I think my snake loves me

This thread is cracking me up! I hope I don't offend anyone but I think it's very possible that people can read too much into some things sometimes. I think any snake is capable of associating a number of things with us from an instinctual stand point, granted they are "intelligent" creatures to an extent. It does however annoy the crap out of me when people refer to themselves as a "mommy" or "daddy" over anything unless they're reffering to their child, but to each his or her own.

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Originally Posted by iCandiBallPythons

It does however annoy the crap out of me when people refer to themselves as a "mommy" or "daddy" over anything unless they're reffering to their child, but to each his or her own.

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O cmon...you know when you pick yours up you are like ..."come to daddy my little baby".....:rofl:

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Originally Posted by neal

that's some love right there, doesn't get no better then that right?

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a.t.b.?

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Originally Posted by iCandiBallPythons

This thread is cracking me up! I hope I don't offend anyone but I think it's very possible that people can read too much into some things sometimes. I think any snake is capable of associating a number of things with us from an instinctual stand point, granted they are "intelligent" creatures to an extent. It does however annoy the crap out of me when people refer to themselves as a "mommy" or "daddy" over anything unless they're reffering to their child, but to each his or her own.

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yeah , I've been reading some of the replies and I'm amazed at how many people think their snakes love them. Reptiles such as snakes react solely on instinct.

I find it funny that people even give names to their snakes , its not going to come to you when you call it. Naming the snake , or trying to bestow emotions like love are something done purely for the owner.

I wonder if any of the guys that keep hots think their snakes love them. you wouldn't want to get a "kiss" from one of them.
or what about the people that own lizards, I wonder if they think their lizards love them.

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Originally Posted by pliskin

I find it funny that people even give names to their snakes

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Guilty! I have fun naming them. Plus I like referring to Oliver rather than het clown male 1.

I name all of my animals as well, including my snakes. As far as people referring to themselves as mommy and daddy, I am guilty of that and not ashamed of it. At the moment, I can't have children of the human variety. I consider my animals to be my children and if you could see the way one of my cats is with me, you'd understand. He is my son, no matter his species.

My large female "meg" wont strike anything with my scent on it.. I have to put rubber gloves on to handle her feed or she wont take it. She loves to sit with me while i'm watching tv or on the computer, she has never struck at me or my other pets and becomes active when i'm near her pen trying to reach the top for me to lift her out. She would purr if she could, she is very inquisitive and gentle.. I find her actions to be as affectionate as she can express :-)

well you can clearly see from my sig. that all of mine are my babies. Tristen calls them his bruders and sisurs. lol

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Originally Posted by python kid

no,snakes don't have feelings they're mindless.

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Everything has feelings. If they didn't have feeling why would a Ball Python "feel" threatend and go into a ball? So yes they do have feelings :)

I posted WAAAY back that one particular retic of mine (the one in my avatar) is a genuine "freak of nature"; she NEEDS handling or else she's going to push her face raw and her food acquisition is so "mild", my ball python has a more aggressive feeding response than her.

She's not so perfect though; if my hand smells like food, she's just like the "stereotyped" retic.

Anyhows, does anybody else observe this "freaky" syndrome (aka, known "mean species" suddenly behaving like lambs)? I read somewhere in this forum that there is this Yellow anaconda owner (was it Neal?) who describes an even more "benign" yellow annie; iirc he could even hand feed her.

I think my snakes care about me :)

ok. it's a scientific fact that snakes are not intelligent enough to have emotions. some of them are more aware and intelligent (in a purely instinctual way) than others.
they are instinctual creatures that, when raised in captivity, they learn to recognize their owners as their primary source of food and shelter, hence they grow accustomed to them.
if a snake does something out of the norm (like spending prolonged periods of time being handled by their owners without overstressing themselves, or darting their tongue to the surface of your cheek when you put your face close enough to their head) simple-minded people are ready and willing to believe that they are smarter than science indicates they are and would readily attribute these occurences to them displaying their emotions.
the bottom line is that it all comes down to HOW COMFORTABLE the animal is with the owner. It depends on the snakes temperament, but lost of snakes become extremely comfortable with their owners and will let them do with them pretty much whatever they want.
some of us (i'm not included) would to believe our snakes "love" all that we do for them (feed them, clean up their poop, not strangling them for taggin us lol) but they do not. they actually couldn't care less. however, they do grow more comfortable with us as a result of our care and attention.
With snakes, basically you reap what you sow. If you are a good keeper, you will receive the satisfaction of seeing the animal become easier to handle and more comfortable in your presence.

