There is much debate on this subject actually but let's analyze the facts.
The jury is still somewhat out on this one but many professionals believe that most reptiles are not capable of loving their human although many of them DO recognize the person that handles and feeds them most often. Reptiles are capable of emotion but mainly what is displayed is fear and aggression. However, many reptiles will visibly enjoy being petted or stroked. But does this really mean they love you or just like the sensation? I enjoy having my back scratched and that action would still feel good even if I didn't love the person doing it.
Certain reptiles do seem to like some people more than others. This is said to be especially true with iguanas. Iguanas have very unique personalities and it is actually very rare for an iguana to be social with strangers. They also may be aggressive with one person and laid back when being handled by another which makes it clear they have preferences when it comes to people.
The fact that snakes don't attack their owners is not really proof that they like them it is simply proof that starting random finds with non threatening beings is not evolutionary viable. Starting random fights would lead them to die and get infections in the wild. Snakes attack when they feel threatened and generally after giving a warning. Or else, they attack for food.
My Reptiles Shows That They Love Me.
However, like iguanas some types of turtles are said to prefer some people over others. But could this be due to something else? Scent? The way one person handles them? Is it really love or is it still just a biological reaction? A primitive response for survival? I am not sure anyone has the definitive answer to this question but based on studying the brains of reptiles it seems to reason that they are not capable of complex emotions like love even if we want them to love us back.
I mean reptiles certainly can appear to be affectionate.
To be honest, the jury is still out on this one, even among scientists...
This is a quote from a scientist featured in the animal behavior site listed in the sources at the end of this blog and it pretty much sums up where we are as far as understanding reptiles and emotion:
"Like others have already said, it is still unclear whether ophidians can form emotional attachment as the evidence is not conclusive. The vast majority of studies on neurobiology and on the neural mechanisms of behaviour has been done in mammals (and within mammals, these studies are mainly done in rodents, like mice and rats, which are the most commonly used mammals in laboratories).
But there is still a lot we don’t know about these mechanisms and neural pathways in other groups like reptiles and it is entirely possible that the neurotransmitters and hormones in other species are not identical to those in mammals. This is an “open” question in science and we really do need to do more research to investigate these kinds of things, because it’s very interesting."
Don't let this information stop you from adopting a lovable reptile and keep in mind that many pet owners disagree and feel their reptiles show them affection. Does it really matter if it's true love? If you love reptiles and they provide you with cuddles, isn't that enough? Reptiles are beautiful, fascinating creatures. Just make sure you know how to properly care for one if you decide to adopt one and consider not getting them from a pet store. Many people want to get rid of their reptile pets when they realize they are not equipped to care for them so check places like craigslist.
Read more about reptiles from these sources I used so you can make you own decision:
sources: http://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk/reptile-emotions
https://animalj14.imascientist.org.uk/2014/06/19/do-ophidians-feel-any-emotional-attachment/
https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/19502/what-emotions-can-a-snake-feel
All images from pixabay.
When we truly loves any snake, there won't be any threat from them. They will attack only when they feel unsafe and frightened.
wow !, I absolutely love the snek in the first picture , beautiful color ^_^
Isn't it gorgeous? :D
One of the things that make answering this question with certainty is defining love itself. If it means continued and lasting affection, then we can say that some reptiles display behavior that fits that pattern, but it's very hard to understand their internal reasoning which means we have do a lot of guessing.
I guess that some reptiles might be able to have emotions that lead to behaviors that look like love and might actually be some form of love. Like the example with your friend. But is it really love?
Your explanations about seemingly affectionate behavior make a lot of sense, but how can we be sure that that's what the reptiles are actually thinking and that those are their reasons.
While the jury is still out, we can also add that we would expect to see love in social species more than others. Are there example of social reptiles?
I will look more into this. From what I read the most social were iguanas. I have to dig deeper though to fully answer this question. I agree that there is a lot of guess work and really nobody can answer this with 100% certainty but I am leaning toward most "affection" from snakes (at the least) being due to misinterpreting their actions. However, it certainly varies by animal. I will dig deeper and report back tomorrow with my findings on social reptiles.
The hardest part I think is that we only see behaviors and it's really hard to ever be certain of the motivations behind them. If it looks like affection, how do we know that it is or isn't affection or some other emotion that we are not familiar with ourselves.
A very interesting topic to be honest. Good read :)
I've never owned a reptile, but I've known some who do and usually they never faced any problems and all was good.
Yes I don't think they are dangerous to own but that doesn't mean they are capable of loving their owner. I do know many people that own reptiles and honestly I may get a vegetarian one some day. :) I don't want to feed a snek live mice. :'( I know they need it haha and I feed my cat meat obviously but I would get all attached to the little mouse. XD
This post received a 3.7% upvote from @randowhale thanks to @lauralemons! For more information, click here!
Such a great post, love the final pic too.
Thank you. I spent some time debating if it should be the featured photo or not. :) I decided it worked better at the end even though it would make sense as the featured photo.
Super cool @lauralemons
Your blog reminds me of a nephew that was into snakes. He had to raise rats to feed them. He even told me he felt sorry for the rats. Some rats got a way and I saw white rats running around the house. The river rats are a brown color.
Also in Florida a couple had a python and didn't feed it for a month. It got out and kill their 2 year old child. These people buy the snake then find they can't afford to feed a 8 foot snake, but it was a smaller snake when they got it. So they don't feed it. Worse they throw it in the Florida everglades. Florida is desperately wanting snake hunters. Sounds like a big night mirror. Even if these snakes love their owner, what about their children? Their dogs? Their cats?
woow, Very nice animals
I agree. :)
I had 2 iguanas as one time. The male rarely let me interact with him, he tolerated me in order to be fed. The female however would often come to the door of the vivarium to be let out so she could climb up my arm and perch on my shoulder for hours.
I had a chameleon a few years ago that enjoyed human contact. She spent as much time curled up behind my ear when she was little as she spent in her vivarium.
I doubt it was love but there was definitely some kind of affection.
Thanks for making me ponder this.
Yeah from what I read it seemed iguanas are thought to show more affection and have preferences over people versus say a snake who seem not very likely to show actual affection. Sometimes the cuddling is also for warmth. It is definitely interested to ponder and got me kind of wanting an iguana to be honest.
thank you for sharing
You're welcome.
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