My snake behaves as if she cannot see much at all. She will startle if I move above her, so I think she may be able to detect either motions or shadows, but she does not respond at all to objects moved around in front of or directly next to her. I have waved her pinky right in front of her and right next to her eye, and she does not seem aware of it until it's touching her nose or tongue. Once she smells it she will orient toward it, but quickly "loses" it if I move it ever so slightly further in front of her. I know snakes rely heavily on their sense of smell, but I have been wondering if she might have especially poor eyesight?
I have read about the "zombie dance" being recommended for reluctant feeders so it seems that snakes must have some use for vision, but Bunny doesn't seem able to see the pinky at all.
I read this in an article: Holtzman found a few age-based differences in the cues snakes use to extricate themselves from the arena. Young snakes - - those up to three years old -- appear to be more adaptable and resourceful, using a variety of clues to find their way to the exit. But their elders seem to rely much more heavily on visual cues, becoming a bit befuddled if the brightly colored card marking the exit hole is tampered with.
"Actually, one of the interesting findings from our studies is that snakes use vision at all in locating places," says Holtzman. "They don't just rely on the chemical cues picked up by flicking their tongues out, as many snake biologists assume."
After reading the article I wonder if corn snakes simply don't develop their eyesight until they are adults. In that case, perhaps Bunny's eyesight is just fine for a baby. Anyone notice any differences in their older and younger snakes with regards to vision?
Bunny is my first snake, so I am trying to learn about her little snake life as she experiences it.
I have read about the "zombie dance" being recommended for reluctant feeders so it seems that snakes must have some use for vision, but Bunny doesn't seem able to see the pinky at all.
I read this in an article: Holtzman found a few age-based differences in the cues snakes use to extricate themselves from the arena. Young snakes - - those up to three years old -- appear to be more adaptable and resourceful, using a variety of clues to find their way to the exit. But their elders seem to rely much more heavily on visual cues, becoming a bit befuddled if the brightly colored card marking the exit hole is tampered with.
"Actually, one of the interesting findings from our studies is that snakes use vision at all in locating places," says Holtzman. "They don't just rely on the chemical cues picked up by flicking their tongues out, as many snake biologists assume."
After reading the article I wonder if corn snakes simply don't develop their eyesight until they are adults. In that case, perhaps Bunny's eyesight is just fine for a baby. Anyone notice any differences in their older and younger snakes with regards to vision?
Bunny is my first snake, so I am trying to learn about her little snake life as she experiences it.
