I was in this reptile chat-room earlier and this woman said that it is impossible to have a companionship with your reptiles because they do not love or hate.. They simply tolerate you. I strongly disagree. What do all of you others think?

I agree with you, my Bearded Dragons love to cuddle.

I don't know if I would say that they love or hate, but mine seem to do more than just tolerate. And you can have companionship without love... Companions just enjoy being together. I am pretty sure that all the reptiles I have ever owned have shown some form of enjoying my company. Even if it was something as simple as coming to the side of the tank where I am standing.

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I know that if I don't handle some of my whites tree frogs, they bombard me when I open the enclosure. If they like me or like being out, I don't know. They DO know that I'm the person who brings the crickets!

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

I love my animals. ALL OF THEM. Even my brand new uro. A bond is a bond. The lady just made me really mad because she said that you can tend and spend as much time you want with your reptile but the fact of the matter is, you can disappear, not come back and it wouldn't even phase your reptile. That is ignorant of her!

I think that as long as someone is providing my pets with proper care they wouldn't be phased if I fell off of the face of the earth.
They don't appreciate me, they appreciate being fed or let out or getting other necessary care.

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Those who say it can't be done should get out of the way of those who are doing it.

~*~Lacey~*~

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There are different levels of intelligence in the reptile world as well. So it would be safe to say that different species would have different reactions to human contact.
Monitors are said to be one of the most intelligent lizards, and many Savannah owners seem to have great success with theirs.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

It even varies between frogs. My whites jump ON me, while my Pacman wants nothing to do with me and wants to get away. Same with the red eyes and fire bellies.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

Ya I agree with kriminaal, it depends on the reptile and I also think it has to do with the amount of trust between you and your herp. I do think there is not some kind of bond but not as strong as one mammals or birds would have but like they know your feed then, give them what they need, offer what they enjoy, and offer them protection.

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"Reality is wrong, Dreams are for real"
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0.2.1 Leopard Geckos
0.1.0 Corn Snake
0.2.0 Green Frogs
0.0.1 Eastern Garter Snake

You can have companionship with your reptiles, but you have to understand that it's a lot different than what you'd have with a dog or cat. Reptiles really don't have the propensity for bonding with a person. They just don't have emotions like love or hate as we define them. They react a certain way when they are cold, hungry, afraid or satisfied. Often we give these reactions human emotions.

For instance, a cold reptile will curl up against a person for body heat. That person may then say that the reptile loves them because they always come right to them and snuggle. The reality is, though, that they're looking for protection or warmth.

*However,* we can certainly still look to our reptiles for companionship. They may not be able to feel love in that sense, but we can. So we can love our reptiles and enjoy them, and feel better because they are there. Understanding what makes them tick just helps us to respond to them better. In turn, we get even more comfort from them.

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