Do snakes feel emotions and/or love?

I voted no on both but I think they have more than just secure/insecure/hungry "feelings"

Sorry guys, I love my snakes to death, and I incorporate them as my family and they would eat before I do in a bad situation, but to say that a snake loves you for loving and feeding it is very far fetched, and displays a lack of understanding of how reptiles, snakes in particular, work. Remember, it's not their nature to look to a caretaker or a pack member for anything, they are built to be fully independent and solitary creatures, who get no benefits from interacting with any other creature unless it's food. They don't understand that you are actually providing them with everything they need. They just know that when you are around, food conveniently appears. They don't look to form a social bond with anything, they are just looking for their next meal and then, a safe place to hide. They don't even feel any gratitude for food, they just take it, and move on with their lives, let alone loving you for feeding them.

I am pretty new to snakes... and I know they feel emotions (i.e. anger/agression content/sleeping)

But I don't think they feel them in the same way as humans.. If I get mad at someone for doing something I didn't like.. I tend to remember it and hold a grudge.
However I am sure I have done things to aggitate my snake, but if I put her away and come back another day I doubt she cares I did whatever a few days ago.

And I joke that she gives me kisses and loves me. But I know in reality that she is tasting how nummy I am, and that I am mommy. And that she tolerates me LOL

they dont understand how much we care for them its sad :( i wish my BP's new how hard i strive for them

I adore my snakes, and they are more relaxed around me than someone that they don't know - however, I don't delude myself into believing that they "love" me. I know that if they were allowed to free roam and were put down outside (or in), that they aren't going to seek out my company. They'll just go on their merry way.

If it makes people feel better to believe their snakes love them, and it enhances how they feel about their snakes, I have no problem with that.

I simply don't require reciprocal love from my snakes to adore them myself.

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Originally Posted by RoyalGuardian

I think people think that snakes don't feel love or emotions because they expect them to show them like humans or dogs. I know snakes have emotions and they can feel love. I know all the breeders and other enthusiasts are thinking " this chick is wack" but I know it for a fact. I have a very strong bond with both my animals. Trust for me is how they show their love. Trust is how snakes love you. If they trust you, you have their love. My snakes have the most character of any Ball pythons I have ever seen especially Calypso. I have been complimented by every herper that has ever gotten the pleasure to hold her. She is so different, she has a quality that people can't help but comment on. Not only is she beautiful, she has a heart of gold! And when Ki bites me he gets really depressed afterwards... poor little guy. I know he doesn't mean it ( sometimes his aim is way off). He will bite me then let go and coil up around his head and stay like that until i give him a back rub. Both my snakes get back rubs, I truly believe that because of that we have a stronger bond. I even have scale conditioner I use when rubbing THEY LOVE IT!!!! How do I know? Have you ever seen a ball python get so relaxed they stretch all the way out and let you rub on them while flicking their tongues and ultimately go limp because they are completely relaxed? It's a great way to bond with them! So yes they show love and trust.

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That is so sweet. What do you used for scale conditioner?

Snakes feel no emotion other than a keen survival instinct via the Cerebellum. The human cerebellum is one of the oldest parts of the brain and account for that quick reaction you feel when someone surprises you. Millions of years of evolution have allowed humans to evolve higher brain functions, such as the emotional centers that we call the amygdala. Emotion(s) served to motivate us to act, generally for survival purposes. The human cerebellum has a direct connection to the amygdala, and these disparate parts of the brain come together in humans to grant us the ability to rationalize our emotions. However, the snake/reptile brain only has a cerebellum. The cerebellum is so primitive that it is the part of the brain that stilulates what humans call "fear"; you see a fierce perdator coming at you, and you run. The cerebellum controls MOTOR FUNCTIONS, and this is why when you startle a ball python they curl up or do some other instinctive task.


We can debate all day if snakes experience love or not, but facts are facts, and the facts are NO.

Has it not been scientifically proven snakes lack a limbic system??? Hint the term reptilian brain stemming from the lack of
It has actually been proven reptiles in general lack a limbic system so anything more than a conditioning from routine is not possible other than, aggression, dominance, territory or displays of breeding or species related behaviors...

Peace, J

I think of emotions less as the touchy feely things we see, but more as the hormones and physical brain-stuff that causes them. Any time you feel happy, it's because there are signs going off in your brain to release chemicals that we associate with good feelings. I don't know much about snake anatomy, so I can't say what hormones and chemical happenings go on in those minds. But I have seen fear in snakes, as well as aggression(dominance and such)

I don't think emotions that they would feel would be anything like humans, but I think we get a little cocky about what we think our emotions are, they are just cause of crazy chemicals in a crazy brain we still don't fully understand!

I think the snake could have basic emotions, but how they translate to the mind would be far different than a mammal. Because the 'emotions' would be used for what they are MEANT to be used for--survival. Humans have the same emotions. We feel embarrassed--it's a reaction caused to give us adrenalin to flee a dangerous situation. Happiness/being content has been shown to actually reduce pain. Out in the wild, animals who are able to catch that food are able to heal from their injuries and that is partially thanks to those awesome little hormones telling them 'good job'! They're all just simple reactions that we have evolved to become ridiculously complex feelings, thanks to our ability to communicate and express our thoughts and feelings. Animals without that ability to communicate stay with the simple, unrefined basics of instincts, which in reality is what most of our emotions are!

But again, I haven't straight up studied a snake's brain, but I think the many of the instincts to simply survive partially mean SOME crude emotions of some kind, but not in the way we use them.

funny i just commented on another one of these, but honestly have any of you had a conversation with a snake, not to be rude but don't burst someones bubble just because u think they can or can have emotions, seriously, how do you know dogs have emotions, just because they like to be petted doesn't necessarily mean they feel emotion, or does it, it would seem they do because they keep letting you do it, maybe snakes do like to be held maybe they don't, maybe it just takes domesticating them for them to tolerate it, just like dogs, when they were wild, they wouldn't have thought twice at attacking you, until one day someone fed it, gave it water, kept feeding it, up until today when they are a socially acceptable animal. Don't reem me for this, but it is just how i feel on the subject, people are gonna think what they want no matter what I say you say or anyone else. It is my own experience that people don't like change especially the way they think, but it is possible with time.