I honestly don't want to get into a back and forth about this, so will just say that the science claiming that snakes lack the brain structures to experience emotions is very outdated, and has been effectively debunked for almost a decade. This happened once we had improved technology, beginning with really stunning research from the Max Planck institute utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing.
We now know that vertebrates including snakes possess neural structures that have been demonstrated to share functionality with the structures contributing to emotional states in humans. The current research shows that even though the reptile brain is structurally somewhat different (not hugely so) from the mammalian brain, multiple areas of the reptilian brain share functionality with mammalian brain structures, including the functionality found in the most advanced structures of the mammalian brain that are associated with processing emotion. This is a level of functionality previously assumed to be nonexistent in reptiles.
Physiologically we now know that reptiles not only have the capacity to experience emotions, but also to regulate emotions, demonstrate impulse control, and engage in complex learning.
Could you post a couple links to such research? I'd be really interested to learn more.
Originally Posted by Caitlin
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