Do Reptiles have feelings Debate v1.0

[Stargazer]

Well, we all tolerate you.....(just kidding)

Sure, tolerance can reflect an emotion. If I tried to tie scarves and coconut shells on my snakes, they would probably rip my face off!

[RevMojo]

Jokes and whatnot aside, can anyone describe behaviors that demonstrate any level of emotion? I gave the example of my BD earlier, but most specifically, he paces the cage quickly, centering on the area where I typically drop his crickets. This is not a behavior he exhibits for other food sources, i.e. vegetables.

[Stargazer]

Well, why do snakes like to lay their little heads together or on top of each other if they don't have some affection for each other? I don't think the face contact is necessary for mating, but seems like they like to do it anyway.

[TammyJamaica]

Originally Posted by RevMojo

My beardie exhibits behaviors that could almost be described as happiness when he can see a bag of crickets in my hand. It's certainly excitement beyond the raised level of awareness associated with hunting prey. Does he like me? I doubt it. Love? Absolutely not.
Turtles? I don't know...I've leave that to someone else.
Snakes? I think snakes are too dumb for emotions. Simple is probably a better word. They don't need any sort of social structure in nature beyond warning off potential predators (and I'd call fear more of an instinct than an emotion), and never needed to develop emotions like other creatures with more complex social structures. Eat, sleep, repeat. Procreate as needed. No emotion needed. Sorry, but I don't think a snake is capable of love, or even like. The good news for those of you that keep getting bit...your snake doesn't hate you either.

Turtles feel fear, blind panic, relaxation (comfort) and lust. No curiosity that I have ever noticed. Lizards have curiosity and they have a kind of memory, a memory of being stroked and soothed. When Clover (my green iguana) sees me coming in the morning she knows I am going to handle and stroke her and she raises her head and closes her eyes in anticipation of this. I never let her down! When Iggy sees me coming he backs off and starts to hiss and toss his head. Vive le difference! As for snakes, I think the only emotion they have is fear, a defense asset. They are comfortable in a situation where there is a lack of any perceived threat.

[TammyJamaica]

Originally Posted by Bluzmn59

I tend to agree that snakes do not have emotion. I will not speak of other reptiles. I believe a snake that is handled often will develop a comfort level with that person, but it is probably no more than the comfort they develop by being in their own cage vs. sitting in a Rubbermaid during cage cleaning. I know that my RTB that I had for his whole life will often try to get away from my wife or someone else handling him and stretch toward me. I do not attribute that to love or emotion, it is because I am the one that always handles him, feeds him, changes water, etc., and he is likely more comfortable with my presence.

He knows your smell.

[RevMojo]

Originally Posted by Stargazer

Well, why do snakes like to lay their little heads together or on top of each other if they don't have some affection for each other? I don't think the face contact is necessary for mating, but seems like they like to do it anyway.

You say they "like" to do it twice, but what do you base that on? I've seen people who kept 3 boas together in the same double decker cage, and the heads just end up where they end up as the snakes all tried to get to the warm spot. I don't see that a snake's head up ending up on another snake's head has anything to do with anything besides that's where it landed.

[morti]

Originally Posted by Stargazer

Well, why do snakes like to lay their little heads together or on top of each other if they don't have some affection for each other? I don't think the face contact is necessary for mating, but seems like they like to do it anyway.

I have witnessed male boas push the female's heads down during breeding. I suspect it's a mating/dominance thing. That would be an instinctual behavior and not an emotional one.

Every behavior I have witnessed in snakes, I can attribute to instinct. I can usually point to a cause. I have never witnessed anything that would lead me to believe that any behavior I have witnessed is based on any emotion.

I am not a huge fan of anthropomorphizing reptiles. While it may be a nice, sweet thought that your boa loves you, that has no bearing on my interest in them. If you want a pet that loves you, get a puppy.