Phaiku No. 5

Galapagos rising or My Hope for Planet Tortoise ... and Humankind

Jul 21, 2025

I recently read an article, Evidence of mood states in reptiles, and it kept me awake thinking until a phaiku stumbled out of my brain.

The takeaway from the study’s authors:

If reptiles are capable of experiencing longer-term mood states as well as brief emotions then, taken alongside their greater-than-expected cognitive capabilities, we should assume that they are not only capable of suffering but also experiencing enduring positive moods, and we should therefore alter how we manage captive populations accordingly, such as by providing cognitive challenge through a complex and enriched environment.

And now a thought occurs to me: If even tortoises thrive when challenged and enriched—what of us? What of the humans we confine?

But that’s another wander. This one ends with a slow, steady step forward…