Can snakes feel and give affection?

If it feels like they enjoy being around you then who cares what others believe.... ive seen and heard so many cases about snakes showing what we see as affection and love and its always writen off as just them tolerating us. maybe snakes can show these emotions but they dont the way humans decided is the only way possible for these emotions to exist in a living creature

I don't think there's true "affection" shown by snakes, merely different levels of tolerating our whims based on the individual critter's comfort level with being handled - or not.

I have 0.2 2014 retics who are sisters, the same size, the same morph/locality combo, purchased the same day, etc. and yet their attitudes are as different as chalk and cheese. One is always in a hide with just her head out; open the door and the head disappears. While she doesn't niss or nip if I have to handle her, she doesn't settle; think non-stop fleeing. If it's feeding time, then she will come partway out to take her f/t feeder and drags it back under her hide to wrap and eat it. OTOH her sister is never in her hide, she prefers to lay on top and bask under the RHP if she needs heat, or will stretch out on the cool side if she doesn't. Open her door and she will immediately come up to see what's going on, including climbing up your arm to rest on your shoulder if you put your hand in the enclosure. She also chows down wherever she happens to end up in her enclosure.

I don't delude myself by thinking the second female is being "affectionate" in any way with her behavior, she simply is less skittish than her sister.

I don't think they really experience much more complicated than trust and maybe curiosity. My garters definitely display a lot of curiosity toward me and will come up and beg to be held (even with no food in the room). I mostly put this down to their having a much faster metabolism than my BP; they'd feel compelled to go out and search for food more often in the wild, so I guess it just translates to being more willing to experience new stimuli. They definitely recognize certain people and react accordingly though.

Love as in if you died he would be sad, no. I do think though by a snake being comfortable around you is there form of love. If my girlfriend holds my ball python he stays in a ball but if I hold him he's not in a ball. I really do think he knows my scent .

Its an interesting question, here are my thoughts. I do know some bp get exited when their owner takes them out or simply walks by the cage. whether that is a matter of conditioning by food/out of cage time or excitement over the nice big warm mammal is the big question. if it's not a type of conditioning then one would think there would have to be some level of trust/affection in the snake for the human, else why would it get excited. I've seen a bp that is totally chill when I or anyone but the snakes owner is around the tank. The moment the bp catches a glimpse of the owner it starts slowly slithering all around the front of the glass and up. Almost like it's saying hello. Not in the way you would expect a dog to do or anything, but certainly more than you would expect from a snake. One thing I like to kind of keep in mind, is were kind of in the process of domesticating these animals, right? I'm sure some are going to be further along than others.

It's hard not to humanize and animal but I have seen signs of "affection" from my bp. my husband and I both handle her often but she prefers me and will slither off him and onto me soon as she has the chance. When it comes to feeding time she often won't take when my husband tries so I will have to take over so she eats. If I walk into the room she instantly comes out and starts stretching up to the lid of her tank she only does this with me and no one else. If my husband has her physical cruising the room and I walk in she heads right in my direction. with me she is not head shy and will allow me to "pet " her head and even kiss her on the nose but will flinch and hide if anyone else tries to even my husband who handles her just as much as I. It does make me wonder if It's a form of affection(love) or if she just trust me more. Either way I love her to pieces and like to tell myself she loves me lol.

My snakes love me even when they hiss at me, squeeze my arm, leg, neck and its definitely love when they tag you and then stare at you with the "see how much I love you!! I gave you a kiss!!" look. But in reality, I don't think they love per say as humans define it but they learn to see us as non threatening and I honestly think some do "enjoy" being handled or pet. I know Rosey likes to be pet some times as when she is in the mood, she will stretch out the length of the cage and relax. I also know Vicky enjoys coming out and wandering around too. Dottie I believe doesn't care what really happens as long as her rats keep flowing into her cage.....and I know Harley loves to be held and wont actually sleep unless she is wrapped up in her blanket and sat on me. Then she stares at me for about 5 mins and its out for the count, she stretches out and goes to sleep.