Do you think your snakes can be affectionate? - Page 2

marisa · 02-08-03, 11:41 PM

other thoughts are when you think of "love" actual love and what it means it becomes clear that snakes aren't capable of it.

Dictionary.com Definition of Love:
n.
A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.
A feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person with whom one is disposed to make a pair; the emotion of sex and romance.

Sexual passion.
Sexual intercourse.
A love affair.
An intense emotional attachment, as for a pet or treasured object.
A person who is the object of deep or intense affection or attraction; beloved. Often used as a term of endearment.
An expression of one's affection: Send him my love.

A strong predilection or enthusiasm: a love of language.
The object of such an enthusiasm: The outdoors is her greatest love.

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I don't think a snake can express a deep intense affection, or an emotional attachment. I believe its because a snake is made to hunt its food, live alone in the wild and generally have to survive love doesn't come into play. It doesn't have to depend on anyone (from its point of view), it doesn't need a person to keep it warm (again from the snakes view) and it doesn't have a reason to feel attachment to anything. I would think other behaviours would be evident if these things were going on. This is a good discussion though.

Marisa

Tim_Cranwill · 02-09-03, 12:36 AM

Yeah, great discussion. It kinda makes me think though. Look at what people thought 100 years ago. We've all seen what stupid ideas people had about exercise back in the day. Maybe someone will make some big discovery about how much our reptiles love or hate us

You never really know. Even when you think you do

royal · 02-09-03, 03:09 PM

Cranwill wrote something that makes just as much sense as anyone else's post...."look at what people thought 100 years back"... Well for that matter look at 1000 years and more(caveman days etc).

I think that love is a little stretched, but an attraction.. kindof like a crush or maybe a bond like that of best friends.
I think that It could be possible for snakes to get used to and almost look forward to seeing/touching/or smelling their owners who are good to them. In my opinion there are other feelings, not love but close to it, that come in the way of comfortness and a feeling of security..... like what young teens feel with their first girlfriends?

My opinion anyway.

krrc · 02-09-03, 08:48 PM

first of all good topic. if I was to say any animal felt love or something like it tord a human it would be a dog or a bird (smart one) a reptile as everyone has pointed out have not lived in the wild in a way that would make them have a need for these fellings. I do belive that they will find safety with you and warmth. they will trust you. so I think thats good. although after 10,000 years of being in captivity who knows what they will be like then!

Jeromerules · 02-10-03, 04:06 AM

Snakes will Take over the world. JK. this topic is really good. But I think humans will never really know exactly what animals feel. Ever. Unless animals learn how to speak freely and tell us there feelings. As for now though since our pets can't speak, all that matters is that we lover our babies.
Out

ReptiZone · 02-10-03, 04:56 AM

us humans have a verry bad habit of associating human fealings with animal behavior. Just because your C.B burmese python that you saw hatch and have worked with for 30min a day for 10 years dosent bite you dos'nt mean it loves you.
I have said it before and I will say it again snakes are routine animals they watch you every day when you do your daily chours in there cage heck what more do you wnat them to do. If you take your snake out every day for 30 min after you clean the cage or change the water. Ya they can get used to being handeld and maby enjoy the exerciese but they dont go to the glase because they love you they know you will take them out and to them it is just another chance to escape there enclosure. For the fact of having them curling up on a persons lap as a sign of affection.....no way my snakes in the past have alwase curled up un MY lap but if a GIRL should hapen to take her she go's right down her shirt never fails. That is a extreamly warm place for a snake on guys it s the arm pits and lap area. the hole idea of your snake (freaking out) when someone is holding it other than you is also false you have worked with this snake for X amount of years you have your way of handeling it not every one can duplicate your ways so it is not acording to the snakes routine yes they can tell if it is the same persone or not just by the way things are being done. why do you think W.C snakes are so angery all the time it is not acording to there routine.

that is my theory anywase

Chondro Python

ReptiZone · 02-10-03, 04:58 AM

p.s i yoused a burm as a exampel

Dom · 02-10-03, 08:22 AM

No matter how much u love em' --- They will never love you back...

I have learned to accept it!

J_Riley · 02-10-03, 09:40 AM

anthropomorphism - Attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena.

BILLP · 02-10-03, 11:20 AM

good topic. here is my two cents! I think they become used to us, our smell our touch and maybe even know that we are a source of food. I don't really think that they can love or hate us I don't think either one of those emotions are useful to a snake. Also we are trying to apply human emotions to an animal, I mean who knows what any animal thinks even a dog, we don't know if it loves us back, we think it does. But maybe dogs don't have that emotion it might be security or comforet that make a dog act the way it does to us.

josefg · 02-10-03, 03:13 PM

This is a story I found in a book published in 1897 calles Animals' Ways and Claims by Edith Carrington. The comments in the brackets are mine.....

An Affectionate Serpent
"A story of affection on the part of a boa constrictor is told by Professor Romanes. The boa lived in London, in his master's house, and was as tame and gentle as a house cat. The splendid serpent would twine his velvet folds around his mistress and push his head up her sleeve expecting to be patted. The children played with him, and would kiss his mouth, pushing aside the forked tongue with which he tried at the same time to lick their faces (LMAO)

"Once his friends went away for a while, and were forced to leave him in charge of a keeper at the Zoo. The poor reptile moped, pined, and slept all day; but instantly became very lively and showed intense delight when his friends came back. His end was sad (this is the most hilarious part), for he died of grief at the sudden illness of his master. While the wife went to fetch a doctor, the serpet, not liking to be alone, crept up into the room where his master was lying (apparently the snakes was allowed to roam in the house), and finding him lie so silent and still, the shock broke his heart. When his mistress came home she found the faithful serpent streched beside his sick master, dead"

Well I don't really beleive this story but I think that snakes tend to feel more secure when they are handled by someone they recognize (because of the person's scent). I think this because one of my corn seems to be confortable while I am handling him but seems quite unconfortable when someone else is handling him.... (well it may be just an illusion of an overproud parent

)

OttawaChris · 02-10-03, 03:36 PM

As much as we would all wish to know our pets love us I am just not sure it is possible. I have learned to think of it this way for an animal... trust=love.

When a lizard, snake, tarantula, or any other "wild" pet tolerates you and no longer shows any fear when you are interacting with it I think it trusts you. It knows you mean it no harm and that you are a nice warm place to sit for a while.

Arguments can be made though, using my leopard gecko for an example. If I put my hand down on the ground she climbs up and sits in my palm. I run the back of her head and she seems to enjoy it (almost the same effect as when you scratch a cat on the head)

The same goes for beardies. It seems to feel good to them when you give a chin rub or a head scratch (probably because you are helping to shed lol)

In any case, I always feel honoured and priveledged to be accepted by a wild animal... because we all know that the human species sure doesn't deserve any kindness from the animal kingdom after all we have done to them.

Lizzy001 · 02-10-03, 03:43 PM

yeah i think it is possible........

Nanashi04 · 02-11-03, 11:57 AM

It's always nice to believe

eyespy · 02-11-03, 12:18 PM

I don't think they are affectionate, but they can come to enjoy the warmth of my hands and the opportunity to stretch out and get a little exercise.

My definition of a sweet snake is one that doesn't tag me, poop or musk, or try to bolt. So most snakes make me pretty happy once they are used to me, and I feel affection for them. That's the most important thing, anyhow. As long as they are not showing signs of stress or defensive posturing, who can really tell what reptiles are thinking?

Except my iguanas, of course. I know what they are thinking, "Serve me, slave!"