keepers and has an astounding intelligence level (for a snake).

My personal outlook is that while snakes may not enjoy handling, they do seem to enjoy the new sensory input they are exposed to while being handled. Sienna may not "want" to come out and be handled by me but, once she is out, she is clearly very interested in the new sights and smells. I think it does enrich their lives to be out and about. When I see that she is enriched in this way, exploring and analyzing sights and scents, I receive pleasure. It's not the same as a dog greeting you at the door, but it is cool. That's the closest I come to "bonding" with my snakes.

I think a lot of mammal-owners feel reptiles are "cold" in comparison. (Ugh...unintended pun.) But if you except them for what they are and are able to offer, they can make fascinating pets.

My snakes love me and I love my snakes

No in all seriousness, its like everyone has said. I know a few of my snakes seem to tell the difference between myself and my husband and even perhaps my son. Piglet was our first snake he has been loved on by everyone since he was itty bitty. He will come out and "greet" you and doesn't seem to be mind being handled. Geno is the same way. I have two okeetee's that do not like being handled or messed with at all. I still handle them once a week and check on them daily.

My husband's bp will hide all day with me being at home but the minute my husband comes home and in the room, he comes out of his hide to greet him. (or so it seems to me).

I have two very affectionate cats that will actually head butt my hand for me to love on them. They come when called and sleep with us. I can see snakes are not like cats and dogs and do not need that affection. But they do need attention.

I believe snakes at least sort of 'like' you, or 'bond' with you in the sense that they eventually recognize your scent/voice, and trust you not to hurt them during handling lol. Maybe they'll even seek your warmth during handling. But the consensus is right, snakes are not capable of love, so that's about as far as it goes.

I have a snake who refuses to be handled by anyone other than me and sits on my throat when I talk.

I've pretty much accepted that that's as close to 'love' as we'll ever get, and you know what? it makes me just as happy to know she's at least okay with my existence =]

my first cornsnake Rune was a very "sociable" chap...he didn't seem to mind being held and would craw up my arm when i would be doing something in his viv and out he would come. he would find a place and just hang out and "watch" the world. my new little one Kiyo also seems to be a world watcher. when i pull her out (not very often at this point...i also only handle after 72ish hours after feeding) she wanders around checking things out, and does this cute little wiggle/shimmy thing on my arm which is what endeared her to me in the first place. she is starting to become a bit more curious in her viv as far as when things are going on, i will see her peeking out of her hide watching what's going on.

All snakes are different and react differently in different situations. Snakes may recognize their owners to an extent, but I think it has more to do with how the person handling them acts.

My Indigo seems to show a preference for me over others when being handled. Probably just because he's familiar with me, but it is flattering that he will come back to me given the chance if someone else is handling him. Makes me feel like he likes me.

bitsy said:

If a snake is cannibalistic, they won't differentiate between blood relations and other snakes. I don't believe that any snake recognises "family".

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Oh, they do have an excellent sense of smell, so I think they do learn to recognize things by their smell. Humans who are safe, snakes who are related and hence safe-ish.. Many animals use their sense of smell to determine who is a sibling, and even remember the same nesting site. And there's of course there's the social behavior that has been demonstrated in some snakes, which would suggest they do recognize a non-threat, probably by sense of smell too.

I think animal behavior (human too - often!) is all about benefits. Well, the whole evolution is based on the idea that who has best traits for reproducing as well as possible. I think the most simple example of beneficial social behavior is reproduction. The second most simple would be "safety in numbers". I think these two can be seen in snakes.

On the topic of enjoying being handled, I don't think it's completely impossible. Enjoying some feeling is one of the "rewards" that guide animal action, for example eating things and having a full stomach feels nice. We know that snakes do sometimes prefer to spend time in close contact with other snakes, and they do sometimes prefer to spend time on a source of warmth. I would guess these probably have some positive feedback to encourage these, which would also mean they might sometimes enjoy being in close contact with a nice and warm human, too. And, I heard someone has a corn who likes to have his chin rubbed?

I seem to belong to the pro-handling group. I think it's a good opportunity to visually inspect the snake and see if it behaves as usual, and it gives the snake new stimuli and some exercise.

My snake is curious, likes to be "out", and recognizes me (I think). She wakes up in the morning and cruises around the tank because she knows I will take her out then. She also "cruises" after school and in the evening, though the morning and evening times are popular times for snakes to be active. When she sees me outside of her tank, she comes out of her hide and climbs straight up the wall. Estelle will often sit beside be under a blanket and watch everything I do. I handle her almost everyday, and she is very tame. I usually never take her out when she is sleeping; she generally wants to come out on her own. I love Estelle!

legitimatehypnotist said:

I believe snakes at least sort of 'like' you, or 'bond' with you in the sense that they eventually recognize your scent/voice, and trust you not to hurt them during handling lol. Maybe they'll even seek your warmth during handling. But the consensus is right, snakes are not capable of love, so that's about as far as it goes.

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I tend to agree.
Also, ou can handle you snake a few times a week, no problem. But.....that also depends on the snake. Knowing it.