In this blog I’ll be writing about the new training I have started with the pythons and some of the other reptiles and how they are getting on.
I have branched out into the world of training reptiles which I have been keen to get started on. Now that the reticulated pythons are settled into their new home, I have been given the task of starting their training journey with the end goal of the snakes following their target into an off-show vivarium to enable them to be shut away from the main enclosure should it be required.
Reticulated pythons are one of the three heaviest snake species and, due to this are dangerous animals to work with. They are constrictors and can strike a high speeds so care must taken when working in the enclosure and body language read at all times.
Susie
I started with Susie, the Burmese python who is currently living at Sandwich but who will be moving to the new Reptile House at Wingham Wildlife Park in the near future (for more info on how the Reptile House is progressing sign up to our monthly newsletter).
I know her well and have worked with her for years and have a LOT of stories I could tell you about Susie, she’s quite the character! Burmese pythons are also one of the largest snake species and quite a lot heavier than the reticulated. Target training Susie is greatly beneficial for her daily management as she is a very dangerous animal. The idea is that she associates the target with being fed, and only when it is present should she expect food. It is also a great way of getting her to exercise and use all of her enclosure.
When I want to introduce a brand new behaviour to an animal I start out by doing my research and writing up a training plan which helps break down the behaviour into steps. Below I have added the training plan I created for the snakes:
Susie picked it up very quickly and shows no signs of aggression throughout her sessions. She has been following the target perfectly each time and takes her reward very gently. This is great as it shows she’s not feeling any need to be aggressive and is just enjoying her feed. It is important that you do not reward them for any aggressive behaviour towards the target. Instead, take the target away, present it again and only when they approach it in a calm manner we reward them.
Retics
We have two reticulated pythons living together and so I am training one of these reptiles at a time. Both retics seem to be picking up the behaviour nicely, ignoring the trainers and focusing on the target which is fab! So the next steps are to encourage them to move further each time and towards the vivarium which I am confident will not take too many more sessions. Using training for the reticulated pythons in this way enables us to work these snakes in a calm and controlled manner.
Texas rat snakes
I have also started target training the Texas rat snakes, this is purely for enrichment and exercise. It stimulates them and gets them climbing all round their enclosure. They have picked it up very quickly- far quicker than the retics!
Texas rat snakes are a shy species of snake and if confronted would much rather hide than try to attack. Training a shy snake can be done though and just goes to show that all types of animals benefit from and can enjoy training.
Training shy snakes
If you have a snake that isn’t always in the mood to eat, would rather eat alone or takes a long time to eat, you can still target train them, you just need to alter the training plan slightly. Instead of presenting the target with the food and waiting for them to take it, place the target inside their enclosure and let them explore it in their own time and habituate to it. When you are ready to feed them, place the food on top of the target and again, leave them to find it in their own time. At each feed repeat the process, always feeding on the target. Then you can begin to move the target around the enclosure. When they begin to orient towards the target alone, then reward with the feed item and so on.
Argus Monitor
Wingham Wildlife Park is home to a handsome Argus monitor lizard, Havoc. He is off-show at the moment awaiting his brand new enclosure in the Reptile House which is currently under construction. These reptiles are endemic to the Papuan islands, both Indonesia and New Guinea, along the southern coastal and lowland interior ranges.
It is a mostly terrestrial lizard that digs burrows. They are decent swimmers too and will often hunt in shallow floodplains, ponds and waterways. They are also capable of standing erect or ‘tripod’ using their hind legs and tail to give them a higher vantage point.
Our handsome boy loves taking part in his training sessions. He has super speedy reflexes and enjoys running after the target. Once he reaches it he waits next to the target for his reward. This training could potentially be used to move him around/scale train in the future, but for now its sole purpose is for his enjoyment! We make sure to provide enriching experiences for all our animals at the park and this has proven to be very successful with him.
I am enjoying training the reptiles and hope to make huge progress with them!
