Do leo's like to be held? Or just tolerate it?

[endrien]

I've heard very mixed opinions on this and it has me wondering what the real answer is. Obviously we can't actually tell as reptiles cannot speak but from what I've seen, some do seem to enjoy being held and others would rather be dead than be held.
What are you opinions on this?

 

[ElapidSVT]

reptile brains are incapable of human emotions like 'joy'.

 

[PaladinGirl]

Wow I'm the only one so far who voted that they like it! LOL! It sure seems like mine likes it when she scurries up my arm every time I put my hand in there. I don't know.

 

[drblack2013]

reptile brains are incapable of human emotions like 'joy'.

While this is probably true, it doesn't mean there aren't things geckos enjoy doing. They have innate mechanisms to do the things they need to survive, but domesticating animals changes them. I hardly believe a leo in the wild would welcome a human visitor into the room with them or even allow them to touch them.

 

[M_surinamensis]

They have innate mechanisms to do the things they need to survive, but domesticating animals changes them.

I am pleased by this opportunity to repeat one of my favorite quotes.

"Genes, like Leibniz's monads, have no windows; the higher properties of life are emergent... And once assembled, organisms have no windows." -E.O. Wilson

Although calling leopard geckos "domesticated" is a stretch.

 

[houseb]

Wow I'm the only one so far who voted that they like it! LOL! It sure seems like mine likes it when she scurries up my arm every time I put my hand in there. I don't know.

I'm totally with you, mine does the same thing! Grats on the new fat tail addition

 

[PaladinGirl]

Like, leos must have some sort of emotion or feeling or whatever you want to call it, or wouldn't they just sit there completely unresponsive? I realize that as animals of limitted brain capacity, they are mostly driven by instinct. There's been a lot of stuff on this forum about people anthropomorphizing their leos. Some scoff at the idea, others swear it's true. I don't know. Maybe that's the case. We want to believe it, we want to apply human emotion to them because it helps us bond with them and relate to them. When I watch my leo, she seems to experience "emotions"....She seems scared when there's a loud noise, she seems excited when she sees bugs moving, she seems curious when I talk to her--she even comes out and looks up at me and tries to climb the glass to get to me. And it doesn't always seem related to food because there will be plenty in there. I don't know how to explain these things.

 

[im faster]

IMO,

I cant say they like it.
i think SOME prefer being on you more they do in a cage.

I have many that go insane when being held. i have some that are totally indifferent.

I dont think that they have any emotions even on the level of a dog or a cat.

It would be pretty cool if they did. but i just dont think they are that complex of a animal.

 

[SDCowboy]

I think they tolerate it. I don't think they recognize that they are even being "held" or have the same emotions towards human interaction that a cat or dog has.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

I have a few geckos that actually like being handled, but otherwise I think they just tolerate it. We tend to impose human emotions on our geckos which they do not possess. They are reptiles, even though they exhibit rudimentary instinctive 'emotions' such as fear and contentment, their neurological systems are not so sophisticated that they express happiness or affection. It's hard not to think they do... after all, leopard geckos always seem to have a smile on their faces!

 

[PaladinGirl]

It's hard not to think they do... after all, leopard geckos always seem to have a smile on their faces!

Yes, it's almost like they have little emoticon faces

 

[Blazebabe]

Wow I'm the only one so far who voted that they like it! LOL! It sure seems like mine likes it when she scurries up my arm every time I put my hand in there. I don't know.

Well i've voted they like it, we don't know for definite but like yourself Blaze always seems comfortable when i stroke her head and body and she loves crawling over me.