Seeing how our Reptiles React to Enrichment Toys!

Today we try out some new enrichment with our reptiles (2 different puzzle feeders and a laser pointer) to see how they react! I definitely thought Rex would react differently to the laser XD
Links to products in video:
Slide Puzzle Toy: amzn.to/3rlbu4U
Slow Feeder: amzn.to/3IYXCmT
Laser Pointer: amzn.to/3ATNzgq
SNAKE DISCOVERY MERCH!
www.snakediscoverystore.com/
SNAKE DISCOVERY PATREON
/ snakediscovery
Music by BenSound and Epidemic Sound

[@TheAwesomes2104]

Rex's reaction was so relatable. Imagine if someone woke you up in the middle of the night to be like "Hey, look at this dot."

[@vemberviper]

Ikr! She looked so pissed

[@honeybee.5166]

Dont say that word on this channel.

[@LGBTQ-IA]

Yeah I aas gree with honey dont say that on this channel

[@LGBTQ-IA]

Agree*

[@urinaldivider]

is it really a swear word? it just means someone’s or some thing is aggravated or mad

[@jessicablackman4866]

As a parent of a small human, I can confirm; we do have to say things like, "you can't eat that", on a regular basis, at least for the first several years. Also, my preschooler LOVES watching Snake Discovery videos ❤

[@pattylovett4682]

I was going to say the same. My tiny humans aren't tiny anymore though. I do remember saying things like dont eat that and spit that out or thats not food

[@calamity0.o]

My 7 month old tests every circle he sees for nipples. Kept trying to mouth the eyeballs on my minion pj's. The look of confusion and disappointment on his face is too cute.

[@cyfriends4liferbb]

My best friend loves Emily and wants to watch but doesn't like snakes or lizards of any sort lol.

[@KismetLizard]

@@calamity0.o Poor hungry baby XD That's too cute!

[@Chaotic_Pixie]

I'm a cat mom... frequently telling my cats, "No! That's not food." or chasing the one that we strongly think has pica, "What's in your mouth young lady!" "drop it!" LoL and I've inadvertently said similar to my toddler nieces. oops.

[@wastedpotenti4l321]

Allie was so proud of herself, such a smart tegu

[@samanthaschoonover7976]

All 3 of our leopard geckos love chasing after the laser pointer: They’re all a bit rotund in the tail and that’s about the only way we can get them moving for anything other than food. 😂

[@ceciliayus7385]

Ally flipping her slow feeder is exactly what my fat cat did with her first slow feeder. Flipped it right over and hoovered it all up as usual. I feel so vindicated now XD

[@neolithiumproduction]

My dog does the same thing, but flips it with his paw. Like haha! Now that's thinking outside the box. xD

[@chrysiewright4292]

Can't you freeze it

[@megb7715]

My dog did that when a bowl was too tall for eating while reclining.

[@hjbevan123]

Nice

[@Kikkatar.]

Same with my cat. I had to attach a paving stone to the bottom of his puzzle feeders with velcro.

[@fletcherandjunk2246]

The false chameleon raising his legs and freaking out was hilarious to me 😂😂 it was like “Oh my god, what is that?!”

[@FioreCiliegia]

Aliens!!!!!!

[@lindakim3051]

They look so adorable in their new enclosure!! 😍 I love their giant heads.

[@felixhenson9926]

one of my favourite moments of this video easily hahaha! it was just like IIIIIII'M GONNA GRAB IT, I'M GONNA DO IT, I'LL GRAB YA"

[@brianorr308]

I would be interested to see garters try a foraging slider toy. They are a bit more thinky-thinky and like to weasel into crevices for food. As for an idea for Ali, maybe try a rolling treat ball (like dogs have but bigger). As she rolls it, food comes out of the holes.

[@tokersheadshop]

That bruise looks like it was painful going on! Hope Emily is okay! Thanks for all the amazing content and information!

[@314oclock7]

Does anyone know what happened?

[@mtrsrandomperson1998]

Fully thought I was the only one who saw it until I saw your comment

[@atomicjamie1092]

It might have been one of the reptiles? They can be very strong?

