Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Since many lizards (iguanas, tegus, beardies, among others) seem to enjoy being rubbed or held by their companion humans (or owner depending on ur point of view) can snakes enjoy human company/interaction. My coastal carpet python seems to like when i rub the underside of her neck. Is it just my imagination or can snakes actually feel pleasure?

btw she just came out of a perfect shed and is so f'in beautiful right now

ps, sorry for any grammar problems but i've been drinkin' tequila for the past couple of hours and so i'm more than a llittle impaired.

aristocrat silver tequila, only 10 buckes for a fifth, pefectly fits in my college student budget

(i've also posted on the carpet python forum)
-----
hAuNtEr oF fOrUmS

0.0.1 Morelia spilota mcdowelli

"I am not Charlie Brown on acid."-Bart Simpson
"I am not high."-Me

The extent to which I worry about their feelings is that I handle them in such a way to minimize myself bleeding or getting liquids squirted on me. If that's not happening, I figure they're happy enough. But I enjoy handling them, and phooey to books that say no snake should be handled more than is absolutely necessary (I've read many that do). If I wanted something to look at I'd buy bush vipers. Not that I wouldn't buy bush vipers anyway.
-----
Eryx - All the fun of a boa in a convenient pocket size!

I would attribute your perception of your python's feelings to a) tequila, b) imagination, c) combo of a and b, d) actual feelings on the part of the snake.

Actually, there's no doubt in my mind (sober or otherwise) that snakes have individual "personalities," and therefore that some accept handling in certain ways more than others - even among individuals of the same species. Whether they actually derive pleasure from certain types of handling, I doubt it. They're probably just responding favorably to the warmth of the handler's hands. Others may dispute this, perhaps for good reason, but I doubt if we'll ever know for sure until herpetopsychology becomes an established curriculum in our academic system. Ummm - or something.
-----
MichaelB

This topic came up in another Kingsnake forum and became an interesting discussion.

Here's the link:
forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=405980,405980

It actually gets to this topic at about the 3rd or 4th post.
-----
Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python
"Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa
"Gimli"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
"Indigo"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa
"Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa
"Arwen"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"