does my snake love me?

[chezza]

right. this might seem like an odd question but i gotta ask people.. ive often heard that snakes have no emotion.. and know we will never be able to call em and play fetch like a dog.. BUT... i kinda believe they must feel SOMETHING.. for example, my royal python.. if i go up to his tank, he moves towards the window and stands up.. almost as if asking to come out.. i will take him out and he will sit on me for ages without trying to escape.. he also wraps himself round my neck and rubs his face on my cheek.. if he is on the floor, he will turn his head and follow my movements.. when i have been sitting down and he is on the floor, he has moved straight towards me, and moved up my leg and stayed there.. i might come across as mad but seriously, this is how he acts.. does any one else have a snake like this? of course id like to believe he loves me ha ha! he is actually such a lovely snake.

[Lankyrob]

There are quite a few discussions on here regarding perceived emotions in snakes. Personally i don't believe they love - he may like being on you cos he likes warmth etc - there are survival reasons to explain most actions of snakes.

Just like to say tho - you really shouldn't have any snakes around your neck - it takes hardly anything to make someone unconscious using pressure points in the neck - if the snakes catches one of these points even if it is not intending to constrict you would be unconscious before you were aware what was happening - who knows what would happen to the snake with you unconscious on the floor - it may panic and constrict, you going limp may trigger feeding constriction or it could just escape. i would hate to see anything bad happen to you or your snake.

[infernalis]

Scientific data has shown that reptiles lack the cerebral capacity to feel attachments.

However first hand encounters such as your own have also shown that reptiles can and do find a "comfort zone" meaning that some animals will become so used to their caretakers it can grant the "Illusion of love"

I personally keep anywheres from 70 to several hundred snakes in my collection (Counting all the babies in the spring, we had over 400 in the house in the spring of 2009) and out of all those snakes only three ever behaved as if they would rather be held than put down.

One of them eventually grew old and died, I was a mess.. Another is still to this day one of my favorite snakes ever.

This summer I caught a huge female garter snake in my back garden and she is a sweetheart also, she is so content being held that she puts up a fuss when I put her back in the cage.

Is it love? no. she simply does not feel threatened by me, so I am a tree, a heat rock and a hiding spot (she goes up my shirt then coils up and falls asleep) all in one place.

[Tman38]

hiya , my red tail boa acts just like u say around me too . I have only had her a few months but from the beggining she has been so friendly she loves being out and doesnt like going in, she will sit with me and kiss my nose as soon as i get her out everytime. I do believe they have some sort of attatchment too u other than heat so i dont think ure mad because that would make me mad too lol

[Lankyrob]

Snakes carry salmonella bacteria, kissing them or having them that close to your face is fairly risky.

[infernalis]

I think Tman38 is talking about tongue flicking on the nose.

That is the snakes equivalent of a dog sticking it face in your bum.

It's not kissing, it's sniffing.

[Lankyrob]

Oops, sorry, i read owner kissing snake not other way around.

[Tman38]

Lol yeh she just licks my nose its cute although sometimes it would b nice to just give her a quick kiss on the head I don't fancy getting ill lol. Cheers rob for ure consern

[Lankyrob]

I try not to offend but my two things that bug me are owners kissing snakes and owners having them round their necks. I would hate for anyone to become ill or injured, or worse, because of something i love so much.

[Tman38]

I understand mate, I did wonder because I've seen lots of videos on you tube of ppl putting a fully grown boa around there neck and surely if they feel like there gonna fall then they will constrict and then its game over . Fortunatly mines to small to put round my kneck really but even when she's bigger I wouldn't dream of it, u can never be too safe accidents happen

[Lankyrob]

It can literally take milliseconds to black out with some pressure points, even martial artists can't resist them and they train all their lifes.

[Tman38]

Sorry I should of made it more obvious that I know that the snake isn't actually kissing me but it doesn't stop me wanting to believe that she likes my company it makes being a reptile owner more fun and rewarding . I have a bearded dragon a scorpion a prayin mantis and a boa all within the last couple months and definantly many more to come , they all seem to enjoy being handled although I'm sure I will come across some that dont

[Michael Roth]

All snakes do is get used to you feeding them :> Perhaps even tolerating being handled... while some's curious nature may lead us to believe they enjoy our company, it is unlikely.

That being said, I am content to be tolerated by a captive species :>

[Nafun]

I don't know if snakes can love, but I only have to spend 5 minutes with my jcp to know beyond all doubt that they can hate!

As for salmonella, all egg laying species carry it. It's just used as a reptile bogeyman. People let their parrots kiss them all the time without worrying that they may end up with salmonella.

Sure, you could catch salmonella from handling a snake. Or eating an egg mcmuffin. Or eating raw cookie dough. When I consider the risks I take on a daily basis just by getting behind the wheel of my car, it makes me rather unconcerned about the risks of letting my snakes hide in my beard.

[amber_lynn]

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

Snakes carry salmonella bacteria, kissing them or having them that close to your face is fairly risky.

this is trure but u are more likely to get it from something you eat...just sayin