Let’s Train a Rainbow Boa!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ก.ย. 2024
- Welcome to Behavior Education at Spirit Keeper Animal Sanctuary. Today is Sunday, August 18, 2024, I am Lori Torrini, a certified animal trainer and behaviorist with degrees in zoo keeping and animal health and behavior. Rowena is a 6 year old Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Epicrates cenchria) who has been training for 6 years.
Target training a snake using operant conditioning and positive reinforcement is a method used in animal behavior management to teach the snake to follow or touch a designated target to earn reinforcement. This form of training offers several benefits both for the snake and the handler. It is a form of cooperative care training that facilitates low-stress management with not just snakes but all animals, including those in zoos, laboratories, shelters, and veterinary settings.
Target training allows handlers to guide the snake’s movement in a controlled manner, reducing the need for physical handling. This can significantly lower stress for both the snake and the handler. By associating the target with a positive experience, such as a food reward or freedom, the snake learns to anticipate and cooperate, making interactions more predictable and less stressful.
Target training provides mental and physical stimulation for the snake. It engages their natural problem-solving abilities and encourages activity, which can improve their overall wellbeing. The snake can choose to engage with the target, promoting autonomy and reducing the potential for forced interactions.
Target training can be used to position a snake for medical examinations, cleaning, or enclosure transfers, reducing the need for invasive handling. By teaching the snake to associate human interaction with positive outcomes, target training can reduce defensive or aggressive behaviors, making routine care safer.
Target training can be used to observe and study snake behavior in a controlled environment, providing insights into their learning abilities and preferences. This can also lead to regular, positive interactions which, through target training, can build trust between the snake and the handler, fostering a more cooperative relationship.
Target training can be used to guide the snake to a specific location for feeding, ensuring that food is delivered in a controlled manner, which is particularly useful in multi-snake environments.
Target training benefits snakes by reducing stress, enhancing their welfare, facilitating safe handling, enabling behavioral research, improving handler-snake trust, and allowing for controlled feeding. It is a valuable tool in the management of captive snakes, promoting both physical and mental health.
Thanks for watching. Please remember to always be kind and love your animals,
Lori
www.BehaviorEducation.org
www.SpiritKeeperAnimalSanctuary.org
www.Patreon.com/BehaviorEducation
References
Melfi, V. A., Dorey, N. R., & Ward, S. J. (2020). Zoo Animal Learning and Training.
Sinclair, L. (2023). The Use of Operant Conditioning to Enhance the Management and Welfare of Captive Kingsnakes. Animal Behaviour and Welfare Cases, (2023), abwcases20230024.
Torrini, L. (2022) Enrichment for snakes (and other reptiles). The IAABC Foundation Journal 24, doi: 10.55736/iaabcfj24.9 iaabcjournal.o...
Torrini, L. Potential Neural Consequences for Snakes Under Captive Management. IAABC Journal, 2022. iaabcjournal.o...
Torrini, L. Enrichment for Snakes and Other Reptiles. Herpetoculture Magazine, 2021. herpetoculture...
Torrini, L. Training Snakes to Voluntarily Relocate. IAABC Journal, 2019. iaabcjournal.o...
Williams, M. L., Torrini, L. A., Nolan, E. J., & Loughman, Z. J. (2022). Using classical and operant conditioning to train a shifting behavior in juvenile false water cobras (Hydrodynastes gigas). Animals, 12(10), 1229.
Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ,,,, What a beauty Lori ,,,
I always enjoy this sort of video.
Beautiful rainbow Boa! 🌈
Rainbow boas have such interesting patterns. She’s stunning! Great job Rowena!
She really looks gorgeous! And I love how they prefer to just guard the threshold.
I wonder, whenever you need to move a snake out of their enclosure due to maintenance, do you always reinforce the use of the target by giving food? If so, what to do when this need arises more often than a feeding schedule would allow?
When directing the snake with a target you want to maintain a continuous schedule of reinforcement so you reinforcer every time they move to or follow the target. This is usually with food but I have several snake who will also target to the door and out when freedom to roam is the reinforcer, in this case you would pair that activity with a different target than you use when food is the reinforcer. You can also easily do maintenance when the snake is in a hide or remove them in a shift box. For example, in this case from the video I could have just moved Rowena while she was in her humid hide, done maintenance and then put her with her humid hide back in her enclosure. I have several video demonstrating these situations and techniques in the Low Stress Management play list. th-cam.com/play/PLNbZzsRecQ2aBdAVNhUvExneGlKmE3uRw.html&si=t9NdcXS4Qvg1wmvW
Hi, Lori!
I would love some advice if you don't mind giving it. I just adopted a 2-4 year old rainbow boa and I've had him for almost a month and he's refused to eat. He roams his enclosire regularly, his husbandry is good, he watches me from his hide sometimes, and he still refuses to eat. I did handle him a bit prematurely, but ive left him alone with no contact for two weeks and he is still not eating. Id appreciate your input before I take him to a vet
Has he had his initial vet check yet? We have intake exams done on all new arrivals and once the vet clears them we start getting them settled in. With adults I do not worry about them eating right away unless they’re underweight. I offer food to let them know resources are available in this new place but many times adults in good body condition don’t eat until they feel safe and settled in. If he’s roaming excessively they do that when nervous and trying to escape to get back to their previous “home range” which is their familiar place they know. Once they feel secure and have accepted their new home territory their exact level should decrease as they will feel more content. It difficult for me to comment specifically without asking lots of details of you.
@LoriTorrini @LoriTorrini I haven't taken him to a vet yet. I was using that as a last resort. But good to think it nay not be a big deal. He doesn't seem to roam excessively. He mostly roams at night once I've had the lights off for a minute and every once in a whole, he'll wake up during the day and poke his head out of his hide. At night he sits on his branch or will just meander around the tank. He doesn't look stressed at all to me (but I'm clearly no expert) and he's comfortable enough to drink water in the middle of the day and he's stopped for a drink as I've held him before and I don't think he's dehydrated or that I scare him, but I can definitely be assuming wrong.
@@theBOOTLEGG Rainbow Boas typically hide most of the time and are active in the middle of the night. I always recommend a vet check for any new animal you add to your family to establish a baseline health status and maintain a relationship with your vet. Why would you say the vet is a last resort”? Annual wellness exams should be routine.
@LoriTorrini because I was hoping that nothing is "wrong" with him, but I did not consider using the vet if he was fine. I didn't consider annual checks.