does my boa love me

[SherriX2]

Chance is all coiled up,chilling out.I stopped to look at him and he saw me,raised his head and looked at me! then he put his head back down.it was cute

or he was looking at me saying......dont mist me!! I have been misting him a few times a day.When I do mist him, sometimes I see him "licking" the water off his skin sometimes he'll push his head into himself and I see his mouth moving.The 1st I saw this,I put him in his water bowl but he climbed right back out!

Whats your thoughts?

[stu]

Mine does the same thing. If he's in one of the hides, his head is generally at the entrance and he'll look up and kind of tilt his head to one side. If he's already out cruising around, he'll stop moving and then look straight at me and flicker his tongue. Also, when I go to remove the top to take him out, he zooms up to the top of the cage and can't wait to squeeze his head out to come and play.

[SherriX2]

Thats so cool! I hope Chance does that to me too!

[BlackLava]

haha, thats cute!! mine lift their heads up to look at me when i open their cages, and when they smell their food coming

[HARTSOCK]

Here is the train of thought on this subject and can be found in many threads on here, which usually end up being closed due to fighting and name calling or they end up moved to the debate threads....

Snakes and other reptile's brains are too small and not complex enough to feel or understand emotions such as love/hate. They react out of need or instinct. We are the ones who equate emotions to them. However, they do associate certain things together, much like Pavlov's Dog (not sure if I spelled that right) So snakey sees human opening cage, snakey knows either food or get out time. It will be said that they aren't showing affection but doing what is instinctual.

Now IMO, that is a load of hogwash. They might not experience love the same way we feel it, but I believe an owner/snake can and do make connections that could be called love. Boaz would come out and explore the room, but anytime he was ever startled or sensed danger (cat), he came slithering back to me in no time. He could be across the room and if something startled him, he would pass my daughters or others and come to me and even climbed my legs once. He recognized me as a place of safety and refuge. Could be called instinct of him just going to where it was safe, but personally, I think he and I had a connection. Just because they might not show love the way we think they should, I believe they can be capable of it, at least as much as a snake can be.

	In My Opinon IMO = In My Opinion and IMHO = In My Honest Opinion

[louise]

i am positive my snakes know me and care about me in their own snake way. i know they feel the love i send their way. does that make me think they will never attack me...no cause i know they are wild animals and they always will be.

[louise]

on a side note...i am 99.99999999999% positive chance would never hurt me.

[BlackLava]

i also think they might show some type of snakie affection, in their own way. they show you that they feel safe with you, i think.... but i dont wanna be the one to start a flame war or debate