My snake loves it.

Well, first of all of I think it is necessary to have the definition of "love" before deciding if something is capable of it. I busted out my Webster's, and one of the definitions is : love- "a strong enthusiasm or liking." So, if a snake has a strong enthusiasm for eating rats, or a strong liking for a certain hide over all the other hides in his tub, couldn't you technically say it loves them? At the same token, if a snake has a strong enthusiasm or liking for a certain human person, or going outside in the grass, or breeding with some snakes but not others, coauldn't you apply love in just the same sense? However, Webster's also has several other definitions for love, such as :1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for a person, and 2.an intense personal attachment or affection. I personally think that yes, some snakes prefer some human persons over others, and can have a strong liking for some people and things, as compared to other people and things. So, depending upon which definition is applied, you could in a sense,techinically say, yes. But, in the other sense, I don't think that snakes are capablle of showing affection the way we do, and for the most part we are anthropomorphosizing(sp?) them. However, I believe all animals, including snakes, are beings. And there are some extraordinary animals, which have that "extra special something else" that others of the same just don't have. But then we start getting into philosophy,spirituality, religion, and people's beliefs and such....and that my friends, is an entirely different subject all together. ;)
Just my :twocents:

Does it really matter if a snake feels love or is capable of the act of feeling love? We're humans, we're not snakes. We'll never be able to understand the life experience of a being so different from ourselves but in the end does it really even matter? So we sometimes use human words to describe an reaction in a snake - what of it? We are humans, we therefore use human descriptive terms. What else would we use?

As long as it does not go to the point where we disrespect the snake by imposing human emotions on a creature that quite honestly has no use of them, well I have no issue with it. As long as we respect their difference understanding in the end just how little we really do know about them and strive to keep our muddy and oft confused emotional lives out of their simple and beautiful lives, well I think we and our snakes do just fine together. :)

Science has done a lot more to explain what love is in recent years than a dictionary definition would indicate. Love is accompanied by activation of specific areas of the brain, and specific chemical responses. We understand it better now than we ever have before, even if it is still unpredictable and we have no idea what triggers it.

I don't think love is involved simply in having preferences. For a snake, pheromones, scent, and body language are far more likely to be involved in selecting a mate--lust, not love.

Preference for people may be due to a familiar scent that the snake has learned is safe, and that individual's body language and way of moving. Being more comfortable with one person than another is also not love. I think it is a mistake to believe that any snake actually enjoys being handled by any person--much more likely, there are simply degrees in how much the snake minds it. Fall asleep, and snake will creep away under the furniture without a backward tongue flick.

Note: That's also why I didn't answer this poll.
Snakes are capable of a variety of emotions, it's just that love isn't one of them. So none of the poll choices are accurate.

well I marked "of course he loves me....he gives me snakey kisses"....mainly because that was the funniest phrase I have ever seen.......sorry. :rolleyes:
And the fact that my normal loves to try to get in my ear...weirdo

Ok....do I think they love....hmmmmm.....I think they learn to feel trust. Hence we percieve that as love. Do they feel anger...sure....ummmm who has been bitten due to not wanting to be touched? Do they feel scared or stressed....sure...take a look at my bee sometimes. He is the biggest scardey cat I have ever seen.

On the other side of the coin is my normal which is really anything but normal. She wants to hang out of the cage all the time. Will wander around the house and then come back to you. She won't go too far from you and will keep checking to make sure you are in the same spot. Now is this love.....I would like to think so but in reality I think it is a sense of security and trust. (and yes I keep an eye on her as to not get away)

Ok...so now you have my newbie 2 cents....woohoooo

I wanted to vote the "duh" answer but I went with a logical answer lol

I voted that they have preference.....but I do love snake kisses!!! hahaha

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

Love is a human emotion though. Can you say that a snake actually loves its hide box? Yes it feels secure there, but can it actually love it?

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How can you say love is just a human emotion ? I would not agree with you there !

I'm not sure if snakes are capable of love but I am pretty sure they have preferences.. My snake Jewels prefers me to handle her and my husbands snake Diamond prefers him to handle him. If we handle each others snakes they tend to crawl to the original owner. I know I LOVE my snake though!

They love food, pee'n and poop'n, and having orgy's. Hey they love as much as humans.

Without a limbic system snakes cannot love. They are a bundle of nerve responses (... alright so are we but we're a lot more complex)

They have their requirements: Food, water, shelter, warmth. They have their reactions: Startle, attack, consume, etc.

If you damage the limbic system of a monkey it will cease to recognise that there are other monkeys around it who have needs. If it sees food it will just take it from the other one, if it has to go to the bathroom it will where it stands, etc. They only recognize the presence of predators, anything else they treat like background scenery.

Thats all reptiles are.