I want to first start off saying I work as a scientist and have a Masters in Environmental Science. I know a little bit about animal behavior.
Now that I have that disclaimer out of the way, I want to start a discussion that has been kicked around on various forums.
Do snakes show affection? I read that snakes have no concept of love and even read from so called experts that they have no memory. First we can throw out the concept of snakes having no memory out the window because conditioning proves that they have memory.
Now what do they think of us? Are we a warm moving tree that provides food? I think they are a little smarter than that. When a baby snake hatches its instinct is to strike at us, it's fearful that it might get eaten by the big creature that is holding it. I do believe they understand us as living beings just like them. So what happens after a while when we own the little snake and he calms down and let's us handle him? It is my belief that the snake has a level of trust because it learns that it is safe when it is with you. We all know that snakes trust some people and not others. They recognize owners either by sight or scent. We hear time and again of how the husband or wife can take the snake out but the snake strikes at the spouse. The snake trusts one particular person and that person has earned the snakes trust and respect.
Now do snakes love? Being they supposedly are missing that part of the brain or its underdeveloped scientists say no. But there are other senses that animals have that people don't have. Maybe the snake doesn't love you but it associates you with good and I can see that they could have enjoyment out of being out of their enclosure being with you. If you were to die it's not going to cry but may wonder why it's not being taken out by its big creature that it trusts.
Now some may argue that snakes don't understand good. There is always a opposite reaction to something. If a snake understands fear it must have feelings of good whether it's happiness we have no way to measure that. But let's say they have feeling of the opposite of fear.
So to end this, I believe snakes can be conditioned and they have limited ability to form bonds with people. They can learn to trust you and associate you with good things like feeding, being taken out of the enclosure and safety. So if a snake associates you with good and trusts you, I think that is a pretty good bond to have.
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