When you hear the words “reptilian” or “cold-blooded”, the first thing that comes to might be a miserly politician or an uncaring boss — in other words, probably not an actual crocodile or lizard. That’s because for decades, reptiles have been characterized as cold, unfeeling, and even primitive creatures.
But scientists agree that reptiles aren’t emotionless — they’re misunderstood. Extensive research has shown that reptiles experience a wide range of emotions, and that they’re highly socially complex animals.
Yet despite a wealth of evidence demonstrating reptiles’ emotional capacity, they’ve retained a reputation for being as cold-blooded emotionally as they are internally. These misconceptions can lead to a lack of awareness for reptiles’ needs in captivity and in the wild, advocates say.
“They don't follow the same sort of rules that birds or mammals follow, and so we understand them a lot less,” says conservationist JJ Apodaca, executive director of the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy. “That just leads to us often leaving them out of important policy or conservation efforts.”
As more and more reptilian species are threatened by habitat loss, scientists and conservationists say that recognizing reptiles’ capacity for emotion can help pet owners and policymakers alike take better care of them.
