However, snakes mostly rely on smell and taste as their main senses to recognise prey because their eyesight is poor. Snakes are able to use these senses to identify humans, and even differentiate between them.
Vipers, pythons and boas have holes on their faces called pit organs, which contain a membrane that can detect infrared radiation from warm bodies up to one metre away. At night, the pit organs allow snakes to 'see' an image of their predator or prey — as an infrared camera does — giving them a unique extra sense.
It is a myth that snakes can sense fear in humans.
However, since snakes have an extraordinary sense of smell, they might be able to sense a difference between a relaxed human and a fearful human. Snakes do not respond to fear in humans unless they feel threatened by unpredictable human movements.
Snakes have been known to show excitement and curiosity, too. “At the zoo,” says Dr. Denish, “we see snakes that are interested in new forms of enrichment like bedding, housing, or a new scent.” Some reptiles will also show pleasure at human contact.
Snakes do not typically like being pet, but some that become accustomed to being handled don't mind the human interaction. Snakes can definitely feel when you pet them but the sensation is not as desirable as it is for many domesticated animals.
Snakes and other reptiles are not social animals. They do not form communities, have friends, or even nurture their own young. Unlike mammals that can demonstrate complete emotions like love, joy, or even jealousy, snakes do not demonstrate deep feelings like these.
New findings suggest that when it comes to learning and cognition, the humble snake may be quite a bit more like humans than anyone had imagined. David Holtzman, a neuroscientist at the University of Rochester, has found that snakes have a much greater capacity for learning than earlier studies had indicated.
Snakes can hear sounds in the 80-600 Hz range, and since the human voice ranges from 85 – 255 Hz, snakes can indeed hear when you talk to them. They might even be able to differentiate between your voice and someone else's.
Snakes do not have an external ear, but they do have all the parts of the inner ear that we do. Their stapes—called a “columella”—is slightly different from ours in that it connects to the jawbone, enabling them to sense vibrations. However, they can only hear a portion of the sounds we hear.
Since we know that the peak sensitivity of a snake's hearing is in the 200 to 300 Hz range and the average human voice is at about 250 Hz, we can determine that a pet snake can, in fact, hear you talking to them.
Both venomous and nonvenomous snakes are extremely wary of humans and are not prone to strike. A bite is their last-ditch effort to avoid harm. Simply leaving a snake to do its job in the landscape is the best way to avoid a bad encounter.
Snakes are able to recognise and distinguish between humans and may recognise the scent of their owner as familiar or positive with time. However, snakes are unable to view humans as companions so cannot form a bond with their owner like other pets can.
The belief that the snake may chase the humans is not true since there is no way that the snakes may pursue the person actively in order to hurt them. The snakes normally bite because of two reasons, it can be to subdue the prey or for the self defense.
Snakes have infamously poor eyesight, which is why they resort to sticking out their tongues all the time to get a sense of their surroundings. But the creatures may have a way to improve their vision in a pinch.
Rule Number 1: Don't Try To Outrun A Snake
Not because your kid can't — they probably could! The very fastest snake, the Black Mamba, can slither at about 12 MPH, and a truly scared human (even one with short legs) could probably exceed that.
Generally, reptiles do demonstrate basic emotions. According to Dr. Sharman Hoppes, clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, the main two are fear and aggression, but they may also demonstrate pleasure when stroked or when offered food.
Some common examples include marigolds, lemongrass, and wormwood. Foxes and raccoons are common predators of snakes. Guinea hens, turkeys, pigs, and cats will also help keep snakes away. If foxes are indigenous to your area, fox urine is a very good natural repellent for snakes when spread around your property.
Snakes cannot jump, but instead lunge forward from a coiled position at an accelerated speed. As a snake launches itself, it may appear as though the snake is jumping.
Loud noises that seem insignificant to you can stress pet snakes -- paving the primrose path to big trouble. Because it's a given that the only way to properly listen to any strong bass music such as rock and roll and hip hop is wide open, consider using headphones when you're hanging out and digging on rowdy tunes.
Most snakes have very poor or no memories at all. This may come as a surprise given the plethora of snake-horror movies we've seen over the years. While they may be unable to recall details, it is more likely that their brains aren't built to make emotional connections to the events they encounter.
Snakes hold grudges:
As cringing as those movies were, they were even more incorrect about their facts. Snakes do not have brains developed to the level where they can remember who wronged them, let alone hold a grudge!
What does it mean when your snake keeps staring at you? Your snake might seem to stare if it's asleep, hungry, or having the stargazing syndrome. All these will depend on your snake's breed and its behavioral responses. Once you understand your pet, you will be able to tell what it wants to communicate by a stare.
Move away from the snake. We repeat, move away from the snake. That means don't walk up to it, poke it with a stick, try to pick it up, etc. We recommend retreating a safe distance away but keeping an eye on the snake.