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Could a snake recognize a picture of a snake?

Korrin

Korrin

New member
A bit of an odd question, but... I'm drawing the background picture thingy you put on the back of the tank myself, and I was thinking of putting a corn snake in the picture.
I just want to know if my corn snake will be able to see another snake in the picture. I don't want to add it if it will cause my snake any stress.
I think the answer is probably 'no,' but I'm not an expert, and I just wanted to be safe.
 
I can tell you with certainty that they recognize themselves in the mirror. I am not sure if they see "themselves" or if they see "a snake", but they are definitely very curious about their own image in a mirror...for whatever that might be worth to you.

As an experiment, find an encyclopedia with a good picture of a cornsnake, and see if your snake has a reaction to it...
 
Chris, how do you know they are reacting to the reflection, not just tasting a flat surface? Would they do the same thing if you held them up to a wall? (Going to do some experiments later- I'm skeptical...)

Nanci
 
From what I've heard and read, most snakes have poor vision but they're very perceptive of movement (kinda like the T-Rex in Jurassic Park). It wouldn't surprise me if they reacted to a moving reflection, but I highly doubt that a static picture would elicit a reaction. :shrugs:

(There are snakes that hunt primarily by sight. I believe that indigos and racers are examples.)
 
I'll test it just to be on the safe side, unless Nanci does so before me... (I pick up my corn tomorrow, and there's still the three-five day grace period before I should deliberately try to stress it by showing it other pictures of snakes XD) but I also thought they had pretty poor vision.
Hopefully it is just reaction to its own movements.
 
I'm currently using an aquarium (because it's huge and I had it long before I had her) for my snake. It has a mirror on the back, and she definitely notices herself once in a while, but she doesn't seem to care. She just kind of looks at herself, and then something else distracts her (me, that branch she forgot existed, etc). It seems like since there's no smell of any other animals, it doesn't seem to bother her.

I don't think a picture of a snake would even be acknowledged.
 
Nanci--

I say that because when I hold my snake up to the mirror, they become enthralled. They will stare at their reflection for several minutes, nosing it, taasting it, moving side to side, but always staring at it. I've never seen them do this with any other flat surface.

As Dean said, it could very well be a reaction to their own movement. I don't know know what it is they are reacting to, but I know it is a reaction, in some way, to their reflection in the mirror.

I've held a couple of them up to the computer screen, and they only give it a cursory glance, and move on. And I've held them to the window...again...just a little look and taste, and they lose interest. The mirror and their reflection definitely holds their interest much longer...for whatever reason...
 
Well. I'll have Inez out tonight, but she doesn't seem like she'd be a good test subject. And Maizey and Addy are going to the vet, but probably won't be in good moods when they get home. Zee- he's always looking for companionship- he'd be a good one, and Choco with his superior intelligence.

Nanci
 
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