Animal Instinct

Given by a Creator, evolved into existence by necessity, both or neither? We can state the cause and effects in witnessing what can best be described as instinct, and we can use words to describe what we think we’re seeing, but what is it really and what is its source?

Murph is donning this dragon wing harness and leash, an unexpected item that came with a previous online purchase.

He’s not entirely happy yet because he’s not convinced we are staying out for a satisfactory amount of time.

There are five ‘birds of prey’ in the distance. He hasn’t noticed them or he’d be a bit stressed and hide under my chair. He knows I hold him when they’re near, yet he reacts in accordance with the overpowering instinct to conceal himself.

He’s many generations removed from entirely needing to worry about predators.

It’s amazing to me how animals seem born knowing what is or what (or who) is not a threat. Maybe it can be likened to memory cells, programmed into their DNA, or subconscious knowledge, residual ancestral what-nots, ethereal soul group urges, lizard intuition, animalistic psychic stuff… whatever it is, I find it interesting.

To elaborate on that, a few things: Now, I don’t know if anyone else has a lizard that is cautious of strangers, but Murph does 1 of 2 things when he sees a stranger. Either he hunkers, keeping intent watch until the stranger has passed, or he watches in a perked up manner as if he is a guard lizard as he ponders their existence.

He has no fear of rabbits, small birds, squirrels, or his 40 pound previous dog brother (R.I.P).

For reasons unknown, he has a strong dislike for the neighbor’s (maybe 5 pound) harmless dog, and for reasons known, a particular human. Other than these, he is accepting of meeting guests within his home and has a few favorite people.

As a spider automatically knows how to build a web, and a bird knows it will fly, lizards know how to react to different encounters. Some of our neighbors’ guests bring their dogs when visiting. When Murph sees a dog in the distance, he freezes. Why?

It is because he knows if he scurries to hide, the dog may spot the movement. He’s better off pretending to be a rock. But when he sees massive birds approaching in the sky he hides beneath the nearest thing. Why?

I think lizards know that those birds know what that lizard shape is, whether moving or still. They must hide what they are.

I find this, that which we call “instinct” to be a logical explanation in meaning, but beautifully mysterious.

A side note: I have trained squirrels to eat from my hand. It took much patience to get a couple to trust me. The second one did not take quite as long as the first. She obseved her mother and I. The other squirrels (maybe 7 more) got very close, but we didn’t have as tight a bond.

At our previous home, these squirrels would, and I’m serious, climb the patio chair to knock on the window, scale the back door’s trim to peer through the window at the top, and come running when they saw me drive into the driveway. They knew me as friend and giver of food. It was summertime when our squirrel to human bonds flourished into years of friendship, they were not desperate for food during this season.

It seems they overcame their fear of humans (afterall, they’ve been hunted for many generations). Did they use reasoning skills to determine I was not a foe? I should be grateful for the experiences my furry friends gave to me, but my heart hurts when I think of them, I didn’t want to leave them. I’m sharing this because animals (& insects) seem to possess a thought process capable of overriding some intense urges.

How others think on these things will be interesting to know.

“Give me Lizardry or give me Death!” ❤️

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