Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T17:10:04.993Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Environmental enrichment for captive Eastern blue-tongue lizards (Tiliqua scincoides)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

CJC Phillips ,
Z Jiang ,
AJ Hatton ,
A Tribe ,
M Le Bouar ,
M Guerlin  and
PJ Murray
CJC Phillips*
Affiliation:
Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton 4343, QLD, Australia
Z Jiang
Affiliation:
Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton 4343, QLD, Australia School of Animal Studies, The University of Queensland, Australia
AJ Hatton
Affiliation:
School of Animal Studies, The University of Queensland, Australia
A Tribe
Affiliation:
Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton 4343, QLD, Australia School of Animal Studies, The University of Queensland, Australia
M Le Bouar
Affiliation:
Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton 4343, QLD, Australia Ecole Nationale Veterinaire, Toulouse, France
M Guerlin
Affiliation:
Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton 4343, QLD, Australia Ecole Nationale Veterinaire, Toulouse, France
PJ Murray
Affiliation:
Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton 4343, QLD, Australia
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Eastern blue-tongue lizards (Tiliqua scincoides) are kept in zoos and increasingly commonly as exotic pets, but little is known about improving their welfare by enrichment of their environment. Using nine animals kept individually in cages provided with a brick for basking and a pipe for hiding, we initially investigated enriching their environment with mealworms, either scattered on the floor or inserted into a foodball. The mealworms increased the time that the lizards spent feeding on both their ration and the mealworms and increased liveweight gain. Scattering the mealworms on the floor of their cages increased the time taken to eat them, compared with taking them from the foodball. Mealworms also reduced the time that the lizards spent hiding. Second, using eight individually housed lizards and replacing the pipe with a log which could be used both for basking and hiding, we investigated whether increasing the size of their enclosure and its temperature affected their behaviour, in a two-factor changeover design with two-week periods. When lizards were moved from small to large enclosures, they greatly increased the time that they spent walking on the first day, and they walked longer and further for the rest of the period. Lizards in big enclosures also spent more time hiding in the log and less time inactive on the log or the brick. Lizards in hot enclosures spent more time basking on the log and less time hiding in it, which would be valuable for display animals. The benefit of enriching the captive environment of Eastern blue-tongue lizards by scattering mealworms in their cage may depend on the effect on the lizards’ weight and the cage's conditions, as captive lizards often become obese, and inactivity and weight loss are normal in their natural habitat during the dry season. Increasing the size of enclosures increases walking activity and reduces weight gain, which similarly will have variable effects on welfare depending on the impact on their bodyweight. Lizards in large enclosures have an increased propensity to hide so it is important that opportunities for this are provided.

Keywords

animal welfareEastern blue-tongue lizardenvironmental enrichmentskinkspace availabilitytemperature
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 20 , Issue 3 , August 2011 , pp. 377 - 384
Copyright
© 2011 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Altherr, S and Freyer, D 2001 Morbidity and mortality in private husbandry of reptiles. Pro Wildflife Report to RSPCA. RSPCA: Horsham, UKGoogle Scholar
AVMA 2007 US Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook 2007. American Veterinary Medical Association: Schaumberg, IL, USAGoogle Scholar
Burghardt, GM, Ward, B and Rosscoe, R 1996 Problem of reptile play: environmental enrichment and play behavior in a captive Nile soft-shelled turtle, Trionyx triunguis. Zoo Biology 15: 223–2383.0.CO;2-D>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Case, BC, Lewbart, GA and Doerr, PD 2005 The physiological and behavioural impacts of and preference for an enriched environment in the eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 92: 353–365CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christian, KA, Webb, JK and Schultz, TJ 2003 Energetics of blue-tongue lizards (Tiliqua scincoides) in a seasonal tropical environment. Oecologia 136: 513–523CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cogger, HG 2000 Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia. Reed New Holland: Sydney, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Gillingham, JC 1995 Normal behaviour. In: Warwick, C, Frye, FL and Murphy, JB (eds) Health and Welfare of Captive Reptiles. Chapman & Hall: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Hayes, MP, Jennings, MR and Mellen, JD 1998 Beyond mammals: environmental enrichment for amphibians and reptiles. In: Shepherdson, DJ, Mellen, JD and Hutchins, M (eds) Second Nature: Environmental Enrichment for Captive Animals pp 205–235. Smithsonian Institution Press: Washington, USAGoogle Scholar
Hildebrand, M, Goslow, GE and Hildebrand, V 2001 Analysis of Vertebrate Structure. Wiley: New York, USAGoogle Scholar
Kirmair, R 1994 Untersuchungen zur Terrarienhaltung von Reptilien unter besonderer Berucksichtung des Artenschutzes. Munchen, Ludwig Maximulians-Universitat: Munich, Germany. [Title translation: Studies on the captivity of reptiles with special attention to animal welfare and conservation]Google Scholar
Krause, MA, Burghardt, GM and Lentini, A 1999 Object provisioning for Nile soft-shelled turtles (Trionyx triunguis). Laboratory Animal 28: 38–41Google Scholar
Kreger, MD 1993 The psychological well-being of reptiles. Humane Innovation Altern 7: 519–523Google Scholar
Lissone, L 1999 Tiliqua scincoides. http://www.jcu.edu.au/school/tbiol/zoology/herp/Tiliquascincoides.pdf.Google Scholar
Mader, DR 2006 Reptile Medicine and Surgery. Saunders Elsevier: Philadelphia, USAGoogle Scholar
McCarthy, CR 1992 Regulation and guidelines: the national institutes of health. In: Schaeffer, DO, Kleinow, KM and Krulisch, L (eds) The Care and Use of Amphibians, Reptiles and Fish in Research pp 5–6. Scientists Center for Animal Welfare: Bethesda, MD, USAGoogle Scholar
McFarland, D 1999 Animal Behaviour: Psychobiology, Ethology, and Evolution. Longman: Harlow, USAGoogle Scholar
Pough, FH 1992 Setting guidelines for the case of reptiles, amphibians and fishes. In: Schaeffer, DO, Kleinow, KM and Krulisch, L (eds) The Care and Use of Amphibians, Reptiles and Fish in Research pp 7–14. Scientists Center for Animal Welfare: Bethesda, MD, USAGoogle Scholar
Savage, JM 2005 The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: a Herpetofauna Between Two Continents, Between Two Seas. University of Chicago Press: Chicago, USAGoogle Scholar
Shepherdson, DJ 1998 Tracing the path of environmental enrichment. In: Shepherdson, DJ, Mellen, JD and Hutchins, M (eds) Second Nature: Environmental Enrichment in Captive Animals pp 1–14. Smithsonian Institution Press: Washington, DC, USAGoogle Scholar
Turner, G 2001 Keeping Blue-Tongue Lizards. Australian Reptile Keeper Publications: Bendigo, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Warwick, C, Frye, FL and Murphy, JB 1995 Health and Welfare of Captive Reptiles. Chapman and Hall: New York, USACrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wheeler, CL and Fa, JE 1995 Enclosure utilization and activity of Round Island geckos (Phelsuma guentheri). Zoo Biology 14: 361–369CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, S and Swan, G 2003 A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia. Reed New Holland: Sydney, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Young, RJ 2003 Environmental Enrichment for Captive Animals. Blackwell Science: Oxford, UKCrossRefGoogle Scholar