Abstract

Research Article

A Gecko-eye View of Naturalistic Enclosures

Victoria Davies, Abigail Heaman and James Brereton*

Published: 01 December, 2023 | Volume 7 - Issue 1 | Pages: 013-019

Naturalistic enclosures have become a popular exhibition technique for zoos, and reptiles and amphibians are regularly housed in these exhibits. While a considerable sum of research indicates that visitors prefer naturalistic exhibits, there are fewer studies documenting the behaviour and welfare of animals housed under these conditions. This study investigated the impact of a naturalistic enclosure on the behaviour of the turquoise dwarf gecko (Lygodactylus williamsi), and the welfare perceptions of visitors. When kept under naturalistic enclosures, dwarf geckos were seen to bask (p = 0.022), and engage in inactive behaviours (p = 0.001) significantly less frequently. A non-significant decrease was also seen in locomotion | (p = 0.074). While time spent hidden remains a confounding factor for behavioural analysis, the study indicates that when provided with hiding opportunities, L. williamsi may spend a considerable amount of time hidden from the public. Questionnaire analysis revealed that 84.6% of individuals believed that naturalistic enclosures demonstrated better welfare. Additionally, individuals who had previously owned a reptile were more likely to identify that areas to hide, enrich, and mimic the natural environment were important aspects of enclosure design. While the actual benefits of naturalistic enclosure design cannot be fully addressed by this study, this work suggests that visitors tend to inherently believe that naturalistic enclosures facilitate better welfare, even if they are not aware of the natural environment of the species being housed. This requires keepers to consider both aspects of functionality and enclosure relevance when designing exhibits for herptiles.

Read Full Article HTML DOI: 10.29328/journal.ibm.1001026 Cite this Article Read Full Article PDF

Keywords:

Lygodactylus williamsi; Reptile behaviour; Visitor perception; Naturalism; Enclosure design