everybody is entitled to their own opinions. if you want to mistake your snakes comfortability (i that a word? lol) around you for "love", then go right ahead.

I think my snake loves me,and i love her,and if plants can "feel",wich are more primitive than snakes then how come snakes can't?

Plants don't have emotions...period! Snakes are instinctual animals but if you want to believe they love you, then more power to you I guess. I know that my snakes don't love me, but I love them. I think that is all that matters.

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

Plants don't have emotions...period! Snakes are instinctual animals but if you want to believe they love you, then more power to you I guess. I know that my snakes don't love me, but I love them. I think that is all that matters.

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i couldn't have put it better myself.

PlaNts respond to human emotions,it is proven,and a plant who you talk nice will always grow better than a plant who you talk nasty to will not grow as fastor as good.and if someone or something is capabil of feeling love and hate than they can give back love or hate,an either way i love my snake,and if she doesen't love me,i love her for the both of us:p

Just because one lives on instinct doesn't mean they don't feel anything. Every animal lives by instinct, even humans can when they don't pollute themselves with everything else made to kill that in themselves.

Right now I have this silly boy on my shoulders rubbing me in the face like kitty cat. Something tells me he might like me. I have worked to teach him not to be head shy. I can literally hold his head top and bottom and not have him fuss. Trust is a feeling too. If one can trust they certainly can love.

To act like because you are viewed as a source of food, that is the only reason an animal is attracted to you. You can say then that your cats and dogs are just sucking up to you and stays around to be fed also. I personally believe if you treat any animal on an equal basis you will get something that cares for you.

I think because snakes are so different that people automatically think that they can't feel. They also say they can't hear cause they don't have ears. I think they do. Just because he doesn't have classic ears, doesn't mean that something else doesn't function the same. After all in the wild they would need all senses to survive. Besides think about this if you had to live crawling around the dust and dirt that if you had ear openings that just how dirty and plugged up they would get.

Remember this.........When you limit yourself as to think other species don't have feelings, that is when you dehumanize yourself and can legitimize abusing and killing things for no reason.

No, just because I don't believe snakes can feel emotion as we do, does not mean I dehumanize myself. I do not stand for animal abuse in any way shape or form. Just because a snake can not feel emotions does not mean they do not deserve respect and proper care. It just means that when I talk baby talk to my snakes and tell them out much I love them, I do not expect them to come slithering out of their tubs to give me a kiss on the nose.

When my cat comes over to cuddle in my arms like a baby, and is showing actual displays of affection (licking my chin, pawing at my hand for kitty skritches), I consider that emotion. (He thinks he's my human baby. He'd probably drink from a bottle if I let him). BUT, when my SNAKE comes out to be handled and flicks his tongue across my nose or cheek, I know that is not a display of affection, and it is a natural information gathering behavior. They use their tongues to smell. Instead of hearing, they sense vibrations. Snakes do not seek you out for attention. They are not a species that thrives on social situations. They are solitary creatures and prefer to be left alone. Can they learn to tolerate being handled, sure. Can they become more comfortable with you and not stress out as much, sure. But in my opinion, these are not reasons to think they have a preference for you or love you. They "cuddle" with you because you are a source of heat when you have them out at room temperature. They "kiss" your mouth/nose/cheek because that is a place that smells very different from the rest of your body.

Does this mean I care for my snakes any less? Absolutely not! I just don't expect anything in return when I love them. I make sure they are comfortable with a clean tub, plump rats, and clean water.

