# Do you think leopard geckos feel emotions?



## GothGirl (Apr 9, 2008)

This question popped up on another of my threads andd I thought I might open up a proper debate for it....

I think yes, not exactly human emotions but some semblance of it.

When squishy got mated by jaffa and was carrying her first clutch, she had a little trouble towards the end... being a bit fat and swollen she couldn't move about too well.

My male jaffa would kill food and bring it too her, he'd also bathe and she'd lick the moisture off his skin, he was very protective of her and when she finally dropped her eggs, they were both stood guard like sentrs around the laybox.

When they were seperated, another female was put in with squishy and jaffa was on his own. both pined for weeks for their mate and jaffa still lokks for her today.

I think this shows some form of emotion? love/greif maybe?

Anyone else want to add their stories.

*One very preggers gecko*








*The Happy Couple*
*







*

*Note: none of my geckos are kept on sand, this was a temporary fitting when I ran out of substrate...all my leos have lino in their vivs*


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## TnJ (Sep 25, 2008)

I would love to see how this debate goes and the reactions, as I am getting my first leo this wekkend (hopefully) and I am already thinking of getting more. So would love to know the opinions of leo owners.


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

I personally don't believe reptiles are capable of emotion, and have never seen any emotion shown from reptiles. Reptiles are capable of instinct - the instinct to protect eggs, young or a mated female is an instinct, it is passing on their genes for the continuation of the species. I think that we as an emotional species often attritbute emotions to reptiles that they don't really have the capability of feeling. 

For example,



> 1.an affective state of consciousness in which joy, sorrow, fear, hate, or the like, is experienced, as distinguished from cognitive and volitional states of consciousness. 2.any of the feelings of joy, sorrow, fear, hate, love, etc. 3.any strong agitation of the feelings actuated by experiencing love, hate, fear, etc., and usually accompanied by certain physiological changes, as increased heartbeat or respiration, and often overt manifestation, as crying or shaking.


This is what emotion is. Can reptiles really feel any of those things? Do they scientifically show the physical side effects of emotion? "fear" is described as an emotion - reptiles certainly can feel fear, but I think that this is not an emotional response but a purely instinctual reaction to danger that is genetically encouraged - without this instinct the genetics of that animal would not continue as they would not respond correctly to danger in order to survive, it's not a rational or irrational response to a feeling of fear, just a base animal reaction. I personally distinguish emotion and instinct as being quite different.

I know other people think differently, I guess its just not possible to know for sure though!


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## Sid.lola (Jan 10, 2008)

Reptiles don't have the part of the brain that controls emotion. If they didn't have the instincts that help protect their young and progress their species they'd be dead.

Humans however are very good at the personification of even inanimate objects. So projection emotion onto your pets is very understandable.


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## GothGirl (Apr 9, 2008)

Personally I think its wrong to just them to our standereds of emotion, maube we should judge it to theres?

after all they have been here a lot longer than we have, and just because they don't display emotion in the way we recognide it, doesn't mean they don't display it at all.


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## Sid.lola (Jan 10, 2008)

GothGirl said:


> Personally I think its wrong to just them to our standereds of emotion, maube we should judge it to theres?
> 
> after all they have been here a lot longer than we have, and just because they don't display emotion in the way we recognide it, doesn't mean they don't display it at all.


They display instincts, which is what our recognised "emotion" comes from so easily confused. But now we're getting into "what is emotion" (non-dictionary definition!)


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## Myo (Feb 14, 2008)

That is a crazy post! Wouldn't have thought they would look after eachother like that. My palm gecko seems to show reckognition towards me, he'll walk on to my hand if I put it in front of him but he is less likley to do this with someone else and if he does walk on to somoene else's hand he seems to take ages deciding whether or not to go for it. bringing eachother food though, that's mammal behaviour!


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## deaxone (Feb 25, 2008)

gothgirl u love a poll on leos dont ya,its all i ever see in this forum,lol
id have thought u know all there is to know about leos by now,
but yes i recon alot of animals have "emotions"but we try and humanise them too much,i think its far more instinctual with animals but im sure thay can be happy,sad,angry etc


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## Selwood24 (Sep 29, 2008)

This debate could go on forever, and so could any other debate about it, but the only normal answer is, we will never know, the same goes for any other animal, we will never really know if they have feelings or emotions, all we know is what scientists and people say, which is just an edjucated guess, and thats all it will ever be.

Because its not like we can talk to animals and ask them is it.


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## R0NST3R (Nov 28, 2007)

P personally think they do have emotions. I have cooled one of my females down at the moment because the male seemd to be pining for her and stopped eating. I put him back in with her and he started eating again and was more active.


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## Marinam2 (Sep 4, 2007)

I too believe that certain pets can greive, dogs have been shown to truly miss owners that have died or fellow pack members but i do not believe that reptiles are capable of much of anything over basic survival instincts.

Marina


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## Tina (Apr 9, 2007)

Stay on topic please folks... some posts have been deleted already.


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## GothGirl (Apr 9, 2008)

Tina said:


> Stay on topic please folks... some posts have been deleted already.


Oh hell, let em have their say, I'm a tough girl I can take it :lol2:


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## GothGirl (Apr 9, 2008)

I'm looking to study this in further detail, its one of my favourite subjects, I'm starting my hons. next year on animal behaviour and will be doing my dissertation on leopard gecko behaviour 

Can't wait:flrt:


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

here is my view

they dont have transient emotions..

but they do have behavioural ones..

now what is it i mean by this..


HUMAN REPTILE

Happy Satisfied
Unhappy Dis-satisfied
Excited Stimulated
Bored Non Stimulated
Love Connection
Hate Fear



and so on

I do think that animals can pine the loss of a cage mate IF they were used to them due to lack of stimulation i dont believe a reptile MISSES company though if they have never had it


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