[@haileylynn743]

I was wondering about that too. I even rewatched the entire video to see if I missed anything they said about it

[@hannabelle4149]

I thought it was makeup

[@lyzzidc]

I've used a lick mat for my Shinglebacks and Blue Tongue, and it helps spread the food out and prevents a lot of the mess caused by them dragging food around

[@lyzzidc]

some of my lizards react the same as Allie did at first

[@Fire97Dragon]

@@lyzzidc that's cool, what kind of stuff did you put in it?

[@lyzzidc]

@@Fire97Dragon I make them scrambled eggs (without milk) with veges mixed in, and I'll put that on the lick mat. Also sometimes I'll squish some berries out other fruit, and/or give them mushed/pureed veges or pureed baby food (that is lizard friendly). I'll even put the wet cat food I give them on the mat. I find because of the silicone ridges , less food gets stuck to their little footsies. I also have a paint tray (got the idea from Emily) that I'll put messy food in too, but the paint tray also works well as their regular water dish, and they love to snuggle underneath it.

[@lyzzidc]

@@Fire97Dragon most of my shinglebacks and blue tongues lick up their food before taking a bite, so I basically use it like you would with a dog with peanut butter or dog food, but just with the lizards' food

[@jichupop7517]

I read that as you used to lick the mat had to read that a second time

[@teenytries6290]

VIDEO IDEA! Personally I've been really intrigued by the idea that many animals in the zoo are displaying more natural behaviors because their environments are bigger and mimic their environment in the wild. I would really love to see an update on how your reptiles use their enclosures. My favorite part of the zoo building series was seeing how each enclosure was built with its particular reptile in mind. So, now that some time has passed, it would be cool to see how everyone has settled in :)

[@eliseb5918]

YESSSS!

[@wildflower1397]

I agree! We already know a couple of snakes decided to hook up and lay eggs out of season, lol.

[@TheKlutz31013]

Boost

[@lightspeednerd6467]

Dumb lizard brain vs Human brain lizard brain wins

[@wildflower1397]

@@lightspeednerd6467 Yep... the already have their humans trained to feed them if the just wait 30 seconds, lol

[@jessicadelgado8553]

Hi Emily and Ed! I am actually studying zookeeping and I'm on the section about enrichment. :) There is a puzzle toy that is used for ungulates (like horses and zebras) that is bucket shaped and has to be pushed/rolled around to find the the treats. Maybe that would be a good enrichment toy for Rex!

[@mindacarpenter2996]

I can imagine her drawing a toy like that. Would probably be super fun for her.

[@lyrahtu9311]

You can tell emily and end care so much about their animals that when an animal really doesn't want to do something (the blue beauty rat snake being scared for example and not just being disinterested) they immediately back off and respect the animals' space. So heartwarming and reassuring to see. I've been watching for years now and you can see these constant reminders of how much they care about their animals!! This is truely a comfort channel of mine and I've learned so much from these two lovely people!! :]

[@7sins_of_life]

I'd suggest a small plastic barrel with holes as a foraging toy for Rex, similar to what is used for Horses. It would be a toy that can float/ sink. Plus when she throws it around she has to search for the treats and it should be sturdy enough for her. ^^

[@connergibson5930]

"And it should be sturdy enough for her" she will hear that as a challenge and I'm pretty sure she can break anything

[@rachelm6734]

@@connergibson5930 yeah

[@FioreCiliegia]

@@connergibson5930 glue two of those indestructible dog bowls together?

[@wildflower1397]

It might not float, but something metal with holes might work for that. Maybe attach it to a long spring on the wall, so it fights back a bit, lol.

[@FiSH-iSH]

@@FioreCiliegia with the strongest glue known to man ofc

[@merciless344]

I love to see people try on enrichment for reptiles! I have a 1.5-year-old savannah monitor called Brutus that loves to play with a cat toy I purchased for my sisters’ cats. Found out by accident that he loves it when he was out when I was trying to gift wrap it. He likes to run after it to catch it and then tries to "kill" it or plays tug of war with me. Eventually he lets go and chases it again.