What if your snake behaves in a way that indicates a 'want' or in this case a non want.........Example I had Alexander out for about 2 or 3 hours this morning. He started to be a butt head crawling all over the keyboard. I got the feeling he was getting tired and wanted to get a nap. So I took him to his home and he clearly wanted to stay out. But I made him go in and the first thing he did was go get a drink and he's napping now. This tells me he wanted to stay with me, even though he was tired and thirsty. Is this not an emotional want on his part? If he was just driven by self preservation, he shouldn't have balked at going in.

A want to be in a place or not be in a place, does not indicate a display of emotion. I have a corn snake that always wants to stay out of his enclosure. I think it might be the act of placing him down into an enclosed space is frightening to him so he tries to stay on my hand. Does this means he has a preference to stay with me. No! This snake does not tolerate handling at all.

Snakes having a preference for where they are or where they want to go is usually, again, based on instinct. The need to be in a place that feels secure and warm. He was probably roaming all over the keyboard because he was stressed out.

Look, you will believe what you believe. If you believe your snake loves you and that makes you happy and you enjoy caring for him, more power to you I guess. I just personally do not believe that my snakes are capable of human-like emotion.

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Originally Posted by astral_dream_god

PlaNts respond to human emotions,it is proven,and a plant who you talk nice will always grow better than a plant who you talk nasty to will not grow as fastor as good.and if someone or something is capabil of feeling love and hate than they can give back love or hate,an either way i love my snake,and if she doesen't love me,i love her for the both of us:p

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No, plants do not respond to human emotions.

Give me the study and scientific evidence. Also, nothing in science is 'proven' everything is theorized.
We actually talked about this with my college's horticulturist because someone brought that up in class. He said it was hooey and he'd pay money to see that actually happen, because some other element had to have had an effect.

No, they do not have emotions because they do not have the same kind of brain tissues that allow for comprehension of emotional value. All of their 'emotions' are purely instinctual and of fear, hunger, stress, or content.

Arsinoe, you are wrong. I do not dehumanize myself, I work in science. There are species capable of emotion, dogs and cats being included. The difference is, they are mammals, and have much more complex brain systems.
Octopi are the most intelligent of invertebrates. Many of them in zoos or aquariums need a toy for enrichment, but they have a brain and eyes that are more complex than most reptiles. They can see in a color spectrum as wide as ours, because of their cone-prong ratio. But can they feel emotions? We can't really tell with them, but they would have characteristics that could lead to that possibility.

Do reptiles show any characteristics of emotion? No.
There are some things that have little evidence in science and are very loose theories. This is something that is highly backed by evidence in comparison.

Also, snakes don't want to take a nap, they sleep 20 hours a day and many snakes are more tolerant of handling than others, and many will use your body heat as if it were a heat mat which makes them appear 'calm' in nature. There is nothing about the snake wanting to be with you. It may associate your scent with a non-dangerous animal, so that it does not fear you, but it has no reason to like you because it cannot comprehend the 'nice' things you do for it.

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

Snakes having a preference for where they are or where they want to go is usually, again, based on instinct. The need to be in a place that feels secure and warm. He was probably roaming all over the keyboard because he was stressed out.

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He wasn't stressed he was reacting just like my kitty cats do when I am paying too much attention to the internet...Jump on Mommy's key board and she will pay attention to ME!

I really doubt your snake was thinking if it got on your keyboard that you'd pay attention to it. Snakes just do not comprehend that kind of behavior, and I certainly doubt they see you as "Mommy". I doubt a snake could even recognize one of its own species as "mommy".

wow 43 pages, who cares, all my snakes climb on me and i actually have a bp that likes his hed, rubbed, but if it loves me or tolarates me is irrelavent. does any reptile love its owner. i've read these long thought out posts, glad they got the time to explain when the next poster says idk, so yea

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Originally Posted by daniel1983

I have experienced the complete opposite before....does that mean that my snake hates me? :)

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If a snake can hate...Can it not love?

