I think my snake loves me

[sorraia]

I don't think my rosy boas could care less who took care of them, fed them, handled them. They do not show any kind of emotional response. But having said that, I think they deserve a little more credit than is often given. They seem to attempt to solve (very basic) problems, and seem to show some signs of some form of curiosity. When I first got my rosies there was a small flaw that allowed them to escape their cage. They both quickly learned where this flaw was, and would go straight to it. Once it was fixed, they gave up for a time, but recently seem to be testing it out again.

Years ago when I had a ball python he showed some signs of "something more" going on behind his eyes. He always seemed to know when it was really time to eat, whether or not he was hungry at any other time. Once when I made the mistake of sticking my hand in his cage during feeding time, he bit me. He very quickly let go and hid himself in his hide as if he were ashamed of what he had done. I can't say he actually was ashamed, I may be attributing something that wasn't there, but it really did seem like something more was going on. He never bit me before or after that.

I think in general the keepers have more fondness for the snakes, than the snakes have for the keeper. I won't completely dismiss a possibility of something more though.

[royal constrictor]

my snake loves me.... he licks my nose

[HaikyFin]

That's a good point, and for that matter, what's the cause of the major "stress" that balls suffer if they have no feelings. Being moved from one home to another or loud, raucous noises shouldn't affect them at all. Isn't "stress" an emotion caused by other emotions compiling & not an instinct?

Stress isn't an emotion. It's actually a chemical reaction in the brain to something negative that may cause harm. Stress is uncomfortable and animals that go through stress automatically seek to relieve that stress by running away, biting, hiding, etc. It's a release of chemicals and nothing more complex than that. Humans make it more complex because we have the ability to think. A human stuck in traffic experiences the same type of stress as a zebra being chased by a lion - and there is no reason for it, it's just something humans do unnecessarily. We put emotions into it - stress itself isn't emotion and certainly wouldn't be caused by other emotions compiling. In the human world, you might stress because you're job is on the line and things are tense with your significant other but these things are stressful to you because your brain has told your body that there is some unfathomable reason to release that chemical, not because you're emotional about it.

It's very difficult to explain. Humans are very dumb while being very intelligent at the same time. As I said before - I think we feel like everything else does, but we try to rationalize and understand what we feel, so we've lost the understanding that most of it is just instinct, chemicals and functions meant to keep us alive and thriving. Nothing more. People are animals, that's all. Therefore, animals are animals - that's all. Because we think complexly and nothing else does we try so hard to find this unique gift in other creatures and the cold fact is that we're alone in our understanding and intelligence - and we simply cannot seem to accept that.

[OsirisRa32]

Snakes don't understand emotion other than "I'm gonna eat you!!!"

Thats not an emotion!! its a biological urge

[NormanSnake]

I don't know about my snake loving me, but I sure do love my snake!

[ktint]

I am not sure they like me or not. But, I love it when they ask for food. On feeding days, they look up me with their eyes and expect food even when the rats are in the freezer. They touch my hand with their tongue and look up with their expecting eyes when I put my hand in their tubs.

[RaskaNeil]

http://www.naturescornermagazine.com/snakes_learn.html

Snakes have the ability to learn and adapt to their environments (in one way or another). I believe that all animals have emotions of some kind regardless, but who is to say that snakes can't learn to love or at least recognize a person to a higher degree. My Ball Python, Trouser, knows who i am and always comes to greet (not anyone else mind you) ever time I come home.

I'm not the only one who feeds him either, so it isn't just he recognizes i feed him.

[BoostedMX3]

Stress isn't an emotion. It's actually a chemical reaction in the brain to something negative that may cause harm. Stress is uncomfortable and animals that go through stress automatically seek to relieve that stress by running away, biting, hiding, etc. It's a release of chemicals and nothing more complex than that. Humans make it more complex because we have the ability to think. A human stuck in traffic experiences the same type of stress as a zebra being chased by a lion - and there is no reason for it, it's just something humans do unnecessarily. We put emotions into it - stress itself isn't emotion and certainly wouldn't be caused by other emotions compiling. In the human world, you might stress because you're job is on the line and things are tense with your significant other but these things are stressful to you because your brain has told your body that there is some unfathomable reason to release that chemical, not because you're emotional about it.

It's very difficult to explain. Humans are very dumb while being very intelligent at the same time. As I said before - I think we feel like everything else does, but we try to rationalize and understand what we feel, so we've lost the understanding that most of it is just instinct, chemicals and functions meant to keep us alive and thriving. Nothing more. People are animals, that's all. Therefore, animals are animals - that's all. Because we think complexly and nothing else does we try so hard to find this unique gift in other creatures and the cold fact is that we're alone in our understanding and intelligence - and we simply cannot seem to accept that.

Just cuz the snakes don't speak don't assume that they don't try to rationalize certain things like humans do.. Untill someone around here learns how to speak snake u can't say for sure one way or another as far as how they feel or think.. Just my opinion...


Also it has been proven in humans that are emotions are chemicals reactions in our brain.. Depression anxiety stress love it's all basically chemichals

[OsirisRa32]

Stress isn't an emotion. It's actually a chemical reaction in the brain to something negative that may cause harm. Stress is uncomfortable and animals that go through stress automatically seek to relieve that stress by running away, biting, hiding, etc. It's a release of chemicals and nothing more complex than that. Humans make it more complex because we have the ability to think. A human stuck in traffic experiences the same type of stress as a zebra being chased by a lion - and there is no reason for it, it's just something humans do unnecessarily. We put emotions into it - stress itself isn't emotion and certainly wouldn't be caused by other emotions compiling. In the human world, you might stress because you're job is on the line and things are tense with your significant other but these things are stressful to you because your brain has told your body that there is some unfathomable reason to release that chemical, not because you're emotional about it.

It's very difficult to explain. Humans are very dumb while being very intelligent at the same time. As I said before - I think we feel like everything else does, but we try to rationalize and understand what we feel, so we've lost the understanding that most of it is just instinct, chemicals and functions meant to keep us alive and thriving. Nothing more. People are animals, that's all. Therefore, animals are animals - that's all. Because we think complexly and nothing else does we try so hard to find this unique gift in other creatures and the cold fact is that we're alone in our understanding and intelligence - and we simply cannot seem to accept that.

With that logic no emotions are actually emotions b/c all emotional responses can be boiled down to chemical response and reactions in bio-neuro pathways and interactions of enzymes, bio chemicals and cells/brain regions.

[satomi325]

Just cuz the snakes don't speak don't assume that they don't try to rationalize certain things like humans do.. Untill someone around here learns how to speak snake u can't say for sure one way or another as far as how they feel or think.. Just my opinion...

has been proven in humans that are emotions are chemicals reactions in our brain.. Depression anxiety stress love it's a basically chemichals

I speak Parseltongue fluently in all 3 dialects.


But being serious here.
Snakes don't have the same brain as humans. They're missing the part that processes emotion. They're instinctual creatures who can be conditioned and learn to recognize certain things, such as predator, prey, good, bad, neutral. Very simple and raw thoughts.

And everyone here is describing 'love', which is a human emotion. And shouldn't be used in the same context with animals. An animal may feel their own version of 'love', but it isn't the same as the ones humans express. You are anthropomorphising animals, which is a no no.

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