[@wildflower1397]

I have seen Animal1guy play tug of war with his monitor, and it even tries to death roll it's end, lol.

[@FiSH-iSH]

awhh thats really cute actually

[@merciless344]

@@wildflower1397 Yea I saw that as well, super cute. Been trying several different toys like balls, dog chew toys and some other stuff but the butterfly cat toy is still his favorite one so far.

[@BadHairdayKimmie]

For my Rosy Boa and Ball Python I made a playground of things I found around the house or from the dollar store such as: cardboard boxes with holes cut in them, a laundry basket, wooden dowels, a "ball pit" of toilet paper tubes, a bike helmet, 3-ring binders, wicker baskets, a file crate, a step ladder, etc. for the kids to play on and they LOVE it. The Rosy has literally played on it for 6+ hours at a time. Everything is either fully washable or disposable. Interestingly, I have to swap out the play "equipment" or they get bored of the playground and look to adventure where they are not allowed to go.

[@86fifty]

It really brightened my day to see all the turtles assembling to poke at the red light! AND the guppies?? Really enjoyable! :)

[@momamiandkiddokelsi9027]

Yes, Ed. Parents do have to tell their kids not to eat the plastic. So many lollipop plastic covers I have had to pull out from my kiddos mouths. My youngest has been the worst of all three of them.

[@damondonner1198]

Use the laser pointer with your Praying Mantis. They will go crazy.

[@ferrisulf]

One thing about the foraging toy with the indigo was there was liquid from the reptilink and other things on the outside, too. So that would confuse them and make them bite whatever smells strongly of food. I am curious to try this with my snake. He catches on to things surprisingly quickly. I think there's a 70 percent chance he could learn to use such a toy.

[@Kaemea]

Do you have a channel? I'd love to see this!

[@bruce3195]

It definitely seems like a great idea for the medium/larger sized lizards, for smaller insectavores we can offer live insects for them to hunt and forage for... But maybe a bigger version of that bowl would be good for larger lizards since it offers extra stimulation that they don't get when you offer prekilled/preped food stuffs. The rotator toy might have made a good Ackie toy to try since they are small enough to really interact with it but big enough to push the blocks to get at the food. A good toy for Rex might be a ball toy that when pushed dispenses treats, finding one big/robust enough for her might be a struggle though.

[@Kale_20]

Hi guys, I love your channel and have become obsessed with anything reptile (mostly snakes) over the holidays because of this channel. I think it would be really cool if you guys did a “day in the life” video to see what your busy busy days look like. From feeding animals to talking to customers, I think we would all enjoy it 😊 ❤️ love you guys

[@Not.nelly.]

Yes definitely

[@tegostiago]

Yess this is a great idea

[@deedlelimelight744]

Yeah, I remember she did one a few years ago, but that was before she had the zoo!

[@Kale_20]

@@deedlelimelight744 yeah I actually watched that one recently but would be awesome to see it with the zoo

[@emersonyourkvitch5032]

yessssssss

[@Crows_Den]

It's so so nice to see all of the animals using their little brains to get their food! I could definitely see the monitors using the slow feeder, and how cool would that be for zoo guests to be able to see actual foraging behavior! For bigger lizards like Alli, maybe something like a "snuffle mat" would work? Snuffle mats are made for larger dogs or dogs that don't like/are scared of smaller puzzle toys, and are made of a soft fabric (mostly i see a light fleece fabric although i'm sure you can find all sorts) so obviously as with all puzzle feeders you should keep an eye on em when you use it, but I could see Alli enjoying that, plus her little feet would get a bit better traction, although that might mean you see her try to dig in the mat!

[@SnakeDiscovery]

That's a great idea! I'll look into those!

[@lorrainemunoa791]

@@SnakeDiscovery You can even make them pretty easily- polarfleece is very hard for animals to rip, but is cheap and can be cut into strips and tied into a sturdy surface with holes in it. Mine uses a steel wire square from a former shelving unit, and polarfleece scraps from sewing projects.

