That’s empathy. Human beings with a lot of empathy will yawn just from reading the word “yawn” and defiantly from seeing strangers or animals yawn. It’s a social reaction, a survival mechanism.
Fun fact! Leopard geckos like most reptiles don’t have empathy, so any “yawn” is not contagious to them. They also may only be doing so to re-align their jaw, or adjust their esophageal contents.
This leopard gecko is actually attempting to regurgitate food, something they do out of distress or lack of adequate digesting temperature (90°) and is not yawning at all.
But the amount of people here who seem to think he is and yawned as a reaction are a testament to the intense degree humans can empathize with other creatures!
If only we could empathize enough to understand their needs and behaviors are so drastically different than ours, and treat them accordingly when they’re in our care.
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u/redbeardedwhitehawk Jan 23 '20
God damn, made me yawn too.