do you yawn when you see animals yawn??

[ut0pia]

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

Yup they do Rigel. But it is not because they are tired, it is to stretch out their skin. It is usually done when they are getting ready to shed.

I had to look that up ...I saw a youtube video someone posted of their snake yawning and sure enough I had to

too after I saw it!! even though it wasn't the kind of yawning that we do when we are drowsy..
We humans are too easy to trick...However, I am still not convinced animals' yawning is offset by watching others yawn ..
what strange_wings said about us yawning due to empathy seems right but it doesn't explain why we yawn just at looking at the word yawn..or I yawn just when I think about yawning lol..
I am so curious why Jake won't yawn after me

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by ut0pia

We humans are too easy to trick...However, I am still not convinced animals' yawning is offset by watching others yawn ..
what strange_wings said about us yawning due to empathy seems right but it doesn't explain why we yawn just at looking at the word yawn..or I yawn just when I think about yawning lol..

I used to make my pet hamsters yawn when I was a kid.

I've managed to make Sho and Tomas yawn before, too, but rarely. They don't yawn for all the reasons humans do.
Humans are a different kind of animal. We're a lot more social than many animals are, which is why even seeing the suggestion of yawning can make some do it. When was the last time something else you read affected you emotionally whether you realized it or not?

As to other reptiles yawning, lizards and turtles will do it after eating to clear their mouths. Snakes will do it to readjusted everything, not just if they're going to shed. And all of them, will make yawn like motions if they're very sick and can't breathe.

(the few times I've been in pets stores and seen this it's made me want to strangle someone, btw)
I've never kept a more social species of lizard, like a green iguana, but supposedly they can be triggered to yawn after people, too. No idea, though, if thats an actual yawn or a misunderstood action as wide mouth opening in lizards is typically a threat.

But if you're truly curious, why not look it up? Also check any libraries as they'll have full books on animal behavior. I'd imagine someone somewhere has studied it and done PET/fMRI while people are being suggested to yawn, following others yawn, and initiating a yawn of their own. Surely that would show what parts of the brain and what pathways are most commonly used.

ETA:Here's a page that talks about different theories and what parts of the brain and body are affected. Feel free to look up more about echokinesis.

But over all it seems that, yes, animals yawn for specific reasons. Humans and primates have a more social reason for doing so.

 

[ut0pia]

I did look it up a long time ago and all I found was that no one knows for sure why we yawn and why other species yawn. It could be to get a shot of oxygen when we are tired to speed up brain function or to get air circulated through the lungs.. but that's not certain since babies yawn in the mother's womb which I thought was cool...
Lol I am sure learning what causes yawning is at the bottom of the list of things to research about for scientists

 

[trouts mom]

Originally Posted by c1atsite

nope, at least i'm not aware of it if i do

Same here. Animals don't make me yawn.

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by ut0pia

I did look it up a long time ago and all I found was that no one knows for sure why we yawn and why other species yawn. It could be to get a shot of oxygen when we are tired to speed up brain function or to get air circulated through the lungs.. but that's not certain since babies yawn in the mother's womb which I thought was cool...
Lol I am sure learning what causes yawning is at the bottom of the list of things to research about for scientists

Actually, you'd be surprised what people wish to study. If it involves various neural pathways, it would be something that would get studied.
Also a long time ago doesn't help you if studies conducted are more recent. If we all went off 20+ year old info medicine would be pretty dire.

As for the oxygen theory, I mentioned that on the very first post I made... And I honestly do not believe thats a very valid theory as to why humans do it. Case in point, at some point during the day I'll have an episode of mild cerebral hypoxia. I have plenty of symptoms from it but yawning is not one of them. I can't recall anyone else with similar medical conditions to myself ever mentioning a problem with yawning, either. Though, that page I linked did mention that the ANS plays a part in yawning and I have some issues with that.

 

[wellingtoncats]

Animals don't tend to make me yawn but this thread definitely does!

 

[coolcat]

Originally Posted by WellingtonCats

Animals don't tend to make me yawn but this thread definitely does!

Absolutely!...