[@lindakim3051]

@@lorrainemunoa791 I made one once and it took me like five hours 😵‍💫

[@warriormaiden9829]

@@SnakeDiscovery Would be interested to see what your Corn snakes think of the forager. All of the ones I've interacted with have been pretty smart. At the very least, they're super inquisitive, so they'll nose around a lot. :)

[@giraffasaurusrexx]

I love animal people. I used to train shelter dogs to do nosework, which in the beginning is just dogs looking in boxes for treats and everyone there was always psyched to watch. Getting the same vibes from watching a snake eating a mouse out of a hole with Emily and Ed getting so excited.

[@phoenixfire8978]

Emily, that bruise looks so painful, I hope it’s fully healed by now.

[@sweetluvgurl]

I was wondering what that was. I thought she put concealer on that was too dark to cover the bump in the corner.

[@chickenwiretire]

We love you Emily and hope you are ok!!! ❤❤❤❤

[@dalonewolfkillersinz5806]

@@sweetluvgurl a few others said she posted something on Facebook saying it was from dental work. However, I haven't bothered checking myself so it might be wrong ^^

[@Konani_the_unicorn_queen]

oh, i thought it was a smear of color from working on something again

[@phoenixfire8978]

@@Konani_the_unicorn_queen I thought so too until I got to the 8 day fast forward. The green/yellow is still there but much smaller.

[@pinkyhc4130]

Indigo is a genius. You're making her too powerful. She's going to want to pursue her education, and that sounds expensive. (She is going into SSSSSSTEM)

[@Creekersqueaker]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how their goal is to educate and help others with regards to animals. Props to you guys! Also, I love your mural!

[@Raych666]

That's absolutely one thing of many that I've always loved about their channel ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

[@cleoldbagtraallsorts3380]

So lovely to see such healthy looking animals and great enclosures. Really great how you are coming up with different ideas for enrichment.

[@WurmImTurm]

You should try the laser pointer with your newly aquired mantids. They are like invert cats.

[@striderwhiston9897]

My ball python is really reactive to laser pointers, they even tried to follow it once, curiosity i guess!

[@kittynamedbunny3936]

These videos are enrichment for humans ☺️ thanks for the upload!

[@CheeseThePurpleDragon]

I’ve found beardies actually have really good reactions to lasers! Maybe try them?

[@pamspray5254]

If you're up for some DIY, I've made some feeding and smell enrichments with cardboard in various forms. A memorable one was what we called "icicles" made of toilet paper or paper towel tubes. We stuffed them full of fun smelling things like pine needles, tree leaves, pine cones, etc. And the keeper team scented them with things like bits of fur and doe urine. We made them for foxes, but I think reptiles would get a kick out of some smell enrichment. I know you already do some with leaving food scent trails when feeding. We did other things too. Paper mache enrichment went over really well since we could add scent into our glue(flour+water+salt) to make it interesting. That one went to an omnivore. Both of those were actually done as camp activities too and they can be scaled up or down to the size of the animal. I helped guide the kids through the process as part of the education team. I'd thought of Rex with the paper mache idea, but I realize it'd likely just make a mess. So, I offer this idea instead. Try scenting one of Rex's playtoys with something she likes or doesn't smell regularly. Meat of various forms comes to mind, but fruit could be interesting too. There's plenty of room for experimentation there.

[@heatherbc7914]

I use toilet roll tubes as enrichment with my corn snake, put a mouse inside and fold the ends in. She is getting better at getting them out.

[@Creekersqueaker]

The indigos are so pretty! They seem to enjoy their new home!

[@kristyrowland111]

I used enrichment toys for my dog everyday and it has improved her quality of life. I am so glad people are finally extending the enrichment to other animals as well

[@larkasmr1128]

It was actually SO interesting to see how animals reacted differently to the same thing. Even the same species of snake

[@Username159_]

From what I've heard laser pointers are being discouraged as pet toys since they can't be captured it messes with their heads. Also there's the risk of eye damage which is why they're not toys for humans.

[@wettailtimberwolf1996]

What you do is give them a reward after play so they feel like they caught something.

