People think about a thousand times before getting a snake as their pet, because of the terrifying perception we have made about them and the myth about their lack of recognition to their owner. But, in reality, snakes are cute, cuddly little creatures who in a few days, start to recognize their owner and get emotional and comfortable with him. They actually use multiple senses of their body to remember a person.
Snakes use their ability to sense chemical scent, hearing, and sight to identify the person present in front of them. They have a highly sensitive organ above their mouth to detect scents and tastes by flicking their tongue on the body they want to recognize. They can also recognize you if you are their source of food, as most of us are habitual to offering food to our pets at a particular time; hence snakes easily remember you.
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How Snake Use Their Body To Remember You
Chemical Scent:
There is a highly developed organ in the snake’s body “Vomeronasal organ” which they use to detect scents and tastes. Its specialty is it can detect different types of aromas coming through a person’s body. When you are afraid, you produce a hormone that can be detected by snakes as a sense of danger, and this causes them to attack you. This is why you are suggested to stay calm when you interact with a snake.
On the other hand, when you have a snake as your pet, they learn to associate your scent with security and safety. They recognize you by familiarizing you with the mixture of the aroma that is usually coming off your body. You might be using a particular soap or a shampoo, and when it’s combined with your body’s pheromones and sweat scent, snakes can then recognize it and remember you through it.
Sight:
Snake sense of sight is not as sharp as their sense of scent, but it can be used to validate a person’s identity when their scent sense is not working properly. They only sense a person’s movement because of their poor eyesight, and if they believe your movement is not according to their owner, they can attack you.
Hearing:
Snakes mostly prefer their internal hearing system over their external hearing system(ears). In the internal system, they sense the sound vibrations and then interpret if they are familiar with them. They know how to differentiate a sound that is coming from a solid matter or air, so they can interpret how close the person producing the sound is. Therefore, as every person’s voice has different timber, snakes can remember their owner by the timber of their voice.
Using Everyday Routine To Remember You:
If your snake is not trained to capture its own food, and you provide your snake with the food they need at a specific time, then your snake might be using everyday routine to remember you. First of all, you are its only source of food, so there is a sense of emotional connection between you which helps it acknowledge your aura. Secondly, you are offering food to your snake at a specific time, and whenever your snake is offered food, it perceives it you.
How Much Time Does It Take For A Snake To Get Familiar With You
You will not believe me if I tell you it only takes about 5 to 7 days for a snake to get familiar with its owner and the surroundings in which it’s present. If it’s a newly born snake, then it can take a day or two for it to start recognizing you. The more you try to bond with it, the earlier you can feel a connection with your snake. But, if you do it the wrong way, then it can take months for your snake to start seeing you not as a threat.
How To Make Your Snake Remember You
During the first week, you should try your best not to put stress on the snake. It would be best if you did not try to introduce your snake to other pets you have or disturb it while your snake is eating or trying to relax.
Moreover, you should try to keep your interaction with other humans to a minimum. As in the start, you are supposed to place its cage in a less traffic area from where it can not be bothered by lots of people. Along that, during the first 7 days, you must not pick up your snake as it can even attack you due to lack of recognition of your scent. And, lastly, change its water every day so it can be in an environment which is clean and soothing for it, which can help you to maintain stress off of him.
How To Make Snakes To Positively Recognize You
Many snake owners have a problem that their snakes attack them whenever they try to pick them up. They will definitely recognize you as their owner in a few days, but making them feel comfortable with you and your surroundings can be a big problem.
The main reason for this problem is the congested environment in which your snake is living. You should put it in a wide cage and provide it with the environment it is familiar with within the cage. Including that, take your snake out once in a while, but remember to take it out to the garden only, not to a dog park. You should do it because many people have reported their snakes to feel immense excitement when they go out.
In the end, if you can provide excitement and joy to your snake, it will feel more emotional and attracted towards you, which will make a never-breaking bond between you two. And, within no time, you will be cuddling together as you do with your other pets. So, keep in mind providing snakes the best environment helps them remember you and like you.
