Does he remember???

[freak_magnet1018]

I have heard that boas have no memory. Is this true? I'm trying to decide if that is the reason my boa gets so "weird" when I try to pick him up. A lot of times he gets stiff and starts to shake. Once picked up, he usually relaxes.

[Doug]

Re: Does he remember???

Hi,
 I think young boa's react with instinct, and the good instinct to survive in nature is to strike at everything that moves and run like heck..
  Now if your a good boa owner your patient and earn that trust. They may just complain alittle when you pull them out of their hide.  hehehe  
Now as to memory, my Guyana's love to come out and hang on their Daddy... They sit like puppy dogs at the door(they know the door of their cage they grasp the opening concept) and they also know me and don't trust other people as much and they tend to freak, if I let someone else hold them.  They are proably smarter than most people realize.
 I am sure many of the  boa owners can tell you how smart they think their boa's are.
        Doug
 I know they easier to keep and hold than some pythons I used to keep, Mine will actually rest while I am sitting and refuse to get down or explore,, the pythons always try to hide or hunt.

  doug  
   

[ClayEnglish]

Re: Does he remember???

Well my opinion on this matter has been stated elsewhere but I thought it would be good to mention it here.

I believe boas have a conditioned memory. I believe boas associate certain events with certain results. My boas never strike me when I get them out of their enclosures, yet they know instantly when placed in the rubbermaid tub that it is feeding time and really perk up..

I had a member tell me a story of a situation where he started placing a small cut off piece of indoor outdoor carpet inside the enclosure to feed on. He would lay the thawed rodent on this piece of carpet and the boa would progress over and eat the rodent. Any other time he could reach in and get the boa out without fear or defensive actions.

However, as soon as he placed the piece of carpet in there, the boa immediately changed it's posture. He knew it was feeding time.

I think conditioning may be a better term than assuming they have an "elephant" like memory. But I have just seen too many little things to know they do remember certain things.

[Red]

Re: Does he remember???

I once read about a study that said snakes in general have no memery.. they based there finding's on rat like task's.. ie.. mazes and such... since the boas had no interest in finding there way through and some of the other one's did but then never did again.. they said that boas are pure instinked and the same with all the rest perty much... I would find the source of the info and find out how they got it and investagate... I find false info more then ture when I do... Well I hope I could help..
My snakes remember quit well... they like me and my girl friend and if we are in public they are fine as long as we are the one's holding them... trust is a eared thing... so they must remeber some... he also relates the bag to going somwhere(which he like's ) He is waiting out side the hidi on feeding day and stuff like that...
Eric aka...Red