For a long time, reptiles were missing from the play conversation.
They were seen as animals of instinct rather than interest — creatures that bask, hunt, and survive, but don’t explore for the sake of it. Play, we assumed, belonged to mammals and birds.
But that assumption is starting to shift.
Emerging research, including observations highlighted by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), suggests that some reptiles may engage in behaviours that go beyond survival alone. Subtle, voluntary interactions with their environment — repeated, curious, and seemingly rewarding — are leading scientists to ask new questions about how reptiles experience the world around them.
This blog explores what science is beginning to reveal about reptile play, how curiosity shows up differently across species, and how this aligns with the way we think about enrichment at Every Tail.
Why Reptile Play Was Overlooked for So Long
Historically, play research focused almost entirely on mammals and birds. Reptiles, as ectothermic animals with very different energy budgets and behavioural patterns, didn’t fit the existing models.
ZSL researchers point out that this doesn’t mean reptiles don’t play — it means we weren’t looking in the right way.
Reptile play is often:
• Low-energy
• Quiet
• Object- or environment-focused
• Easy to dismiss as “random” or “pointless”
But when scientists apply broader definitions of play — voluntary behaviour that isn’t immediately tied to survival and is repeated in a consistent, exploratory way — reptiles start to look far more interesting.
What Science Is Starting to Observe
One of the most widely shared examples from ZSL involves monitor lizards repeatedly tearing, manipulating, and interacting with leaves they had no intention of eating. The behaviour was optional, repeated, and appeared internally motivated — key criteria often used when identifying play.
ZSL researchers emphasise that these interactions don’t need to look joyful or energetic to matter. What matters is choice.
When an animal chooses to engage with its environment in a way that isn’t strictly necessary, it suggests curiosity, agency, and stimulation — all core components of enrichment.
Importantly, ZSL is careful not to overstate conclusions. Reptile play remains an emerging area of research. But the takeaway is clear: reptiles are not passive occupants of their environments.
Reptile Play, Through the Every Tail Lens
At Every Tail, we think about play as a spectrum — not a single behaviour. That’s why we use play personalities, even for species whose play looks quieter or more subtle.
Here’s how we see reptile engagement aligning with our reptile play personalities.
🐍 The Ambusher
Focused • Observant • Intentional
Ambushers engage through stillness and anticipation. Their play isn’t loud — it’s watchful. Tracking movement, monitoring their surroundings, and choosing the moment to act are central to how they interact with enrichment.
Play for Ambushers may look like:
• Watching moving objects without immediately engaging
• Reacting selectively rather than constantly
• Choosing when to interact, not just what to interact with
🦎 The Rover
Curious • Mobile • Exploratory
ZSL’s observations of voluntary object interaction strongly echo the Rover personality. These reptiles investigate their environments because they’re motivated to explore, not because they have to.
Rover-style play is supported by:
• Novel layouts
• New textures or objects
• Opportunities to move through space at their own pace
🌿 The Tree Walker
Vertical • Spatial • Observational
For climbing species, engagement is often about where they are rather than what they’re touching. Height, balance, and vantage points become forms of enrichment.
Tree Walker play may involve:
• Repeated climbing and repositioning
• Choosing higher or more complex routes
• Exploring structure rather than loose objects
🪨 The Geomancer
Grounded • Tactile • Environment-shaping
Digging and burrowing reptiles interact deeply with their surroundings. Their play often involves altering the environment itself — moving substrate, uncovering spaces, and creating pathways.
Geomancer play thrives on:
• Diggable, varied substrates
• Opportunities to reshape space
• Texture and resistance
Why Recognising Play Matters
ZSL researchers consistently highlight that recognising play-like behaviour in reptiles isn’t about anthropomorphising them — it’s about improving welfare.
When reptiles are given environments that allow:
• Choice
• Exploration
• Species-appropriate stimulation
We see richer behavioural expression and greater engagement with their surroundings.
Play, in this context, becomes a signal — not of frivolity, but of well-being.
So, Do Reptiles Play?
The most honest answer is this:
Reptiles may not play in ways that are obvious or familiar to us. But growing scientific observation — including work highlighted by ZSL — suggests that many reptiles engage with their environments in voluntary, exploratory ways that fit broader definitions of play.
When we stop asking reptiles to behave like mammals, and instead meet them where they are, a quieter but no less meaningful picture of play begins to emerge.
At Every Tail, we see that as an invitation:
to observe more closely, design more thoughtfully, and respect the many ways animals choose to engage with their world.
A note on science
This article draws on emerging behavioural research and zoo-based observations, including work shared by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). Reptile play remains an evolving field of study, and many insights are exploratory rather than definitive — something we see as exciting, not limiting.