References

  1. Ross SR, Schapiro SJ, Hau J, Lukas KE. Space use as an indicator of enclosure appropriateness: A novel measure of captive animal welfare. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2009; 121(1): 42-50.
  2. Mallapur A, Qureshi Q, Chellam R. Enclosure design and space utilization by Indian leopards (Panthera pardus) in four zoos in Southern India. J Appl Anim Welf Sci. 2002;5(2):111-24. doi: 10.1207/S15327604JAWS0502_02. PMID: 12738580.
  3. Tan HM, Ong SM, Langat G, Bahaman AR, Sharma RS, Sumita S. The influence of enclosure design on diurnal activity and stereotypic behaviour in captive Malayan Sun bears (Helarctos malayanus). Res Vet Sci. 2013 Apr;94(2):228-39. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2012.09.024. Epub 2012 Nov 9. PMID: 23141171.
  4. Brereton JE. Directions in animal enclosure use studies. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research. 2020a; 8(1): 1-9.
  5. Summary statistics. International Union for the Conservation of Nature. 2018. http://www.iucnredlist.org/about/summary-statistics#Tables_3_4
  6. Melfi VA. There are big gaps in our knowledge, and thus approach, to zoo animal welfare: a case for evidence-based zoo animal management. Zoo Biol. 2009 Nov;28(6):574-88. doi: 10.1002/zoo.20288. PMID: 19876912.
  7. Whittaker AL, Golder-Dewar B, Triggs JL, Sherwen SL, McLelland DJ. Identification of Animal-Based Welfare Indicators in Captive Reptiles: A Delphi Consultation Survey. Animals (Basel). 2021 Jul 5;11(7):2010. doi: 10.3390/ani11072010. PMID: 34359138; PMCID: PMC8300299.
  8. Andersen LL. Zoo interpretation and exhibit design: two sides of the same coin. Journal of Museum Education. 1991; 16(2): 4-6.
  9. Davey G. Relationships between exhibit naturalism, animal visibility and visitor interest in a Chinese Zoo. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2006; 96(1): 93-102.
  10. Fàbregas MC, Guillén-Salazar F, Garcés-Narro C. Do naturalistic enclosures provide suitable environments for zoo animals? Zoo Biol. 2012 May-Jun;31(3):362-73. doi: 10.1002/zoo.20404. Epub 2011 Jun 17. PMID: 21688309.
  11. Carter KC, Keane IA, Clifforde LM, Rowden LJ, Fieschi-Méric L, Michaels CJ. The Effect of Visitors on Zoo Reptile Behaviour during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens. 2021; 2(4): 664-676.
  12. Brereton JE. Challenges and directions in zoo and aquarium food presentation research: A review. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens. 2020b; 1(1): 2.
  13. Kelling AS, Gaalema DE. Postoccupancy evaluations in zoological settings. Zoo Biol. 2011 Nov-Dec;30(6):597-610. doi: 10.1002/zoo.20398. Epub 2011 May 23. PMID: 21608023.
  14. Moss A, Esson M, Bazley S. Applied research and zoo education: The evolution and evaluation of a public talks program using unobtrusive video recording of visitor behavior. Visitor Studies. 2010; 13(1): 23-40.
  15. Moss A, Esson M. Visitor interest in zoo animals and the implications for collection planning and zoo education programmes. Zoo Biol. 2010 Nov-Dec;29(6):715-31. doi: 10.1002/zoo.20316. PMID: 20333734.
  16. Sherwen SL, Hemsworth PH. The Visitor Effect on Zoo Animals: Implications and Opportunities for Zoo Animal Welfare. Animals (Basel). 2019 Jun 17;9(6):366. doi: 10.3390/ani9060366. PMID: 31212968; PMCID: PMC6617010.
  17. Salas M, Laméris DW, Depoortere A, Plessers L, Verspeek J. Zoo Visitor Attitudes Are More Influenced by Animal Behaviour than Environmental Enrichment Appearance. Animals (Basel). 2021 Jun 30;11(7):1971. doi: 10.3390/ani11071971. PMID: 34209437; PMCID: PMC8300318.
  18. Collins C, Barr Y, McKeown S, Scheun J, Tay C, O'Riordan R. An International Investigation of the Prevalence of Negative Visitor Behaviour in the Zoo. Animals (Basel). 2023 Aug 18;13(16):2661. doi: 10.3390/ani13162661. PMID: 37627451; PMCID: PMC10451161.
  19. Melfi VA, McCormick W, Gibbs A. A preliminary assessment of how zoo visitors evaluate animal welfare according to enclosure style and the expression of behavior. Anthrozoös. 2004; 17(2): 98-108.
  20. Choo Y, Todd PA, Li D. Visitor effects on zoo orangutans in two novel, naturalistic enclosures. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2011; 133(1): 78-86.
  21. Damerell P, Howe C, Milner-Gulland EJ. Child-orientated environmental education influences adult knowledge and household behaviour. Environmental Research Letters. 2013; 8(1): 1-7.
  22. Woods B. Beauty and the Beast: Preferences for animals in Australia. Journal of Tourism Studies. 2000; 11(2): 25-35.
  23. Laina E. Regulating Sustainable Trade in Wildlife: Natural Resources and National Economies at Stake. Environmental Policy and Law. 2016; 46(6): 358.
