I personally don't believe that snakes "show affection". I think affection is something that animals that care for their young might exhibit. After all, somthing has to keep them from killing them- not the most pleasant thought but pretty much true. I've been keeping snakes for 15 years, and that does not make me an expert of any sort, but it does mean that I've observed a lot of behaviour from various types of snakes. I've had some snakes that did everything they could to avoid being handled and others that didn't seem to mind so much. I don't think any of my snakes really enjoys me touching them, though some do become more active and explore when out of the cage (I'm just the warm thing they're sitting on). Most of my snakes do look at me and the conditioned response is pretty much "do you have my dinner?". If you're looking for affection- snakes aren't the pet to get it from. Stick with mammals or birds for that. Of course, people interpret things in a lot of different ways. Someone else might think when their snake is tasting their skin (with a tongue flick) that the snake is showing affection. I'm just glad I don't smell like a rat!

Lora

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