[@SashaSRenee]

@@wettailtimberwolf1996 then it seems like it would be a good toy for the turtles since it attracts their snacks too

[@wettailtimberwolf1996]

@@SashaSRenee gotta catch those guppies. Lol

[@larkasmr1128]

I don't understand how a lazer pointer "made for humans" would be any different on our eyes than regular ones? Ofc i can't say that they aren't harsh on the animals eyes because I don't know, I just don't understand what your saying with "that's why they aren't made for humans" it makes it sound like we point them in the animals eyes or something. Aside from how the animal might see the light differently, the human and animal are seeing the light the same amount

[@Purplesquigglystripe]

@@larkasmr1128 laser pointers can be made for doing presentations or pointing at things really far away or for educational purposes. They can be way stronger than something you’d want to point at an animal. Some laser pointers you can find on Amazon are actually illegal because of how strong they are.

[@jenniferb585]

I bet Ally could use the slider treat toy pretty alright. As long as it was on a flat surface and she won't be falling off the rock.

[@infpdreams]

This is exactly how I was when I gave my cats a puzzle feeder the first time. My girl understood the concept, but she was confused by the puzzles themselves, so she just stared at me so seriously like, "Give me a hint, at least." Now she's a pro!

[@chi9563]

My friends have always been skeptic of snakes since there are a lot of misconceptions about them. Often I tell them they're really not that bright and this video is the perfect representation. I love those derpy babies!

[@solarcupid2583]

I had to get a slow feeder for my cat that has 5 cups of different sizes that you fill halfway so she has to use her paw to scoop the food out. This makes her take breaks rather than scarfing it down which made her throw up about once a week. Now she doesn't do that anymore and she seems happy with her new feeder and still uses it years later as an elderly cat. 10/10 definitely recommend. P.S. Just make sure that you feed cat safe tuna for their daily meals once a week to add variety to their diet to prevent vitamin deficiencies. Happened with my cat and I felt so guilty because I didn't know.

[@melissah4084]

Thank you for sharing this! My cat does the same thing, once a week (sometimes more often) vomit. The vet said she was fine, but I've wondered what I can do to help her. Now I have an answer, thanks to you!

[@Rebster]

If you give a good and well balanced diet approved by veterinary nutritionist, you shouldn't need to add tuna to prevent vitamin deficiencies. You can still for variety, but shouldnt need it

[@LittleGreenSoldier]

We got one of those cup things too. Our cat immediately pulled the cups out of the slots to spill the food everywhere.

[@wildflower1397]

I have always fed our cat a bunch of different varieties of wet food. We rescued her when she was small and under nourished, so she would gobble up any flavor. I am glad I did, because 12 years later she is rarely picky and will eat several brands and flavors. I believe the variety is important to meet all their nutritional needs.

[@Meraxes6]

@@Rebster I think you meant to say you *shouldn't* need it

[@alexh9614]

The laser pointer on reptiles is a game changer

[@Coffeeology]

Except for Rex

[@lifesagame2006]

I think I might get that slo feeder thing for my jewelled lacerta, looks a good size for her head and she loves hunting for bugs. Maybe her isopods will last a bit longer then! I’ve seen bearded dragons and blue tongue skinks show some interest in the laser pointers, at least BTS that got live food as part of their diet. I did make a mini kong type thing with ping pong balls for my old beardie, he liked it a lot but my BTS just tried to eat it the whole time and ignored the treats falling out.

[@torquess454]

My kitty definitely loves these puzzle treat feeders, not sure my beardies would figure it out lol Ally is so smart!! Tipped it right over! The Ackies looked like they were having a blast, I’d love to see you feed them in wicker balls like Dayyan from Reptiliatus does with Sabzi and Basil, soooo enriching!!

[@mistyabernot]

You calling Rex is the highlight of this video for me 😆❤️ I love how much yous love your animals and educating the world on reptiles! I simply love you guys so much!!!!❤️❤️

[@wildflower1397]

Me too! I really miss seeing more of Rex, and she was the reason I subscribed in the first place. I wish they would put some clips from her livestream up on KZbin.

