Do Reptiles have feelings Debate v1.0

[razeraze]

Originally Posted by Hairless

Last two sentences: According to some breeders of boa constrictors, some mothers will defend their young as long as the babied stay at the nest site...many hour or days. They will also try to hide their young using their bodies as visual blockers. Occidentalis for one example.

But this is in limited space the observations in the wild are not so. Perhaps we are misreading these observations because we are inhibiting the female to leave her young hence changing the out come of the observation.
All reptiles protect their nests and nest sites but after hatching they usually move on except (to my knowledge) crocodilians which will protect and recognize there young for 3 months or more.

[Hairless]

Originally Posted by razeraze

But this is in limited space the observations in the wild are not so. Perhaps we are misreading these observations because we are inhibiting the female to leave her young hence changing the out come of the observation.
All reptiles protect their nests and nest sites but after hatching they usually move on except (to my knowledge) crocodilians which will protect and recognize there young for 3 months or more.

So...let me see if I'm hearing you correctly.

Because of limited space, Occidentalis (and others) will change their behavior and suddenly start to defend their young until the young leave the nest? I find this hard to grasp given their tiny brain.

What about pythons. Does their incubation and defensive behavior while incubating differ from crocodilians that much?

[razeraze]

Originally Posted by Hairless

So...let me see if I'm hearing you correctly.
Because of limited space, Occidentalis (and others) will change their behavior and suddenly start to defend their young until the young leave the nest? I find this hard to grasp given their tiny brain.
What about pythons. Does their incubation and defensive behavior while incubating differ from crocodilians that much?

I am saying they could still feel they are defending the nest site or their own territory, we can not assume they are defending their young when in the wild they would leave them. Yes, they defend eggs but that is the end of their maternal instinct unlike crocodiles with their larger more advanced brains who actually take their young to water and protect them for 3 or more months (rivaling many birds).

[Hairless]

Originally Posted by razeraze

I am saying they could still feel they are defending the nest site or their own territory, we can not assume they are defending their young when in the wild they would leave them. Yes, they defend eggs but that is the end of their maternal instinct unlike crocodiles with their larger more advanced brains who actually take their young to water and protect them for 3 or more months (rivaling many birds).

I have never seen evidence that Occidentalis leaves their young after birth in the wild.

When you say "The closest reptile love is maternal instinct after birth and that is only found in the species of reptiles with frontal lobes. Possibly the most intelligent species of reptile and certainly not snakes."; you're using the length of time they show protective behavior to draw the line? Or you believe none of the boas defend their young at the nest site in the wild.

[razeraze]

I am using the length of time. All reptiles provide the basic care for their eggs and young but it usually does not last more than a day or at most a week, crocodiles are different. They show much more than basic nest guarding.

[razeraze]

That second sentence should say most protect their eggs, I am fairly certain many species of turtles do not guard their nests.