Elephants are the smartest land animals on earth and the complexity of their brains is comparable to that of humans. This is also clearly reflected in their behaviour. They are able to communicate with body language within their own species and even with humans, and a recent study has shown they even give each other names.
Dolphins and whales are also pretty smart, so yes, size is a big part of what matters.
I figured some of the larger species have some basic emotions. My preying mantis could certainly let me know if she was irritated, though I never really saw a “happy” as much as “content.”
My tarantula and I never managed to talk to one another.
I was of this opinion until I moved in with my partner who had a bearded dragon. Reptiles move strangely, but this bearded dragon had been a classroom pet for the first few years of her life, and was surprisingly social. She’d make eye contact, gesture with her body, present her head to be gently pet around the bristles, and even flip over to be rubbed on the belly like a dog if she was not currently or just finished eating. Responsive with body language to some specific one or two syllable words like her name or the words for mealtime, and very aware of visual cues (like any of the objects she was handed a mealworm from, even just once).
I imagine a tarantula probably has some behaviors that would surprise me if it was conditioned as a pet and socialized, I know they have a fair number of ways aside from the bite to show displeasure or anxiety like flicking hairs and quickly shuffling away to show a defensive posture. I think it could be a fun experience and wouldn’t turn my nose up at it instantly these days if the opportunity came along; animal cooperation is a small joy even when it’s a bit foreign.
Emotions? Sure.
Like us?
I dunno. Does irate fury at being woken up mid nap count as “like us”?
That’s exactly how I feel when someone wakes me up mid nap so yeah.
I’m gonna go with absolutely.
they obviously have emotions, just a bit less complex ones, but it’s pretty clear they’re not just robots
How do you know cats don’t experience sonder? Did you ask one? No, you just assumed
I’ve asked my cats loads of questions. Not one has given a comprehensive answer.
Two monks were passing by a little pond where there were some ducks, and the first monk said, “Look at how happy those ducks are!”
The second monk said, “You are not a duck. You can’t know if they are happy.”
The first monk replied, “You are not me. You can’t know that I cannot.”
The takeaway from this is that half of all monks may or may not have duck telepathy, yes?
It’s a zen parable, so… yes.
Just because we understand their emotions only on a basic level doesn’t mean they’re not more complicated.
There is a lot we don’t understand and can’t understand.
their brains are a lot smaller though, so less complex
If size is what matters, then whales, elephants, and dolphins all have more complex brains than humans.
Elephants are the smartest land animals on earth and the complexity of their brains is comparable to that of humans. This is also clearly reflected in their behaviour. They are able to communicate with body language within their own species and even with humans, and a recent study has shown they even give each other names.
Dolphins and whales are also pretty smart, so yes, size is a big part of what matters.
Insects on the other hand are pretty much nature’s robots.
Bees have been known to engage in play
I figured some of the larger species have some basic emotions. My preying mantis could certainly let me know if she was irritated, though I never really saw a “happy” as much as “content.”
My tarantula and I never managed to talk to one another.
I don’t understand non-mammalian pets
Why have a tarantula that you just look at, instead of a Golden retriever to goof off with?
I was of this opinion until I moved in with my partner who had a bearded dragon. Reptiles move strangely, but this bearded dragon had been a classroom pet for the first few years of her life, and was surprisingly social. She’d make eye contact, gesture with her body, present her head to be gently pet around the bristles, and even flip over to be rubbed on the belly like a dog if she was not currently or just finished eating. Responsive with body language to some specific one or two syllable words like her name or the words for mealtime, and very aware of visual cues (like any of the objects she was handed a mealworm from, even just once).
I imagine a tarantula probably has some behaviors that would surprise me if it was conditioned as a pet and socialized, I know they have a fair number of ways aside from the bite to show displeasure or anxiety like flicking hairs and quickly shuffling away to show a defensive posture. I think it could be a fun experience and wouldn’t turn my nose up at it instantly these days if the opportunity came along; animal cooperation is a small joy even when it’s a bit foreign.