can a python tell whos its owner is?

[NightLad]

With the high number of people saying their snakey recognizes them and only wants to be held by them, and start to attribute that to something more than it is... I would say this thread is verging on the same line as the "does my snake love me".

I agree it is close and the line can be blurred. I suppose it largely depends on how the individual reads the question.

I find that most, if not all people that anthropomorphize on the "returning of feelings" are the same ones that buy their snakes a friend, or hold constantly or let the animal roam around because the snake wants to "play".

Would that not also depend on the extent of the feelings the person believes their animal is capable of returning? If a person truly believes that their animal can feel the full range of human emotions, than I can see your point.

However, if the person simply holds a great deal of respect for the animal, than I feel that they would more likely to want the best stress-free living conditions on the animals terms. That includes not leaping to humanize the animals every response and action.

I agree that ‘humanizing’ can be detrimental to the animal when taken to extremes by otherwise well-meaning people. Look at pictures of dogs dressed up like babies and pushed around in baby strollers. You can't tell me that isn't a form of abuse!

I too find it sad when we humans have to push our emotions on ANY animal we keep. Dogs, cats, fish, rats and snakes... it never fails. There will always be that person that really believes their animal loves them unconditionally.
That's a load of crock.

As I mentioned on the "does my animal love me" thread, I don't know what level of emotions my snake is capable of feeling. I don't even know if its range of emotions can be equated to a humans, or if they are on such a different level that the titles we've constructed to describe our own would even apply to theirs. However, I'm not willing to completely dismiss an animal’s capacity to feel... something. There have been far too many cases of animals going above and beyond anything we'd normally consider being 'in their nature' for the welfare of their owners. I chose to believe (and it is a personal belief) that there might be something more and we presently understand.

Yet while I hold that belief, I will never dress Salzedo up in a little costume…. although I do reserve the right to speak to him in a baby-voice and to sing the 'Its Mice Day!" song prior to feeding!