Reptiles are generally known for being somewhat apathetic and not particularly cuddly as pets, maar velen van hen voelen wel degelijk emoties.
Reptielenbezitters weten dat hun slangen en hagedissen anders reageren als ze in de buurt zijn, en enkele van de meer intelligente soorten zoals baardagamen, tegus en monitorhagedissen, worden zelfs beschouwd als in staat tot "genegenheid".
![Cuddly monitor lizards](https://petswithscales.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/lizards-love-1024x537.jpg)
Kunnen hagedissen liefhebben?
Love is an already ill-defined concept when it comes to humans, even more so when we are talking about to reptiles.
One thing is for sure: lizards and tortoises have been proven to be able to recognize people who handle and feed them, and they seem to even form some kind of bonding.
Every tegu owner knows that, despite being solitary animals, they will regularly seek their attention from time to time.
A monitor lizard may look like they merely tolerate your presence, but they actually trust you as a source of food and shelter, and whether that can be considered love or affection as opposed to mere opportunistic behavior is up for debate.
Do lizards like to be pet
Some species of lizards like to be pet more than others.
Some of the most affectionate reptiles are tegu lizards, baardagamen, blue-tongued skinks, iguanas and some monitor lizards (like Ackies and Savannah monitors).
These species are known to respond well to regular handling, to the point where they may appear to even enjoy it – rather than just tolerating it.
Dat gezegd hebbende, there is no such thing as imprinting for reptiles and the taming process for any reptile is however long and requires a lot of patience on your side.
A lizard that does not recognize you as a safe companion will see you as a potential predator and act stressed or aggressive and could even drop their tail if you try to handle it.
It takes months – if not years – for them to start learning to trust you and, in their own way, to show any form of affection.
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PetsWithScales.com is een informatieve website over de verzorging van grote hagedissen. We verzamelen en verstrekken informatie uit verschillende bronnen op internet over het houden en verzorgen van reptielen als huisdier. De soorten waar we vooral mee te maken hebben zijn tegus, hagedissen volgen, skinks en gekko's. Ons doel is om informatie van hoge kwaliteit te bieden om eigenaren van gezelschapsdieren te helpen beter te worden, beter geïnformeerde beslissingen over de voeding van hun dier, gezondheid en leven.