[@americaroleplayer]

For rex enrichment, you could perhaps do a little research on bear enrichment and edit some of their things. One of the things they do is take a PVC (or similar pipe) and put food in it, making the bear have to turn it over to get the food.

[@lorrainemunoa791]

This is so fascinating. It's neat to show the animals new curiosities they've never seen before and watch them try to think about what it means, and see their interest perked up. I do a lot of this kind of thing for my little doggo, who madly loves to work out puzzles and hunt for treats. She's a mouser/ratter breed who finds it super rewarding to hunt and scuffle for the victory. We even have a very similar dog puzzle. With dogs, one super easy mode enrichment-puzzle test is to put a food item under a cup. Let them see you do it. and then if they can work out that the treat is not visible but is not gone, and that they can uncover the treat, that's a big leap for some dogs. Others, like mine, have been bred to solve problems independently and will laser in on creative solutions to complex puzzles, as you probably know.

[@AndrianTimeswift]

So, for Rex, I think a setup where she has to grab and pull and thrash and maybe even roll to pull the food out would be ideal. If you could find some way to clamp the food into some kind of fixed frame, that might make her work a bit to get it, just as if it were a struggling animal trying to get away or a dead animal she had to pull pieces off of. Another option might be to dangle food above her water so she has to lunge up and grab it out of the air. For the snakes, I think a toy that simulates an animal's burrow might be ideal. Maybe a toy with a maze of tunnels that the snake has to slither around inside to find the food? I bet you could use PVC piping or those plastic hamster tunnels to make something like that. Even just a cardboard box with holes cut in it big enough for the snake to fit through might work. For climbing snakes, putting their food up high, so they have to climb for it, and maybe even somewhere they have to stretch out to grab it might work. Those both seem like the sorts of puzzles a snake would face in the wild. Snakes don't usually have to manipulate their environment too much to get their food, but they do have to navigate complex 3D spaces, so giving them a maze to solve to reach their food seems like it would be ideal enrichment. I know there are puzzle feeders that are basically just balls with holes that the animal can bat around until the food falls out. Maybe something like that would be appropriate for a lizard or even a turtle? Speaking of lizards, giving them a container they need to break into to reach their food might also be good, especially for lizards that have to dig or pull apart fallen logs or break into insect nests to get their food in the wild. Maybe something with sliding plates would be great for them? Overall, my suggestion is to try to find feeders that mimic the sorts of challenges the animals would face in the wild when foraging for food.

[@DJDroz-tz4qc]

It's so cute watching animals of any kind use foraging toys. And the frogs and turtles were adorably curious about the laser pointer!

[@haleychaase5245]

Watching Emily use our shop scissors to cut the link instead of the kitchen shears we have to cut meat 😅😅

[@karen_3]

i’m sorry but the “Goodbye Emily!” at the end was so adorable 🥺

[@kat_the_mouse]

It was nice to see Alaska, I've missed her! Such a cutie.

[@thelazynaturopath1979]

This makes me wonder about snakes' vision and depth perception. The indigos were so close but so far.

[@almightyshippo1197]

I have a Childrens python, and if other snakes are anything like them, their main instinct is to throw their face at food. Once you get them beyond their first instinct, their problem solving skills are not the greatest. Often, they will give up after a short time and wait for an easier meal.

[@anje388]

Would love to see how the monitors react to the laser, cause they're more pursuit predators like cats and dogs

[@accountaccount4406]

Laser pointers are not a good idea for pursuit predators, it just builds up a lot of frustration because they can never achieve physical contact☹

[@lydiabradley6344]

The indigos are so gorgeous! And Ally's happy face made my heart happy.

[@marlowehawkins2296]

Their reptiles are so cute and beautiful, It’s nice how they treat their pets how they should be treating them

[@apss5736]

enrichment makes the world go round for a lot of animals. its awesome that they can problem solve and use their intelligence

[@kellyjowang]

you should try the first enrichment feeder with your garters!

