Why do people connect so strongly with reptiles?

Summary

Why do people connect so strongly with reptiles?
We interviewed keepers to find out.

It could be a connection with nature, an affinity with the 'unloved', the calm that they bring, or the urge to learn about these fascinating animals.

Why do you love reptiles?

Thanks to

Angus, Wayne, Lincoln, Ellie, Amber, Lewis, Gav, IHS.

Transcript

Why do you think that some people connect so strongly with reptiles?

I find them very fascinating, and I also love the attention at school, say. So when I'm at school and like, “Oh my God, you've got a pet snake”. And I'm like, “Yeah”. And they're like, “Wow, that's so cool”. And they're just interesting to like feed and stuff and just see what they do.

It just connects me to nature and gives me a view of the natural world I didn't have when I didn't keep reptiles. You start to see the world in a different way.

I think a lot of that is connection between outcasts. Reptiles are often viewed as other, as lesser. And I think a lot of people who kind of experience that themselves in their lives, whether they're neurodivergent, disabled, whether they're queer, they're going to experience that kind of connection with those animals that have similar sort of experiences and views upon them.

You know, I always felt like the odd one out. And reptiles are the odd one out when it comes to pet keeping, like people think they're weird, but they're really not. And I've always had that connection with them. And it's like, we have something in common.

With reptiles, I'll take snakes as a specific example. They're often so demonized in media. And I think that kind of people that have always felt a bit like outcasty kind of always resonate with reptiles because what I found is like, you know, the kind of outcasty people, connect with that, connect with loving like, I don't want to see the unloved cause obviously they are so loved, but also just connecting with something that's a bit more out there.

They're misunderstood animals, people always see them as like dinosaurs or these prehistoric things that are going to eat you or attack you. And it's not the truth. And it's nice to have something that's obviously misunderstood and you can love it in your own way and look after it. And I just think it's a good thing to do. It's different.

There's just a calming effect. So some of my children and my grandchildren have autism and ADHD. When I see my granddaughter who's got autism and the way she connects with my reptiles, she just hones in for the reptile house. She wants the reptiles. For me, that's just says a lot. You know, it's very calming effect. And there's something about them that just, you know, it's different from a mammal.