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There is much debate on this subject actually but let's analyze the facts.

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The jury is still somewhat out on this one but many professionals believe that most reptiles are not capable of loving their human although many of them DO recognize the person that handles and feeds them most often. Reptiles are capable of emotion but mainly what is displayed is fear and aggression. However, many reptiles will visibly enjoy being petted or stroked. But does this really mean they love you or just like the sensation? I enjoy having my back scratched and that action would still feel good even if I didn't love the person doing it.

Certain reptiles do seem to like some people more than others. This is said to be especially true with iguanas. Iguanas have very unique personalities and it is actually very rare for an iguana to be social with strangers. They also may be aggressive with one person and laid back when being handled by another which makes it clear they have preferences when it comes to people.

It is believed that snakes, for example, simply lack the ability to feel complex emotions due to their cerebral capacity. They do have primitive emotions like fear and aggression but obviously those are necessary from an evolutionary stand-point. Those basic, primitive "emotions" benefit them. Sometimes snakes will return to a person and seem to like being near them and touching them but this is thought to simply be because they like the warmth.

The fact that snakes don't attack their owners is not really proof that they like them it is simply proof that starting random finds with non threatening beings is not evolutionary viable. Starting random fights would lead them to die and get infections in the wild. Snakes attack when they feel threatened and generally after giving a warning. Or else, they attack for food.

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My Reptiles Shows That They Love Me.

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I enjoy asking people who own reptiles for their input but so far have not received any feedback that indicates love but more so people misinterpreting the actions of their snakes as love. I told one of my friends I was writing this blog and he told me that one of his snakes loves him and so I asked what makes him feel this way. He told me that she will try to get away from other people and come back to him and then wraps around him more tightly when she gets back to him. This to me indicates that she is more fearful of strangers than his other snakes. As I mentioned earlier, snakes ARE capable of recognizing their handler so she could definitely feel more safe with him and more threatened by strangers but obviously someone who adores their reptiles is going to want to feel like their pet loves them back.

However, like iguanas some types of turtles are said to prefer some people over others. But could this be due to something else? Scent? The way one person handles them? Is it really love or is it still just a biological reaction? A primitive response for survival? I am not sure anyone has the definitive answer to this question but based on studying the brains of reptiles it seems to reason that they are not capable of complex emotions like love even if we want them to love us back.

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I mean reptiles certainly can appear to be affectionate.

To be honest, the jury is still out on this one, even among scientists...

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This is a quote from a scientist featured in the animal behavior site listed in the sources at the end of this blog and it pretty much sums up where we are as far as understanding reptiles and emotion:

"Like others have already said, it is still unclear whether ophidians can form emotional attachment as the evidence is not conclusive. The vast majority of studies on neurobiology and on the neural mechanisms of behaviour has been done in mammals (and within mammals, these studies are mainly done in rodents, like mice and rats, which are the most commonly used mammals in laboratories).
But there is still a lot we don’t know about these mechanisms and neural pathways in other groups like reptiles and it is entirely possible that the neurotransmitters and hormones in other species are not identical to those in mammals. This is an “open” question in science and we really do need to do more research to investigate these kinds of things, because it’s very interesting."

Don't let this information stop you from adopting a lovable reptile and keep in mind that many pet owners disagree and feel their reptiles show them affection. Does it really matter if it's true love? If you love reptiles and they provide you with cuddles, isn't that enough? Reptiles are beautiful, fascinating creatures. Just make sure you know how to properly care for one if you decide to adopt one and consider not getting them from a pet store. Many people want to get rid of their reptile pets when they realize they are not equipped to care for them so check places like craigslist.

Read more about reptiles from these sources I used so you can make you own decision:

sources: http://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk/reptile-emotions
https://animalj14.imascientist.org.uk/2014/06/19/do-ophidians-feel-any-emotional-attachment/
https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/19502/what-emotions-can-a-snake-feel

All images from pixabay.