I've never had a pet not love me. Some are stand offish--solitary. But I've never been attacked by a pet. I have even adopted birds that their owners say they attack, only to find out they didn't like them, or their prior situation, for good reason, but given a new home with me they acted exactly the opposite.

The one time Alexander attacked when I first put him in his new home was a fear response, when I moved his substrate around in front of him. After that he's never shown any aggression to anyone...Me or the fur family flying around him.

Alexander has this odd little thing he does every so often when I hold him. He does this kind of undulating like he's caressing me. He's not wrapped around either.So it's not a pressing like he's constricting. And he's not trying to get away either. I think it's a sign of affection.

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Originally Posted by Arsinoe

If a snake can hate...Can it not love?

I've never had a pet not love me. Some are stand offish--solitary. But I've never been attacked by a pet. I have even adopted birds that their owners say they attack, only to find out they didn't like them, or their prior situation, for good reason, but given a new home with me they acted exactly the opposite.

The one time Alexander attacked when I first put him in his new home was a fear response, when I moved his substrate around in front of him. After that he's never shown any aggression to anyone...Me or the fur family flying around him.

Alexander has this odd little thing he does every so often when I hold him. He does this kind of undulating like he's caressing me. He's not wrapped around either.So it's not a pressing like he's constricting. And he's not trying to get away either. I think it's a sign of affection.

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Completely normal behavior with a relaxed snake. All of mine do the same thing - still don't think that they're trying to be affectionate - they're just behaving like snakes. :confused:

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Originally Posted by rabernet

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Completely normal behavior with a relaxed snake. All of mine do the same thing - still don't think that they're trying to be affectionate - they're just behaving like snakes. :confused:

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Ah but are you sure? Cats rub on you and some say it's affection and others say its scent marking territory. It depends on how you look at it. Can a snake be so different?

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Originally Posted by Arsinoe

Ah but are you sure? Cats rub on you and some say it's affection and others say its scent marking territory. It depends on how you look at it. Can a snake be so different?

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Do I think all 50 of mine behave exactly the same way as your single snake does because they're being affectionate with me? No - I do not. I think they are behaving exactly like a relaxed snake.

But then, I don't anthropomorphize my snakes. I love them just because - I don't require or need them to love me back to enjoy my relationship and role as keeper with them. :)

Hi,

Impossible to be sure one way or another.

But cats have both a social structure that uses scent to identify members and territories marked in the same way. And the bit they rub against us when given their choice just happens to be where those scent glands are located.

I have never heard of snakes having either traits. Don't get me wrong I have had snakes try and coat me in the smellier products of their bodies - but I was never left with the idea they were feeling affectionate at the time. :rolleyes:

I suspect snakes (at least some species like king cobras ) have what could be called a "home range" but whether they conciously patrol and scent mark to protect it is another matter.

When I handle my snakes they nearly all bump noses and flick their tongue on the tip of my nose - but I also know the nose is the hottest and closest part of my face from the snakes point of view and has a stream of warm scented air coming out of it to boot.

It's also possible that my glasses remind them of the sides of their tubs. :rofl:

But I am happy that I love my snakes and that's enough for me - if I needed returned affection I'd probably have a dog.

Or one of those human being efforts in a pinch.


dr del

The truth is we love our snakes, but they dont love us. My herps, and the rest of my pets, would be some of the first things i grab in an emergency, but i know if there was a fire and their cages were open, they would come and wake me up to make sure i get out, they would get out because they want to survive. Our snakes act on instinct, and instinct is selfish. Our instincts, as with almost all living creatures, tells us to save ourselves.

The fact is our snakes dont love us, no matter how much we want them too. Some keepers give them names, talk to them, and treat them as other humans. But they will never return the favor, not because they dont want to, but because they cant. Personally i dont keep snakes to talk to them, give them names or treat them like humans, but to observe them and truly respect them. They are magnificent creatures, and to just watch them behave in a natural way gives me my satisfaction.

