Social behaviour in snakes

[Zephyr]

The most basic thoughts I can put on it is "Hey, there's another snake here. That means there's food around!"
Although I'm hoping further research can prove. "Hey, another snake! Let's mingle to reduce the chances of assertion and conserve our species through shared food intake collaboratively!" XD

[adamanteus]

'There's another snake'... okay. But what about 'There's my sister' year after year after.....
If I had heard this from (almost) any other source, I would have said "Bull".

[drache]

while I have no idea what this implicates exactly, I have observed that some snakes can tell the difference between people and consistently prefer one person over another
I also see that sometimes when I have several garters co-housing, a couple of them will be together all the time, whereas other times, even if there are only two in a cage, they may not spend any time together
even insects have social behaviour
and ascribing social behaviour and even preferences and attachments to snakes is not necessarily anthropomorphism
when you endow certain social behaviours with human emotions and motivations - that's another matter

[Zephyr]

when you endow certain social behaviours with human emotions and motivations - that's another matter

Couldn'tve said it better myself. :P
There's a lot of work that needs to be done in this aspect of the hobby... But I think that observations say a bit; we've established that they don't dislike each other's presence.

[Stefan-A]

I doubt they even know the concept of "snake". I think they just don't register it as a threat.

In the long run, it doesn't pay to assume that there's food around just because there's another snake. It usually works the other way: If there's food around, there are probably snakes as well. But two snakes hanging around would starve to death if they both were making the same assumption.

[adamanteus]

I doubt they even know the concept of "snake". I think they just don't register it as a threat.

I'm sure they must recognise their species, they may be indifferent to this knowledge, but I'm sure they know their own kind.

[Zephyr]

Maybe there's a pheromone they emit to "page" other garters on the presence of food... Like I stated, collaborative effort to keep the species alive. This is entirely possible. When I was at the international science fair I talked to a girl who did her project on collaborative digestion of food particles by fruit fly larvae. Turns out, they all spit on the food so everyone can eat it.

[adamanteus]

Turns out, they all spit on the food so everyone can eat it.

We do that in my house... doesn't everybody? No wonder we never get dinner guests!

[Stefan-A]

I'm sure they must recognise their species, they may be indifferent to this knowledge, but I'm sure they know their own kind.

Of course, I meant that a snake would care about as much about an animal that doesn't register as a threat, food or potential mate being present, as about a twig or a rock.

[adamanteus]

We're agreed on that. So, what's your take on these two Adders? They are definitely siblings, the author of my original quote marks his subjects by 'ventral scale clipping' in a unique pattern.. so he knows his individuals. Why do you think these two sisters might spend their time together over so many years? I'll be honest, it's thrown me, and made me want to follow these two (if only I could).