basically a kitten with scales
PRECIOUS AND GOOD
nononono
that is a distress sound that these lil things make so that they can alert their mother
this isnt cute.
I’m dead serious
Stop anthropomorphizing reptiles
Reptiles don't feel love like mammals do
@why-animals-do-the-thing let me know if i got this wrong but yeah
You’re absolutely right that that is a distress call. The gape and (awkward) lunge at the beginning is an attempt to make the hand go away, and it stays still when the person starts petting it not because it likes the contact but in the hopes that freezing will make the dangerous things stop messing with it and go away.
This is not a cute reptile enjoying affiliative touch from a person. This is a scared baby that does not have any inclination to want or enjoy human touch hoping the scary thing won’t eat it or that it’s mother will come save it.