Reptile

The impact of environmental enrichment on red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys elegans)

This study aimed to determine whether tank enrichment improved positive species-specific behaviors (those that benefit the animals' overall well-being), such as basking, and/or decreased negative behaviors (those that may indicate stress, agitation, or discomfort), such as dragging limbs, in red-eared...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Reptile, Turtle & Tortoise

Citation: Lane, S., Williams, W., Mayo, M. 2022. The impact of environmental enrichment on red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys elegans). Laboratory Animal Science Professional 10(3) (May/June), 18-20.

Pain and pain management in sea turtle and herpetological medicine: State of the art

In sea turtle rescue and rehabilitative medicine, many of the casualties suffer from occurrences that would be considered painful in other species; therefore, the use of analgesic drugs should be ethically mandatory to manage the pain and avoid its deleterious...

Year Published: 2022Topics: AnalgesiaAnimal Type: Reptile, Turtle & Tortoise

Citation: Serinelli, I., Soloperto, S., Lai, O. R. 2022. Pain and pain management in sea turtle and herpetological medicine: State of the art. Animals 12(6), 697.

A survey exploring the impact of housing and husbandry on pet snake welfare

Snake ownership is popular; however, housing and care may not always satisfy the animal's welfare needs. For example, snakes are often kept in environmental conditions that restrict their ability to stretch out fully or move around, using rectilinear locomotion. To...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Reptile, Snake

Citation: Cargill, B. M., Benato, L., Rooney, N. J. 2022. A survey exploring the impact of housing and husbandry on pet snake welfare. Animal Welfare 31(2), 193-208.

A review of welfare indicators for sea turtles undergoing rehabilitation, with emphasis on environmental enrichment

For animals undergoing rehabilitation it is vital to monitor welfare in a way that is feasible, practical, and limits stress to the animal. The industry gold standard is to assess welfare under the Five Domains model, including nutrition, environment, physical...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Reptile, Turtle & Tortoise

Citation: Diggins, R., Burrie, R., Ariel, E. et al. 2022. A review of welfare indicators for sea turtles undergoing rehabilitation, with emphasis on environmental enrichment. Animal Welfare 31(2), 219-230.

Welfare of farmed crocodilians: Identification of potential animal-based measures using elicitation of expert opinion

Animal-based measures are the measure of choice in animal welfare assessment protocols as they can often be applied completely independently to the housing or production system employed. Although there has been a small body of work on potential animal-based measures...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Husbandry & Management, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Crocodile & Alligator, Reptile

Citation: Hewitt, L., Small, A. 2021. Welfare of farmed crocodilians: Identification of potential animal-based measures using elicitation of expert opinion. Animals 11(12), 3450.

Use of blood lactate in assessment of manual capture techniques of zoo-housed crocodilians

Species-specific welfare indicators are important in promoting positive welfare for zoo animals. Reptiles are a notoriously understudied group in regards to behavior, welfare needs, and husbandry requirements. Using opportunistically obtained samples, we evaluated how blood lactate is affected by variation...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Handling, RestraintAnimal Type: Crocodile & Alligator, Reptile

Citation: Molinaro, H. G., Anderson, G. S., Gruny, L. et al. 2022. Use of blood lactate in assessment of manual capture techniques of zoo-housed crocodilians. Animals 12(3), 397.

Investigating welfare metrics for snakes at the Saint Louis zoo

Modern herpetoculture has seen a rise in welfare-related habitat modifications, although ethologically-informed enclosure design and evidence-based husbandry are lacking. The diversity that exists within snakes complicates standardizing snake welfare assessment tools and evaluation techniques. Utilizing behavioral indicators in conjunction with...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Reptile, Snake

Citation: Augustine, L., Baskir, E., Kozlowski, C. P. 2022. Investigating welfare metrics for snakes at the Saint Louis zoo. Animals 12(3), 373.

Rehabilitation of marine turtles and welfare improvement by application of environmental enrichment strategies

Sea turtles perform various ecological services in several marine environments and are considered architects of the marine landscape. At present, they are endangered species due to anthropogenic threats, pollution and degradation of marine habitats. These impacts make it urgent to...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Reptile, Turtle & Tortoise

Citation: Escobedo-Bonilla, C. M., Quiros-Rojas, N. M., Rudín-Salazar, E. 2022. Rehabilitation of marine turtles and welfare improvement by application of environmental enrichment strategies. Animals 12(3), 282.

Out of sight, out of mind or just something in the way? Visual barriers do not reduce intraspecific agonism in an all-male group of Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus)

Here, we evaluated if visual barriers could reduce intraspecific agonism in an all-male group of Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) living in a zoo. Crocodiles were monitored for nearly 100 h, and four “hotspots” of aggression within their exhibit were identified....

Year Published: 2022Topics: Housing, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Crocodile & Alligator, Reptile

Citation: Leeds, A., Riley, A., Terry, M. et al. 2022. Out of sight, out of mind or just something in the way? Visual barriers do not reduce intraspecific agonism in an all-male group of Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus). Animals 12(3), 269.

Enrichment devices for green turtles (Chelonia mydas) reared in captivity programs

Environmental enrichment supports the well-being and welfare of captive animals. In the current study, the most suitable form of enrichment device for captive green turtles (Chelonia mydas) was investigated, to support head-start programs rearing turtles for release into their natural...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Reptile, Turtle & Tortoise

Citation: Kanghae, H., Thongprajukaew, K., Inphrom, S. et al. 2021. Enrichment devices for green turtles (Chelonia mydas) reared in captivity programs. Zoo Biology 40(5), 407-416.