| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| eeji |
Posted - 24/12/2012 : 13:10:15
Lots of threads I read not just on here but a lot of other forums mention nippy hatchlings as aggression. Is there any substance behind this or is it just opinion that has made its way into folklore?
My own opinion is that is not aggression, but fear. I think its all down to the old adage of 'flight or fight' where the natural instinct is to run away from any potential threat (which we are to a hatchling, they haven't yet learned we are their friends), but when cornered with nowhere to run the next instinct is to fight (rather than die) and maybe this is where the confusion with aggression is coming from?
whats everyones thoughts on this? |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Nasicus |
Posted - 27/12/2012 : 19:03:28
I've always considered hatchlings biting and such to be fear. It's an aggressive action, but at the root of it is fear. They're yet to learn that the giant grabby blob isn't going to eat them lol |
| paulie78 |
Posted - 24/12/2012 : 23:50:00
None of mine as hatchlings have been Bitey or aggressive i might describe them as flighty or nutty but not agressive as theres been no occurances of me being bitten though been headbutted and rattled at a few times lol and some have taken a lil more handling to get them to a stage where u can just open the tub and pick em up im sure some just hatch out mean and stay that way but i think "defensive" would be a more appropiate description for most in my limited experiance anyway |
| eeji |
Posted - 24/12/2012 : 18:30:44
some good replies so far and a good insight :)
quote:
Originally posted by gmac
...Although i wont rule out some snakes being mental agrressive...
haha, some are just born to be biters :) |
| lupi lou |
Posted - 24/12/2012 : 15:52:27
I think people tend to lable animals as aggressive when they don't really understand about behaviour and don't know how to read the animal, they tend to be quite quick to lable animals as stupid too but thats another subject. |
| Isoldael |
Posted - 24/12/2012 : 15:04:00
In places like the dog keeper world, people often differentiate between aggressive dogs and fearful dogs (whether behaviouristic correct or not) to describe the difference between a dog that is scared and likely to bite because of that, or a dog that is "just aggressive". The latter would be dogs that attack to show their dominance or for other non-fear reasons (e.g. food aggression). I think it's just a matter of which meaning people give to words - to one aggression will mean one thing, to others it will mean the other. That's why I believe it's very important to describe exactly what you mean - people might get a very wrong image of "aggressive" hatchlings when really they are just scared ^^ |
| gmac |
Posted - 24/12/2012 : 14:18:44
i think the term aggression is used because this is normally something we see when we are being attacked, threatened etc. I think many use the term aggression as we don't see ourselves as being a threat to the animals but we see only aggression to ourselves.
I also agree its not aggression but defensive as we also fight back when afraid. Although i wont rule out some snakes being mental agrressive lol but baby hatchies would most happily say defensive |
| Moppet |
Posted - 24/12/2012 : 14:13:06
*puts her animal behaviourist head on...*
Aggression can be defined as behaviour that causes harm or has a potential to cause harm to another. Most people who call their hatchlings aggressive just mean that is the behaviour they exhibit, I doubt many have thought about why.
Aggressive behaviour is often motivated by fear. E.g. many dogs that are termed 'aggressive' or 'dangerous' are really just afraid and the humans involved in the situation have taken away their ability to deal with the fear in a different way (running away or using body language to warn people away).
If given the option, most animals would choose to flee rather than fight, especially one such as a hatchling corn snake.
I think most of the corn snakes that are called 'aggressive' is because that is the behaviour they exhibit. It is most like to be motivated by fear and the instinct to survive, but it is still called aggressive behaviour  |
| Donnie |
Posted - 24/12/2012 : 14:05:59
I agree, I think it is defensive rather than aggressive behavior that they show when young (and sometimes when they are old).
I would be scared out my pants if a big bald monkey 1000 times my size kept trying to pick me up now let alone when I was a wee baby  |
| serena_08 |
Posted - 24/12/2012 : 14:05:04
I agree, it's the same with everything really, fight your corner or run away.
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