retiles learn huh? so tell me how they do this? ... becasue if they learn then they have some sort of an "intelegence"
Learn isn't exactly the right word, I should have chosen a different one. Reptiles have procedural memory and brain function. Certain behaviors are hardwired in and, given a specific and identical stimulus, animals in identical condtion within a species will respond in the same manner. There is no free will or choice in this, if there is a stimulus, there is a response. Procedural memory can't be overwritten, the animals can't go against the responses that instinct dictates for a given situation however additional stimulus can end up being associated with one for which there is a specific response. It's basically pattern recognition that takes a long time and many repeated applications to sink in. The feeding response associated with a set of tongs or a seperate rubbermaid for instance... this is just an adaptation of existing instinctive responses to a game trail or other prey reccognition stimulus. Humans (and other mammals and many birds) have declarative memory and brain function. We can make abstract connections and don't need repeated application of a stimulus to remember appropriate behavioral responses. We're also slower and more error prone because of it, greater adaptability if we survive an initial encounter with a new stimulus, but no response for an initial contact. So it's not intelligence in any human sense or common use of the word, not even close. It's just instinctual adaptation when it occurs. Learning was, as I said, the wrong word entirely.
as far as behavior what is your experience?
When avoiding anthropomorphism, my experience coincides with the above. Reptile behavior is alien to our understanding in many ways, we can put it down on paper but not empathize with something that basic and in that respect we can't conceptualize it easily. We also tend to ignore subtleties in stimulus which is applied, we think a hand picking a herp up is a hand picking a herp up and rarely do we consider the time of day, the temperature, the humidity, light intensity, barometric pressure, angle of approach, hundreds of minor scents and movements and visual triggers which can mean the difference between no real response being generated and an animal trying to bite your hand clean off. When these factors are considered, species become extremely predictable.
could the functioning be different from species to species?
Sort of... I think what you meant was more along the lines of "can the instinctive triggers and responses differ from species to species" which is absolutely correct. If you mean that the actual brain function differs, it's such a small degree within reptiles as to make no real difference.
then why are neonates most likely to envenomate on a more consistant basis that their adult counterparts?
They aren't really, as a whole. It's a crock, an old wives tale, up there with how all snakes have stingers in their tongues and that they will bite their tails, form a perfect hoop and chase you. Some few species the neonates have greater muscle sensitivity and are more likely to expell venom when biting, but the reverse is also true and there are species where neonates are very slightly more likely to dry bite. If you meant what I think you did... that "baby snakes don't know how to control their venom" crap, then... well... Let's try some zoology rather than asking your gap toothed white trash neighbors.
and just a question have you ever worked with asian elaphae ?
I have never bred them or personally owned any, but over the years I'd say I've seen and worked with (been responsible for the well being of) one or two... or a few thousand, give or take. Why do you ask?
