I was reading a really interesting book about intelligence in nature and how if you attempt to define intelligence or emotion in any sense, you will always find that arguably every animal possesses some degree of what we would classify as intelligence or emotions. That being said, you can't deny a tegu that comes over to you and falls asleep in your lap doesn't have some kind of contentment or attachment to the interaction it has with you.
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Reptile Emotion
- Thread starter PuffDragon
- Start date
My tegu will curl up on, beside me or under my chin and sleep. but with other peple he walks around or over them to come to me. i believe that he see me as "safe". he suprises me everyday with how intelligent and inquisitive he is. i believe he has emotion. he also looks me right in the eyes which is quite intreasting. we have a mutual trust with eachother. i wont try to eat him if he dosnt try to eat me. lol
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"Unfortunately only the larger species of reptiles have the complex emotions we attribute with their intelligence. "
This is definitely not true at all. Do you have any experience with dwarf monitors? They are incredibly intelligent, despite the fact that they're small. Compare them to say a Ctenosaura Similis, and there is a huge difference in intelligence.
I like this discussion, but I don't like classifying reptiles all in the same category. Some reptiles are fairly smart. Some are not that smart at all. I think emotional capacities vary from species to species.
-Chris
This is definitely not true at all. Do you have any experience with dwarf monitors? They are incredibly intelligent, despite the fact that they're small. Compare them to say a Ctenosaura Similis, and there is a huge difference in intelligence.
I like this discussion, but I don't like classifying reptiles all in the same category. Some reptiles are fairly smart. Some are not that smart at all. I think emotional capacities vary from species to species.
-Chris
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shiftylarry said:
Large species and their subspecies? I dunno how to clarify. Blue bellies are retarded, and most small reptiles are, however subspecies of larger species are more intelligent as well. I'm yet to see an anole outsmart an exanthematicus, nor a Chihuahua outsmart a pit. I was just making a general opinion.
I don't need " Do you have any experience"
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Sorry, that probably appeared like a cheap shot, I just wanted to make the clarification that size does not somehow relate to brain mass.
Didn't mean to be rude.
-Chris
Didn't mean to be rude.
-Chris
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Sorry, I meant to say that brain mass does not relate to intelligence.
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Again... I have to apologize for being snappy... money problems and 14 hour work days to cover costs are starting to turn me into Mr. Hyde, I wish I could afford a beer.
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ApriliaRufo, if I was in the neighborhood, I'd buy you a cold one. 
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I really appreciate that bro, even just the words. It's 5 o clock and I've been at work since 5 o clock and I've got to push til 7 to make that double time money. Ugh. I bought my friend a 7$ rat, so they could breed because I'm outta feeder money. Rough times. I hate California prices.
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I here ya. San Francisco has the most expensive gas in the country! Sacramento's isn't cheap either. Keep on pushin'.
-Chris
-Chris
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Human Emotions.....lol
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Hmm.. I don't know about the size thing, either. I mean, i think my little Corn(Noodle) seems as smart as a lot of large-ish snakes. He pokes his head out from wherever he's hiding and watches me whenever i do pretty much *anything* in my room. Most snakes, even a lot of big ones, haven't seemed to me to be as interested as he is in things going on around them. I'm always a little amazed at how he acts, because people usually only attribute that kind of intelligence to the giant pythons and such.
Just the other day i was in my room taking out some mealies for my geckos and spiders, and he was watching me. Then when i went over to my little spiderling's enclosure(which is close to my corn's) and put a worm in there, i looked over toward Noodle and he had moved right up to the corner of his viv, staring straight at me. It's kind of creepy, almost. It's like he's saying "whatcha' doin'?????" And usually whenever i'm doing something and i *don't* see him watching me, i'll say something like "heyyyy snakeyyyyy. where are youuuu?"(i know they don't have ear opening.. but i think they pick up something, 'cause he definitely reponds to sound to some degree) and i'll see his head pop out of one of his boxes. It's cute.
Just the other day i was in my room taking out some mealies for my geckos and spiders, and he was watching me. Then when i went over to my little spiderling's enclosure(which is close to my corn's) and put a worm in there, i looked over toward Noodle and he had moved right up to the corner of his viv, staring straight at me. It's kind of creepy, almost. It's like he's saying "whatcha' doin'?????" And usually whenever i'm doing something and i *don't* see him watching me, i'll say something like "heyyyy snakeyyyyy. where are youuuu?"(i know they don't have ear opening.. but i think they pick up something, 'cause he definitely reponds to sound to some degree) and i'll see his head pop out of one of his boxes. It's cute.
I don't think size correlates with intelligence... I think most of the time predators are going to be more intellegent than prey animals and social animals will also be more intellegent most of the time. There are some tiny monkeys and birds out there that are probably smarter than most cows...
well I love cows and think they are smart in their own right but you get the point,
well I love cows and think they are smart in their own right but you get the point,
nat said:
I completely agree with the statement that size doesn't neccesarily correlate with intelligence (although I won't deny that it does in some cases), and i don't feel the need to list examples, as Nat already did.
I do however wish to state that I believe it is fairly hard to compare reptile intelligence with intelligence levels in other animals, as they usually show intelligence in different areas...for example, octopi (plural of octopus) have been documented solving complex problems in order to escape an enclosure, but you can't (atleast not to my knowledge) train an octopus to stay put and do tricks, whereas a dog may not be able to figure out how to get out of a complex enclosure (without the conditioning to do so) but can sit and stay and can teach itself to do a trick in order to get a treat....they can actually anticipate what you want them to do to an extent in order to get a treat (I am referring to doing new "tricks"..not just displaying old ones for a reward.)
wow, sorta got all caught up in that one....probably rambled about a bit too much, prevent one from understanding the point to all that...but oh well...
nat said:
Also, I believe that many prey species might not become as intelligent as most predator animals due not as much to there size, but moreso due to the fact that they don't really have a REASON to, well, think higher thoughts. Predators, however, have enough time and reason to, as I put in lament terms previously, "think higher thoughts". I believe that prey tend to put most of their focus towards staying alive.
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Yea I guess that's a better explanation. Prey are stupid and predators are smart. I'm trying to think of an intelligent herbivore besides iguanas and I'm not finding one. Oh and I don't think snakes are the sharpest tools in the shed either. I think they recognize us and understand we benfit them, but I don't see the wheels spinning in their heads like I do in monitors and tegus. I can see my tegus plotting. Venus will walk towards the door to be let out while Apollo pretends to sleep and then he springs to life and walks right out, I set Venus down to get Apollo and she takes off and I later find them harrassing the cat like always in the laundry room.
ApriliaRufo said:
Wow, I didn't realize that the Gu's were THAT intuitive... o.o
coolies!
I can just see your gu pretending to be a statue; waiting for your kittie to come around the corner and jumping on her! lol---my cats to that to my dogs, and I think that is entertaining....apparently I haven't seen ANYTHING yet!
I can't wait for my gu to arrive!! It sohuld be delivered SATURDAY!!!!