MY SNAKES MIGHT NOT LITERALLY LOVE ME, BUT THEY FEEL SAFE & SECURE WITH ME, I THINK THEY'RE HAPPY WITH THEIR OWNER :snake:

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Originally Posted by arsinoe

what if your snake behaves in a way that indicates a 'want' or in this case a non want.........example i had alexander out for about 2 or 3 hours this morning. He started to be a butt head crawling all over the keyboard. I got the feeling he was getting tired and wanted to get a nap. So i took him to his home and he clearly wanted to stay out. But i made him go in and the first thing he did was go get a drink and he's napping now. This tells me he wanted to stay with me, even though he was tired and thirsty. Is this not an emotional want on his part? If he was just driven by self preservation, he shouldn't have balked at going in.

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lol

I don't think that snakes can "love" or "hate" you. But I do feel like they can get used to you and get more used to you handling them and being around them, and eventually be very comfortable being held by you. Technically that is somewhat learning to trust.. so is trust an emotion? hmmmm....

I dont see why people are saying snakes are stupid and emotionless, bassicly degrading an animal they have many of and like very much. If they are so stupid then why do people who think theyre stupid keep many many of them? Every animal is diffrent. There mind might not be like ours but id imagine there is some sort of equivalent to love. If somone can make a connection with the snake i think its possible to bond with it to some extent. Every animal is diffrent so throwing them all in one group and saying something isnt possible doesnt seem right to me. The impossible happens ALL THE TIME. Saying they cant feel emotions just seems like your trying to make yourself feel like a higher being than them. But thats just me. Here is an odd story though, a couple years back at my old house there was this girl in the area who owned a pretty big albino burm. It was her baby, she did everything with it. The odd part was that is was a "mood" snake. It reacted towards other people by how she felt towards them. Her friends would come up and it would be calm and friendly, a person she didnt like it would begin to hiss and get into striking position. Once the person she didnt like left he immidiantly became placid and friendly. I believe she made that connection with her snake.
Snakes might not have the same emotions as us but i think they can care and feel atleast to some extint in there own way. I wouldnt expect a snake to show me he cares the same way a dog would. It might not even be a love just a neutral respect, but i think they can feel in there own way.

Maybe the word stupid isn't being used right. Snakes have a primitive brain, therefore, they are less intelligent and less advanced in the thinking areas compared to other animals.

Instinct tells them to remember who is safe and who is not, who possibly poses and threat, and who does not, what situation benefits them, and which does not.

The corn snake here recognizes her owner and acts calm and lazy with him, but the second I hold her, she gets nervous and finicky and tries to get back to her owner, because I haven't held her more than once or twice, so she still possibly sees me as a threat.

We know they don't have complex emotional systems by studying their brain and which parts it has, and which parts it doesn't have developed.

If you love your snake(s) you shouldn't worry about if they love you, just if they are happy.

And if they are eating, shedding, and pooping I consider that happy.

With all the research we have recorded about these animals, we still cannot say EXACTLY how they feel, for we have never lived as a snake. Therefor, we wouldn't know how they feel.

I believe that somewhere deep in their minds, my snakes know who I am (That I feed them and keep them clean, etc.), and have some sort of affection for me. I won't come out and say that they definitely love me and appreciate what I've done for them, but I think they have some idea of who I am.

Either way, I still love them!

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Originally Posted by rwillinnable

so, you are saying that love, whatever that term may mean or whatever you think it means, is incapable of emerging from any lower level functioning area of the brain. Or if you prefer freudian terms, love can only spring from the ego. I disagree.

I think the main problem with this discussion, other than the sophomoric glee people are extracting from their feelings of supposed superiority to others, is that the word love is by far the most overly used word in the english language. Do i think a snake is capable of love like romantic love? Of course not. Do i think a snake is capable of love like the love that the christ or the buddha had for the world? Absolutely not. Do i even think that a snake can feel empathy? Again, no. But can a snake feel safe, secure, emboldened, and not threatened by another being living in close proximity to it? Yes, i do. And those feelings are some of the feelings that i ascribe to the word love.

