It is not possible to know what a reptile feels, but it is reasonable to assume that a vertebrate with a nervous system as advanced as a reptile's would feel pain. If they arenât beheaded or nailed to a tree, they are bludgeoned and beaten. If a hawk picks a snake up with its long talons, the snake feels pain and bites the bird. As such, they may not react the way we would, or the way we expect a dog or cat would, to being uncomfortable ⦠It doesn't experience pain as we humans do. Needless to say, reptiles can feel when they are touched, just as all other animals, including humans, can feel touch and pain. Because of their slow metabolisms, snakes remain conscious and able to feel pain and fear long after they are decapitated. Pain ⣠Do reptiles feel pain? CAN REPTILES EXPERIENCE PAIN? This means that they can percieve pain just as sensitively as mammalian species. Birds have pain receptors, Bekoff says, and feel pain as mammals do. In a 2000 study, lame chickens chose food containing a painkiller when allowed to choose their own diet. A reptile, amphibian, or fish has a central nervous system and can feel pain and stress. The idea of addressing pain in reptile patients has only recently been discussed. In a recent survey of members of the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians, 98% of the respondents indicated their belief that reptiles do feel pain. Pain aids in encouraging behaviors that help snakes survive in the wild. Some indications that a reptile is in pain may include:-- Anorexia - Aggression in a normally passive animal Some snakes are born without "feeding responseâ. According to Dr. Sharman Hoppes, clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, the main two are fear and aggression, but they may also demonstrate pleasure ⦠Conventional wisdom would answer that insects do not. This is a very hard question, and one theyâre researching all the time. We need to make a conscious effort to remember that these creatures can and do feel pain even if we donât see signs of it. Although it canât show its pain in the same way as a mammal, but that doesnât mean the pain is not there. ⣠Is the perception of pain by a reptile equivalent to that of a mammal? ⣠We will never be able to objectively answer whether reptiles feel pain because they simply cannot communicate with humans 7 ⣠Can reptiles feel or portray emotions? A snake feels no pain, but reacts mechanically to pain stimulus. If, after a number of attempts to feed it, a snake still refuses to eat independently, it is better to kill it. In captivity, snakes may feel pain from⦠improper temperatures; improper humidity ⦠The bird may let go, and then the snake can retreat and live another day. Their jaws are forced open so that a tube can be jammed down their throats in order to pump their bodies full of water and make ⦠The shell of chelonians is composed of fused living dermal bone covered by keratinised epidermis, It therefore can feel sensation and pain. However, only 39% of respondents in this survey reported using analgesics in > 50% of their patients subjected to surgical ⦠Although there are a lot of anecdotal reports for treating pain in reptiles, in fact only a few actual studies have been performed. No matter how tame and socialized they are, reptiles are still wild animals. Treating pain in animals is a fundamental part of what veterinarians do. Yes, a snake does feel pain, just as we do. ⣠Perhaps, more importantly, can we recognize pain in reptiles? Generally, reptiles do demonstrate basic emotions.