Snakes/Reptiles and their Emotions The argument

[Kyle@theHeathertoft]

My snakes (including the one I'm snake-sitting right now here) do not love me. One actively dislikes my presence. The other two do are neutral...they do not perceive me as a threat, nor am I anything that merits much attention. I'm pretty sure my Ball Python, Macchiato, views me as nothing more than the Largish Warm Perch/Branch I Sometimes Occupy That Makes Heartbeaty Sounds And Might Possibly Be A Large, Harmless Animal Of Some Kind.

And I am fine with that.

I did not get my snakes with the desire or need for them to love me, or like me, or know I exist as an entity all my own. I love THEM, and name them, and sing to them even though they can't hear me (little Neheb, the charcoal Corn Snake I'm snake-sitting for, has his own theme song now: "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...you make me happy, because you're gray...yer a snake an' can't hear me say I love you, but I sing it to you anyway!") and otherwise slather them with affection and consider it a major breakthrough when Bowline, my Pueblan Milk Snake, doesn't musk at the mere hint of my presence.

I am emotionally mature enough not to NEED my pets to love me. I love them unconditionally, and that means I require nothing more or less of them than for them to be content, comfortable and well-cared-for.

Anyone who gets a snake expecting it to love them is in for a shock, they aren't mammals and unlike a dog, who modifies it's behaviour (for good or ill) based on what it thinks it's human companion wants, my snakes will take no action to express affection...and likely can't feel affection as we know it.

However, being human, I felt an emotional response when I re-designed Macchiato's enclosure, gently set him inside it, and watched him look around, tongue-flick for two seconds, then zoom back into my hands and up my arm with a supprising ammount of speed.

I felt emotionally as if he were saying, "I like you." Intellectually, I know the truth: he was just opting for a familar perch/branch (MY ARM) than what had become an unfamilar place to be.

And, again, I'm totally okay with it being a very one-sided relationship.