The idea of love encompasses many things. To extract love of all but its logical and emotional elements is to diminish it.

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i agree, very well said

kudos kudos and a soft golf clap:snake::banana:

do snakes love like we love? no of course not, but with snake and all animals, they absolutely pick up energy, positive negative and powerful energy. If i attempt to handle mine and i am in a pissed off mood it will pull through to him and he will be nervous and what not. he picks up on my energy and is relaxing and calm and "loving" when i am. all being pick up energy, just some more than others realize it. animals and children do. My snake actually gave me attitude one day after i laughed at him for biting himself while going after a mouse. he completely turned toward me and postured, as if to say, "f you man!"
open your mind and start to observe ppl and things and you might see or even feel the difference

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Originally Posted by travishalogod

do snakes love like we love? no of course not, but with snake and all animals, they absolutely pick up energy, positive negative and powerful energy. If i attempt to handle mine and i am in a pissed off mood it will pull through to him and he will be nervous and what not. he picks up on my energy and is relaxing and calm and "loving" when i am. all being pick up energy, just some more than others realize it. animals and children do. My snake actually gave me attitude one day after i laughed at him for biting himself while going after a mouse. he completely turned toward me and postured, as if to say, "f you man!"
open your mind and start to observe ppl and things and you might see or even feel the difference

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I agree with the energy part, as a trained Kinesiologist I understand and use energy in many areas however .......your snake giving you attitude because you laughed at it :P cracked me up :D sounds like you have a creative mind and decided to use it to suit the situation which is pretty funny :gj:

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My snake actually gave me attitude one day after i laughed at him for biting himself while going after a mouse. He completely turned toward me and postured, as if to say, "f you man!"

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Im sorry but I completely disagree with this being possible. Your snake is not going to act aggressive or defensive towards you because you laughed. They don't know what a laugh is.

I think what your mistaking for attitude is actually feeding behavior. While feeding and for a time after feeding snakes will be in feeding mode and will strike at almost all movement.

I think there needs to be a third option. C. Some of my snakes like me some do not.
I have a girl I can cuddle with and likes to sit with me. I have two girls that hiss at me, one will then relax and cuddle the other I'm waiting for it to strike, and a boy that tries to run away. =)

"Emotions" of a snake....
1. I'm hungry
2. Can I eat it?
3. Is it going to eat me?
4. I'm scared!
5. I fell comfortable here.

Many snake owners mistake their snake being comfortable with them with love.

This is a very interesting topic and one I have seen on other forums. The thing that I dont understand is why does it matter if some people think their snakes love them. I dont have a large collection so I may not have a lot of comparison, but I do know that I have a snake that prefers me to my husband and a snake that prefers my husband to me. Do I think they love me the way I love my son or my husband or my dogs, well no. Do I think that we dont know enough about how the brain works to decide for sure. Yes. Do I think it matters in the long run if I think my snakes love me? No not really. I love them and that is what counts. Do I think that someone who believes their snake is no more than an organic machine will not take good physical care of their snake? absolutely not.

Maybe if more "nonreptile" people thought reptiles could "love" snakes and lizards, etc, would have a better reputation. Who Knows :)

Snakes don't feel emotion. They don't have complex brains like humans or other mammals do. So they really just don't care. I like to think my snakes love me, but in reality they could care less lol.

But do snake show preference over their handler? If my wife is holding Scarlett she will crawl off of her and to me if I am nearby.

Here are my thoughts, Ive only had a snake for 2 weeks but bare with me. I believe if it can show a preference of what it likes and doesnt like, and also get pissed off and annoyed which are emotions, then I can guarentee that it can love. Anger, hate, and fright are all emotions, if you can feel one then I think its safe to say you should be able to feel them all. Just my 2 cents.

This all may be true. But allI know is when my snake sees me. It comes out of hiding and climbs right up on my hand. So I dont know weather you want to to call it love or reconizing me. But it makes me feel loved! lol