Is it cruel to keep a snake in a 4’x2’x2’ box?

[Earthling]

where did u cut and paste this from?

Im afraid all of it came from my humble head.

 

[Just_Plain_Nuts]

Im afraid all of it came from my humble head.

You strike me as a psychology or philosophy student???

 

[Earthling]

So what do you regard as emotions? Feeling hungry? Hunger, warmth, fight, flight,panic, lust,play are feelings and not emotions in my opinion. Emotions are things like love (not to confuse with lust), compassion, mercy, mourning etc. The difference between an emotion and a feeling being a feeling is an expected result from given stimuli generally trigured by hormones released by the body. Feelings are responses designed to keep us safe and well. Where an emotion is not logical, and is not associated with hormones. There is no scientific explanation for them and no real use for them from a survival point of view. Yet they are our most distinguishing attribute and what makes us human. It's interesting that psychotic serial killers lack what i refer to as emotions, but they do have feelings.....

Interesting point. Good ol definitions. My Collins dictionary defines Emotions as:
'An emotion is a feeling such as happiness, love, fear, anger, or hatred, which can be caused by the situation you are in or the people you are with.'
So they are saying joy, happiness, fear(it would seem some snakes definetly have that when Im relocating them-they are very defensive)love and I would say depression would fit too.
I feel the emotion of love would have a very good survival value as it would bond you with others and in many mammals survival as a group is better(protect and protection and knowledge), perhaps with some herps, though I cannot think of any...but you do see many skinks living in the same area maybe....
Joy also has very good survival value as it is basically saying that most of your needs are being met and it releases many endorphins which are obviously good for wellbeing as opposed to being depressed.
Sound reasonable?

You strike me as a psychology or philosophy student???

Did the units of Philosophy for first year as a general interest at UWA, whilst doing another course, was very good.
Interested in Psych as well but to do 5 years.......naaaaah

 

[slim6y]

Here's another thing to back up the ol' 4 x 2 x 2....

What about feeding pre-killed?

Most are already scoffing at the idea that this is not some kind of cruelty... But step back and look at it just a little.

Surely it can't get the satisfaction obtained by killing a dead animal than the satisfaction by killing a live one... Yet somehow, I can't seem to see the difference in my snakes even after all these years - they still attack the dead rat like it was living - strangle it for 10 - 15 minutes, then begin to eat it.

But I can tell the difference between fish I've caught, killed, gutted, skinned, boned and filleted. Surely my snake must be able to tell the difference from living vs dead rats?

Somehow, deep down inside, the snake is acting instinctively, but getting nothing out of it. I guess like firing blank rounds from a shot gun....

 

[Red-Ink]

When does conditioning play a part in the 4 x 2 x 2?
Surely if we are using analogies of humans being vertebrates and so are snakes then conditioning would need to be taken into account....
Some humans are conditioned to high density living and don't mind it at all (some to the point of not liking wide open spaces) and some can not stand it (myself in that group). So snakes can be conditioned to like/thrive in their 4x2x2?

 

[Earthling]

When does conditioning play a part in the 4 x 2 x 2?
Surely if we are using analogies of humans being vertebrates and so are snakes then conditioning would need to be taken into account....
Some humans are conditioned to high density living and don't mind it at all (some to the point of not liking wide open spaces) and some can not stand it (myself in that group). So snakes can be conditioned to like/thrive in their 4x2x2?

Interesting point, definetly has merit.
Problem is when do we know its conditioning and not abuse? Take pigs in intensive meat factories, or chooks in 'battery' cages...abuse for sure yes? What about pigs in a factory shed with room to move and socialise but never see the sun or get to dig for roots in the ground, abuse or conditioning? Unfortunately they (like snakes) cant tell us and move out of there own free will like we 'mostly' can.
How do you tell?