I think my snake loves me

[Jay_Bunny]

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.

[blackcrystal22]

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

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.

[Arsinoe]

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.

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!

[Jay_Bunny]

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".

[BOWSER11788]

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

[Arsinoe]

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

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.

[rabernet]

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.

'

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.

[Arsinoe]

'

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.

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?

[rabernet]

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?

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.

[dr del]

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.

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.

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