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how intelligent are snakes?

They may have simply associated tapping with feeding though, you can do that if you tap on the terrarium prior to feeding.
I have a friend who did that with his Burmese Python, and sure enough, if you tap on her glass- expect a -very- WARM welcome :rofl:
 
Kokopelli said:
They may have simply associated tapping with feeding though, you can do that if you tap on the terrarium prior to feeding.
Click to expand...
The original point was How intelligent are snakes...
And it takes a certain amount of intelligence to associate ... Take the association part in the standard IQ test
MIKE
 
Well you are right, of course. But every single animal on the planet can be taught a habit. All animals associate things- big moving things=potential predator. Light=I am vulnerable, dark=darkness is my only friend and so on :)

Reacting to circumstances, noises and other things is instinctive, I think. Yes, it does mean they have a learning capacity, but pretty much all animals exhibit that much. No? :shrugs:
 
Kokopelli,

But when does an action become more than a instilled reaction? When is the animal making choices regardless of it being the better or worse choice?

I'm not challanging you, for if you read my prior posts in this thread you will find a lot of support for what you've said.

I guess I am saying we are beyond that and now speculating the "what if"
 
My snake out-smarts me occasionally in his escape attempts whilst handling, is that bad?.

I swear, he can spot a pocket or a hole or something to wrap himself around from a mile away.
 
Kokopelli said:
Oooo, theory threads, ought to love these :)

bacteria- all of these would decimate every single resource available to them if they weren't checked by the natural selection and carnivore-herbivore food chain.

Animals don't just hunt in order to eat- that's false, predators do kill for sport, to showoff and to let some steam out.


But I think we're a miracle, in a way- for we are basically animals.
Click to expand...

1) There are more beneficial/neutral forms of bacteria than bacteria that cause harm. Not just by a little but by a very large number. I just finished taking microbiology and could probably find the ratio for you but it might take me a bit to sort through all my notes.

2) Most animals other than humans do not kill for any other reasons than a) Food b) When threatened or are protecting young. There are some ape/monkey species that will go on hunting raids to other groups of apes/monkeys but it is related to territory disputes and feeling threatened.

No disrespect intended but someone has been filling you with a bunch of BS. Or you read one BS article written by a moron.

3) Animals also kill for learning and practice. Mothers of cat family often bring back live prey to teach their cubs how to kill.

We are not basically animals - We ARE animals.

Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:primates
Family:Hominidae
Genus:Homo
Species:Homo sapiens
Sub Species:Homo sapiens sapiens

...Humm... guess I forgot to mention I have taken Anthropology as well. :p

I will not debate the human intelligence/non intelligence issue as the issue would go on forever with a massive pro con list. And I agree we do consciously protect our environment. HOWEVER, we wouldn't need to do that if we didn't try destroying it first. Many of us are very involved in conservation efforts and I applaud those efforts. The reality is that most people just don't care so those of us that do just have to work harder. Sad but true.
 
I have to disagree on the bacteria comment, the rest I respect as your opinion. However, when it comes to bacteria they -all- consume resources, the fact that they were created in a way that is beneficial to its hosts or to the natural cycling is not due to them being "moral". It's simply how they were made or evolved- they did now evolve knowingly in this way. Bacterias that decompose food do not do so out of the kindness of their hearts- they are driven by the exact same principles upon which the HIV virus functions.
Some are parasitic, some aren't. Some are beneficial and some aren't- also remember that whatever is beneficial to one species can have negative effects on another.
 
Koko,
I think its more a matter of what would the world be like without them, not a matter of why they do it.

Besides, without bacteria we wouldn't have alcohol?

And then how would I cope with people who can't just agree to disagree on the forum?
 
oh, one more thing? Isn't there a difference between a virus, and bacteria?

Just a thought. (yes, I've been known to have them, and sometimes they hurt!!!)
 
I think its time for us all to take some time out and applaud ourselves for such a civil debate..
6 pages in and no one getting nasty and no one banned...
We have all done so well here...
MIKE
 
OK we're getting off topic and I apologize, but... This is kinda neat!

_________________________________________________________
-Fun Facts about Bacteria

Bacteria help our bodies with digestion and produce needed vitamins. Bacteria also help us by destroying harmful organisms within our bodies.

There are more bacterial cells in your body than there are human cells.

