Teach Your Snake This!

[@nataliaprado5]

So important, great information. No one tells you these things when you first get a snake. I am so glad I found your channel when I did. My relationship with my snake is so much better for it!

[@LoriTorrini]

Thank you! I’m glad to be helping people and their animals have better lives together.

[@silverandexact]

Thank you, Lori! I'd never heard of target training until I saw a video last week in which Green Room Pythons mentioned it and your channel. I just got a corn snake a month ago and I'm excited to build a better relationship with her 🥰 I've only done two choice-based handling sessions so far and she chose to come onto my hand on the second one. 🥺💙

[@loriw2661]

As soon as I pick up the hair dryer, Marie knows it’s feeding time. Darwin is still on live rats 😢 and when I put the box on top of his enclosure, it’s feeding time. One day I hope he will take frozen/thawed. 🐍❤️🐍

[@ballehakan]

Perfect timing! I'm getting my first snake in 10 days so a summary is great! I'm planning on training my snake and do some amateur studies. But the basics first!

[@loriw2661]

Congratulations!! What are you getting?

[@ballehakan]

@@loriw2661 I'm getting a super dwarf retic! I debated a lot on what to get but retics seems like they would fit me the most. The snake I'm getting is supposedly curious and and active, which I want since I've never trained an animal before.

[@kerseykrewzoo]

I was just talking to a person who’s beginning their journey into breeding royals about having clear signals for mealtime and enclosure intrusion for water changes, rewetting substrate, etc. I’m currently using one clear signal for all my animals to indicate meal times so I don’t confuse myself or them by mixing up different signals for each individual animal. I’m also working on teaching everyone a signal that means I’m going to put my hands and other things into their enclosure but not touch them and I’m using the same sign for every animal once again so there’s no mixups or confusion on their part or mine. Thank you for your advice and for sharing your knowledge and experience with us. You always seem to know what’s been on my mind and have great advice about the subject so thank you for that as well.

[@19Trent69]

Thank you Lori, Great information and guidelines into working with and keeping our Snakes happy and communicative with us..🐍👍

[@tarantularamblings3149]

I have recently come to your chanel from the reptile and research podcast .I plan to use all your training on my two new baby ball pythons as well as to try and be more cognizant of my snakes behaviour and try to respect what is communicating to me .

[@onyx666.]

You’re a saint pt. 2

[@stephe.4168]

Awesome video, totally changes my perspective on my snakes behavior and reactions to me. Going to binge your target training videos and start working!

[@spiritkeeperequinesanctuar6009]

Excellent!

[@micah1848]

i'm a little confused as to how to use target training when food isn't always going to be a reinforcer. how would i get my snake to target into a transport container with a target she associates with food if i'm not going to feed her in there? if you've already answered this in another video, i'd appreciate being directed to it :)

[@LoriTorrini]

Thanks for asking. You would never use the target the snake associates with food for anything other than to feed them or to have them perform behaviors that ultimately earns them a food reward. You can teach animals including snakes that they have the opportunity to earn non-food reinforcers such as freedom or anything else you have determined the snake finds reinforcing. For the carrier, you can target them inside and reward with food or use the no choice signal to let them know you’re putting them inside the carrier and they can’t opt out. I have taught snakes to station in carriers by pairing just the carrier with food at first and then letting them explore it on their own when out for exercise. Some come to associate it with safety and will go in on their own at which time you can use it for taking them back to their habitat or to the vet, etc. in those cases I reinforce with food if safe to do so and if not, I make sure the experience is as positive e as possible but ultimately if it’s a case of a vet visit or evacuation or some other circumstance likely not to be great, that should be kept to a rare occurrence. I do have videos about step by step target training and videos about non-food reinforcers.

[@julie7870]

I'm curious how you use the targets work when the snake is hiding or sleeping? For example: you use a target to signal that you're going to open the enclosure, but they don't see it because they're hiding. Excellent video!

[@LoriTorrini]

I work with the snake's on their schedules, when they are naturally awake, visible, and active. I don't initiate a training session or any other activity with my snakes unless they are awake, alert, and aware of what's happening. If they are resting/hiding I leave them alone. I occasionally practice targeting snakes out of hides or off a ledge just to establish that behavior in case of emergency. If one is hiding, I will shine a flashlight outside the hide entrance on the ground and once I see the snake's head emerge, I begin the target training session as usual. If The do not emerge, I assume they are asleep or choosing not to engage and I leave them alone. If one is inside a hide and I want to do some type of enclosure maintenance, I just cover the hide opening so I do not startle them or bother them and then uncover it when I am done.

[@julie7870]

@@LoriTorrini Thank you so much for the reply-this is very helpful. I try my best to give my snake the opportunity to choose what she does or doesn't do and to avoid surprising her, but it's not always possible/effective. I'm excited to start using more cues when interacting with her so that we can communicate more effectively. Very happy to have come across your channel!