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rfmcdonaldIt all began when, at ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
vorpal's recent birthday party at the apartment he once shared with bonoboboy in Mississauga, I met their young boa constrictor Apophiss.
Growing up, I had very little contact with snakes. The common garter snake is native to Prince Edward Island, true, but I can't think back to a single example of a snake I saw in person. Whenbonoboboy carefully took Apophiss out of her tank and let her coil around my left forearm, that was the first time I ever touched a snake.
Snakes are strange animals. Apophiss' musculature was the first thing that impressed me, her weight pulling downwards as she held herself tightly around my arm. The intricate detail of her skin was another thing that impressed me on closer examination, her scales even forming a continuous pattern extending even beneath her eyes. The most interesting element of the encounter, for my money, was the way she engaged with her environment.
She ended up hanging on and around me for almost two hours, holding onto me as the humans talked on until, overloaded, she began to panic at the sight of my piece ofvorpal's ice cream cake. Apophiss did seem quite interested in life outside her heated tank, slithering about my arm. About midway through our first contact, she decided to descend onto my chest. Carefully, over the space of a minute, she uncoiled herself from my arm and descended slowly onto my chest a quarter-metre below, holding onto my wristwatch strap with the end of her tail to steady herself. Looking at her as she rested on me, I wondered if she felt pleased by her ability to plan.
William Saletan argued recently in Slate that animal rights will come to full fruition only as people assimilate the latest scientific discoveries about the intelligence of animals.
And snakes plan. Someone's there.
vorpal's recent birthday party at the apartment he once shared with bonoboboy in Mississauga, I met their young boa constrictor Apophiss.Growing up, I had very little contact with snakes. The common garter snake is native to Prince Edward Island, true, but I can't think back to a single example of a snake I saw in person. When
bonoboboy carefully took Apophiss out of her tank and let her coil around my left forearm, that was the first time I ever touched a snake.Snakes are strange animals. Apophiss' musculature was the first thing that impressed me, her weight pulling downwards as she held herself tightly around my arm. The intricate detail of her skin was another thing that impressed me on closer examination, her scales even forming a continuous pattern extending even beneath her eyes. The most interesting element of the encounter, for my money, was the way she engaged with her environment.
She ended up hanging on and around me for almost two hours, holding onto me as the humans talked on until, overloaded, she began to panic at the sight of my piece of
vorpal's ice cream cake. Apophiss did seem quite interested in life outside her heated tank, slithering about my arm. About midway through our first contact, she decided to descend onto my chest. Carefully, over the space of a minute, she uncoiled herself from my arm and descended slowly onto my chest a quarter-metre below, holding onto my wristwatch strap with the end of her tail to steady herself. Looking at her as she rested on me, I wondered if she felt pleased by her ability to plan.William Saletan argued recently in Slate that animal rights will come to full fruition only as people assimilate the latest scientific discoveries about the intelligence of animals.
Every week we learn something new about animal brainpower. Crows fashion leaves and metal into tools. Ravens understand spying. Pigeons deceive each other. Rats run mazes in their dreams. Prairie dogs make different sounds to denote different animals. Dolphins teach their young to use sponges as protection. Elephants can mimic trucks. Chimps can pick locks. Parrots can work with numbers. Dogs can learn words from context. Caterpillars can build webs to catch snails. Octopuses can use some arms to disguise themselves while using other arms to sneak away.
And snakes plan. Someone's there.
