Snakes ARE affectionate

[eminart]

Originally Posted by sophiedufort

I was just reading this article yesterday. Please have a look:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/19/sc...upid.html?_r=0

Interesting. But, that's a non-peer-reviewed article about how reptiles might be a little more intelligent about how to obtain food than we previously thought. That's not our topic here. Nobody disputes that finding food is a natural behavior for reptiles.

[sophiedufort]

Originally Posted by eminart

Interesting. But, that's a non-peer-reviewed article about how reptiles might be a little more intelligent about how to obtain food than we previously thought. That's not our topic here. Nobody disputes that finding food is a natural behavior for reptiles.

I am pasting here my reply to Lady_bug's comment, as I believe it is relevant to your comment as well: "With respect, it is well known that any intelligent being is capable of emotion. Intelligence is defined as the capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, facts, meanings, etc. While this may be limited and primitive in reptiles, and by no means comparable to other species, including humans, it doesn't make it any less plausible."

[eminart]

Originally Posted by sophiedufort

I am pasting here my reply to Lady_bug's comment, as I believe it is relevant to your comment as well: "With respect, it is well known that any intelligent being is capable of emotion. Intelligence is defined as the capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, facts, meanings, etc. While this may be limited and primitive in reptiles, and by no means comparable to other species, including humans, it doesn't make it any less plausible."

So, the answer to my question is "no", you can't link to a peer-reviewed scientific article discussing findings on snakes exhibiting love.

I get what you're saying and what you want to believe. I just don't agree with you, nor does science. The article you keep posting doesn't call reptiles intelligent animals. It says they're MORE intelligent than we might have previously thought. That doesn't put them on the level of primates.

I've kept reptiles since the early 80's. Not once has one loved me. Most tolerated me, and learned to accept my presence. Some even learned that my presence sometimes benefited them, like my Testudo Kleinmanni who rushes to the front of her table when I approach, hoping greens might appear on the magic rock. But, if I died tomorrow she wouldn't feel any sense of loss. My D. couperi will sit on my lap on the couch and sniff around on me with his tongue. He's lost most of his fear of me. I'm warm. He's content to sit around and sense his environment. He'd eat me if I were 4" tall. I absolutely adore him. My hawks, which are (legally) trapped from the wild, learn within a few days to come to me for food. Within a few weeks they'll fly free and come to me from 100 yards across a field. But, they do it for their own reasons and instincts to obtain food. They follow me through the woods and fields when they could fly away. But they don't love me. They do it because they quickly adapt to the availability of easy meals. It's just conditioned response.

Anyway, I think you're way off base. Anthropomorphizing animal behavior never fails to annoy the hell out of me. But, I think you've gotten your answer. Almost no one here agrees with you (nor does science). But, you can believe what you want. We can all be friends.

[sophiedufort]

Originally Posted by eminart

Almost no one here agrees with you (nor does science). But, you can believe what you want. We can all be friends.

I don't expect agreement, this is not why I joined this forum. I value other people's opinions, although I may feel they are wrong. I probably got heated up when some members were too crude in their replies, but otherwise I'm perfectly fine with dissenting opinions. Of course, we can all be friends