  24. Durrell G, Durrell L. Breeding Mascarene wildlife in captivity. International Zoo Yearbook. 1980; 20(1); 112-119.
  25. Burghardt GM. Environmental enrichment and cognitive complexity in reptiles and amphibians: concepts, review, and implications for captive populations. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2013; 147(3): 286-298.
  26. Rosier RL, Langkilde T. Does environmental enrichment really matter? A case study using the eastern fence lizard, Sceloporus undulatus. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2011; 131(1): 71-76.
  27. Bashaw MJ, Gibson MD, Schowe DM, Kucher AS. Does enrichment improve reptile welfare? Leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) respond to five types of environmental enrichment. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2016; 184(1): 150-160.
  28. Furrer SC, Jaag K, von Stockar S, Rübel A. First experiences with free‐ranging giant day geckos (Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis, Gray 1870) in the Masoala rainforest exhibit in Zurich Zoo, Switzerland. Zoo Biology. 2006; 25(5): 409-415.
  29. Gusset M, Dick G. The global reach of zoos and aquariums in visitor numbers and conservation expenditures. Zoo Biol. 2011 Sep-Oct;30(5):566-9. doi: 10.1002/zoo.20369. Epub 2010 Dec 6. PMID: 21136509.
  30. Brereton SR, Brereton JE. Investigating Market and Conservation Education Influences on Global Zoo and Aquarium Animal Collections. Journal of Research in Social Science and Humanities. 2023a; 2(1): 25-34.
  31. Brereton JE, Brereton S. The effect of basking light provision on sun beetle enclosure use. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research. 2023b; 11(2): 283-288.
  32. Moszuti SA, Wilkinson A, Burman OH. Response to novelty as an indicator of reptile welfare. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2017; 193: 98-103.
  33. Flecks M, Weinsheimer F, Böhme W, Chenga J, Lötters S, Rödder D. Watching extinction happen: the dramatic population decline of the critically endangered Tanzanian Turquoise Dwarf Gecko, Lygodactylus williamsi. Salamandra. 2012; 48(1): 12-20.
  34. Kilawe CJ, Mchelu HA, Emily CJ. The impact of the invasive tree Cedrela odorota on the Electric Blue Gecko (Lygodactylus williamsi) and its habitat (Pandanus rabaiensis) in Kimboza Forest Reserve, Tanzania. Global Ecology and Conservation. 2022; 38: e02225.
  35. Stringham OC, García‐Díaz P, Toomes A, Mitchell L, Ross JV, Cassey P. Live reptile smuggling is predicted by trends in the legal exotic pet trade. Conservation Letters. 14(6); e12833.
  36. Meng H, Carr J, Beraducci J, Bowles P, Branch WR, Capitani C, Chenga J, Cox N, Howell K, Malonza Marchant R, Mbilinyi B, Mukama K, Msuya C, Platts PJ, Safari I, Spawls S, Shennan-Farpon Y, Burgess ND. Tanzania's reptile biodiversity: Distribution, threats and climate change vulnerability. Biological Conservation. 2016; 204(1): 72-82.
  37. Harrington LA, Auliya M, Eckman H, Harrington AP, Macdonald DW, D'Cruze N. Live wild animal exports to supply the exotic pet trade: A case study from Togo using publicly available social media data. Conservation Science and Practice. 2021; 3(7): e430.
  38. Kilawe CJ, Baltazary IS, Malila BP, Lyimo PJ, Mwakalukwa EE. Replacement of native trees by the neotropical invasive tree Cedrela odorata in the Kimboza Forest Reserve, Tanzania. Biological Invasions. 2023; 25(12): 3697-3710.
  39. Rech I, Ginal P, Rauhaus A, Ziegler T, Rödder D. Geckos in zoos: A global approach on distribution patterns of threatened geckos (Gekkota) in zoological institutions. Journal for Nature Conservation. 2023; 75: 126467.
  40. Martin P, Bateson P. Measuring behaviour: an introductory guide (2nd Edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1993.
  41. Pandav BN, Shanbhag BA, Saidapur SK. Ethogram of courtship and mating behaviour of garden lizard, Calotes. Current Science. 2007; 93(8): 1164-1167.
  42. Wilkinson A, Chan HM, Hall G. Spatial learning and memory in the tortoise (Geochelone carbonaria). J Comp Psychol. 2007 Nov;121(4):412-8. doi: 10.1037/0735-7036.121.4.412. PMID: 18085925.
  43. Mueller-Paul J, Wilkinson A, Hall G, Huber L. Response-stereotypy in the jewelled lizard (Timon lepidus) in a radial-arm maze. Herpetology Notes. 2012; 5(2): 243.

Figures:

Figure 1

Figure 1

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 1

Figure 3

Figure 1

Figure 4

Figure 1

Figure 5

Similar Articles

  • A Gecko-eye View of Naturalistic Enclosures
    Victoria Davies, Abigail Heaman and James Brereton* Victoria Davies, Abigail Heaman, James Brereton*. A Gecko-eye View of Naturalistic Enclosures. . 2023 doi: 10.29328/journal.ibm.1001026; 7: 013-019

Recently Viewed

Read More

Most Viewed

Read More

Help ?