[@swedneck]

It really is astounding how these creatures survive in the wild with 10 brain cells to share

[@undynedevotion]

My thought exactly!! (esp when feeding my own snakes) 😂

[@aronoiiel]

Oh! This was something that ReptileMountain is always saying finding ways to offer mental stimulation to your reptiles! I actually got this clear insect ball from petsmart and it has one hole the insects can get out of. And its for beardies so the beardies have to figure out how to move the ball and get the bugs out. My genious wedge the stupid thing agsinst her decor just in the right way that the bugs fsll out of the hole 🙄 cheater 😂 But this was a cool experiment and really I think alot of herp keeping should be us finding new inovative ways to offer them mental stimulation such as foraging they would normally get in the wild!

[@stoneforest2639]

Our old elderly cat had a habit of eating too fast and throwing up. So we got him a slow eat bowl. He hated it. He would lay down next to it and just, use his paw to grab a single kibble out and eat it. Sometimes he wouldn’t eat it and just leave kibbles everywhere.

[@Wunderfull13]

You can get something called a Jumbler ball, kinda like the jolly ball that Rex is already a fan off, but this has a hole in it. Dont quite know if this would work for her though, as she did destroy the first jolly ball. So dont know if the hole makes it too fragile. But might be an idea for enrichment.

[@sydneyblatz2590]

Those monitors are SO cute! They remind me of ferrets

[@Cyndy101]

I think if baby snakes were started young enough it would be great to use these tools especially when their baby brain is basically a sponge and they can learn so much faster.

[@UmbraGhostie]

15:24 - my dog done the exact same thing when we gave her one of those slow bowls in an attempt to stop her just inhaling food on sight XD also, one brain cell for a hognose seems generous Ed, I'd say 1/2 of a brain cell, especially for my boy he tried to dig in water

[@R.KingSpade]

Just a thought, maybe using live insects (Crawlers, not jumpers lol) on the slo bowl? That way the bugs are moving around and have places to hide and the lizards still have to "hunt" for their food? idk just a thought

[@ckm5702]

Love seeing all the cool ways zoos enrich their animals

[@thatonewitch]

Rex was like: *"It's too early to play, Mom!!"* Also, I think the false chameleon raising his hand was similar to that of a cat when they encounter something unfamiliar

[@ariwoodward]

Yes, it would be SUPER interesting to see an update on this! I've never been able to see progress like this with a reptile

[@SamSpen]

This was interesting to watch, the monitors surprised me. Maybe, one of those treat balls that drops the treat as its pushed would be a good idea too?

[@lindakim3051]

Yes! I think Rex already has a Kong wobbler. My dog really likes that one. I’d be curious to see which of the reptiles might be able to figure that one out as a food puzzle!

[@thankyouforbeingtired]

The indigos are so beautiful!

[@hannahhowden8980]

Maybe you’ve found something that works for Rex already, but they make a hard plastic horse toy with holes designed for hay, you could definitely hide stuff for her to roll around. The best feeding enrichment is something that mimics their natural hunting behaviours, the reason those toys work so well for dogs is the oral stimulation as much as the mental problem solving aspect! Unfortunately for a lot of snakes the best “food toy” is probably a live rodent in a tunnel system

[@SaraAson]

A kind of foraging toy I've seen for bigger carnivores that might work for Rex are box "prey" just a cardborad box they can kill/break to get their regular meat from. Given she's an alligator she might try to eat a cardboard box but maybe just a normal box she can (eventually) just flip the lid off to get the food from could work similarly?

[@heliagrey]

Good thing to learn, though, that the laser pointer doesn’t bother those animals. You can point out body parts/elements in their display without taking them out for spectators without bothering them, using the laser pointer.