Most bacteria reproduce using a process called "binary fission." To do this, a single bacterium will grow to twice its normal size and then split into two "daughter" cells. The two new cells are exact copies of the original bacterium.

Bacteria are used to make cheese, milk, sourdough bread and yogurt.

99% of all bacteria are helpful.

Dead or weakened bacteria and viruses are used for making helpful vaccines.

Scientists estimate that bacteria produce nearly half the oxygen found in the atmosphere.

Helpful bacteria are used to purify water at sewage treatment plants and to break down oil after oil spills.

One healthy bacterium, given the proper environment, could reproduce into a colony of more than 2 million in just seven hours.

There are more microbes on your body than there are humans on the entire planet.

An area of skin as small as 6.5 square cm (1 square inch) may be home to more than half a million microbes.
 
You made no comment about bacteria and morals in your previous post. This entire planet is based on checks and balances. Why single out bacteria? Every living thing on this planet consumes resources. There is no species that knowingly evolves.. it is all genetic. I am sorry but your arguments on this are extremely weak.
 
As for human beings- I think I am quite right in saying that -most- of us do not kill animals for sport or when we gain no benefit from it.

If killing more prey would have befitted predators, they would have done so- the conservation of energy is all-importent in the wild so most would not kill and risk injury unless they must. They do not know how to make clothes out of them, or produce medicine.

Humans however have developed many more ways to take advantage of animals- not that I am a huge supporter of this- but animals do not preserve nature due to a moral decision or awareness. It's self-preservation, pure and simple. If you had the same amount of wolves as you have sheep- all the sheep would be eaten and the wolves will die, they will not conserve.

There's a major difference here- animals act out of self preservation and because that's how they were created.

We took it a step further and many of us knowingly gives up comfort and foods we like in order to preserve Nature- this is a choice.
Yes, one could say this too is an intelligent form of self preservation- but even if we did not try to preserve the planet, it won't be us or our children that would suffer because of it- it'll be a while before we bring our own demise.
 
Jcapicy said:
OK we're getting off topic and I apologize, but... This is kinda neat!

_________________________________________________________
-Fun Facts about Bacteria

Bacteria help our bodies with digestion and produce needed vitamins. Bacteria also help us by destroying harmful organisms within our bodies.

There are more bacterial cells in your body than there are human cells.

Most bacteria reproduce using a process called "binary fission." To do this, a single bacterium will grow to twice its normal size and then split into two "daughter" cells. The two new cells are exact copies of the original bacterium.

Bacteria are used to make cheese, milk, sourdough bread and yogurt.

99% of all bacteria are helpful.

Dead or weakened bacteria and viruses are used for making helpful vaccines.

Scientists estimate that bacteria produce nearly half the oxygen found in the atmosphere.

Helpful bacteria are used to purify water at sewage treatment plants and to break down oil after oil spills.

One healthy bacterium, given the proper environment, could reproduce into a colony of more than 2 million in just seven hours.

There are more microbes on your body than there are humans on the entire planet.

An area of skin as small as 6.5 square cm (1 square inch) may be home to more than half a million microbes.
Click to expand...

Awesome post! :dancer: You saved me the effort of posting something similar. There are huge differences between bacteria and viruses. I would suggest doing a google search for the answer as many of the differences. A lot of the answers I am not sure you would understand unless you have done a lot of scientific study and the search will allow you to find it in terms you understand. :)
 
ZoologyMajor said:
You made no comment about bacteria and morals in your previous post. This entire planet is based on checks and balances. Why single out bacteria? Every living thing on this planet consumes resources. There is no species that knowingly evolves.. it is all genetic. I am sorry but your arguments on this are extremely weak.
Click to expand...

Erm I am not very sure if this was aimed at me or not, I don't think so but I am not sure?

Anyways- yes there's a difference between a virus and a bacteria. But they basically act the same way- and pathogens are bacteria(bacterias that cause disease)

I am not saying that people who think differently are wrong- quite the opposite! It is your right to believe as you would.

I simply am a tad fed up with this recent trend of people being doom-singers "we will bring forth our own demise, oh how wretched we are". I think that the human race does have a few positive things going for it, that's all :)

I prefer to focus on what can be done rather than compare myself to other animals and debase my own station by saying they are all more moral or better than me. :shrugs:
 
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