[@lcoq19]

Our remaining dog is elderly and part of his enrichment activity is what we refer to as "a visit from aunt Dottie", a phrase he instantly recognizes as the best uncatchable toy ever, the laser pointer! He gets so excited that he will just run down the hall and back up before looking for it again. We brought it out the other day and our toddler laughed so hard he nearly fell over! 😂 It was hysterical to see and hear the baby laughing the hardest I've ever seen! Once the dog was worn out, I'd put the dot on the baby's hand and he'd try to pick it off, the dog would notice and try to lick it off, licking the little dude's insanely ticklish palms in the process and starting another laughing fit!! He was laughing so hard his skin was as red as his hair!! 🤣🤣🤣

[@bookworm3005]

Yes, parents often have to tell our kids not to eat things 😆

[@slydogg121]

I think with the slow feeder bowl, putting mealworms or superiors for the Akie's would be helpful

[@petradegroot3578]

Puzzel toys are great, I would love to see if they get used to them/figure out how it works some weeks later (if you continue using them). I have 2 different ones for my cat (I don’t have a reptile unfortunately), it’s a great stimulation for his mind and because I can switch them out it stays interesting for him 🐈‍⬛

[@amberbeers2404]

Love watching videos like these. So much fun.

[@AlexIsModded]

I'm super curious how my boa constrictor would react to this toy. She shows a clear understanding of how her terrarium opens from watching me open the doors, to the point where if I so much as touch the key with my hand she gets excited. I've never even thought about snake treats until today, so maybe I could introduce the treats individually first, then introduce the toy with the treats.

[@animelover462]

Ed: Wrong hole. Me, without hesitation: That’s what she said!

[@jessicadanielson4543]

Love your mural so much,would love to see it in person someday, great video !

[@heidimj1380]

It's amazing watching animals "think", and I love the idea of the challenging dog food bowl 👍🏻. So for the laser.... I actually recorded our "pet" spider chasing it on our balcony... What a hoot! 🕷️ Most animals certainly don't get the credit they deserve 😊

[@Cyborg_1612]

Lmao got a genuine laugh out of the snake eating the toy itself. Great video

[@Not.nelly.]

I love you're videos. I've been waching them for 3 years and I hope everything is going to be great for you ❤ thank you 😊

[@Kiwis_slime_storytimes]

Everyone take a moment and admire in every video they educate people about reptiles. 💚

[@violaquilter6561]

I love how much time Rex spends in the water. She has really taken to it.

[@aionithefirefox]

We gave almost the same food puzzle (slider) to our Taiwanese beauty snake. He actually managed to open one totally closed hole with a tiny mouse inside, we were very proud of him:)) However, most of the time he also tried to eat plastic, just like your Indigo snakes:)) Maybe, some snakes are too shy to fully explore the food puzzle when they are looked at. I would very much like to see your blue beauties deal with this food puzzle:)

[@NebelKothbauer]

Your snakes are smarter than most people lol

[@emmvelop]

I was super anxious right before bed, this video came as a blessing

[@mirawind9126]

Honestly, alis reaction of sink eye followed by dump made me so happy. That's problem solving at its finest.

[@kuceracm]

Too many reptile channels underestimate the intelligence of these animals. Reptiles have brains therefore they have capacity for intellect and emotion and like us they need mental stimulation. Thank you for demonstrating this and treating your critters with the humanity and dignity they deserve ❤

[@M.e.l.o.d.y.G.r.a.c.e]

Wow 😯 they did better then I thought they’d do 🤣😂😅 love your videos 🥰

[@kathavry]

Reptiles/Snakes are SOO intelligent! 🌱🐍

[@clarissarobynn]

And I like how you do videos about your reptiles eating for valentine's day and like all of that stuff but mostly I like the 1 where you were told Cheyenne and rex's story

[@MimiMcWil]

You could even put mealworms down in that last one!! That was cool!!

[@lovesnakenow7383]

So cool

[@azzy1157]

Omg this was fun to watch 😂 although i think some of them didnt try to eat the laser since sure it looked different but it didn't smell like food. Also perhaps some of those reptiles may have gone for empty slots in the toys because of the remaining food smells of the dog food, not just the mouse, it probably got confusing with the food juices getting all over it

[@lindakim3051]

Yes I agree! My corn snake regularly tries to eat the plate surrounding his meal for this very reason, but also because he’s not very smart, probably :(

[@amandadewalt]

I think Cheyenne is going to have the most fun because she’s just really playful in general

[@WendyDahling3]

Rex loves her enclosure! She looks so happy.