Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-17T17:18:11.607Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A persistent abnormal repetitive behaviour in a false water cobra (Hydrodynastes gigas)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

CJ Michaels ,
BF Gini  and
L Clifforde
CJ Michaels*
Affiliation:
Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
BF Gini
Affiliation:
Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
L Clifforde
Affiliation:
Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
*
* Contact for correspondence: [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.

Stereotypies (a subset of Abnormal Repetitive Behaviour [ARB]) are characterised by an unchanging pattern of behaviour and in captive animals can be associated with poor welfare. Although well known in certain taxa, little is known about both welfare and ARBs in reptiles, especially snakes. We document an instance of an ARB in a captive snake species (Hydrodynastes gigas), set it in the context of husbandry in zoos, and assess efforts to reduce it. The stereotypy consisted of a fixed pattern of movement against the enclosure's viewing window. Ethographic data were used to focally sample the animal's behaviour over several months in the context of different enrichment interventions. Modified Spread of Participation Indices (mSPIs) were also calculated to quantify the evenness of enclosure use. The snake spent considerable portions of time (47% of observations) performing a behaviour that fulfils the criteria for stereotypy. mSPI data suggested a possible welfare impact of the behaviour on the snake. Zoos holding this species globally were surveyed about observations of similar behaviour and one other institution reported similar behaviour. Standard husbandry practice (A) was used alternately in an ABAC format with prey scent trails (B) and modified feeding schedules (C), representing enrichment types based on species’ natural history. Neither stereotyping frequency nor mSPI was found to be significantly affected by any of the enrichments. Our results, interpretation of which is limited by the paucity of data on snakes, uncover stereotypies in snakes and suggest that, as with other taxa, ARBs may be resistant to strategies employed to reduce them.

Keywords

abnormal repetitive behaviouranimal welfareenrichmentfalse water cobra snakereptilestereotypic behaviour
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 29 , Issue 4 , November 2020 , pp. 371 - 378
Copyright
© 2020 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Augustsson, H, Van De Weerd, HA, Kruitwagen, CL and Baumans, V 2003 Effect of enrichment on variation and results in the light/dark test. Laboratory Animals 37: 328–340. https://doi.org/10.1258/002367703322389898CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Benn, AL, McLelland, DJ and Whittaker, AL 2019 A review of welfare assessment methods in reptiles, and prelim-inary application of the Welfare Quality® protocol to the pygmy blue-tongue skink, Tiliqua adelaidensis, using animal-based measures. Animals 9: 27. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9010027CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burghardt, GM 2013 Environmental enrichment and cognitive complexity in reptiles and amphibians: concepts, review, and implications for captive populations. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 147: 286–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applan-im.2013.04.013CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burghardt, GM, Ward, B and Rosscoe, R 1996 Problem of rep-tile play: Environmental enrichment and play behavior in a captive Nile soft-shelled turtle, Trionyx triunguis. Zoo Biology 15: 223–238. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1996)15:3<223::AID-ZOO3>3.0.CO;2-D3.0.CO;2-D>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clegg, I, Borger-Turner, J and Eskelinen, HC 2015 The devel-opment of a welfare assessment index for captive bottlenose dol-phins (Tursiops truncatus). Animal Welfare 24: 267–282. https://doi.org/10.7120/09627286.24.3.267CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Azevedo, CS, Cipreste, CF and Young, RJ 2007 Environmental enrichment: a GAP analysis. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 102: 329–343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applan-im.2006.05.034CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dugard, P, File, P, Todman, J and Todman, JB 2012 Single-case and Small-n Experimental Designs: A Practical Guide To Randomization Tests. Routledge: New York, USA. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203180938CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garner, JP 2005 Stereotypies and other abnormal repetitive behaviors: potential impact on validity, reliability, and replicability of scientific outcomes. ILAR Journal 46: 106–117. https://doi.org/10.1093/ilar.46.2.106CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hoser, RT 2018 The deadly duo. Sperm storage and synchronized breeding, identified via the world's first captive breedings of Australian Copperhead Snakes (Austrelaps Worrell, 1963) and also in captive bred Tiger Snakes (Notechis Boulenger,1896). Australasian Journal of Herpetology 36: 6–10Google Scholar
Kauffeld, CF 1953 Methods of feeding captive snakes. Herpetologica 9: 129–131Google Scholar
Landová, E, Marešová, J, Šimková, O, Cikánová, V and Frynta, D 2012 Human responses to live snakes and their photo-graphs: evaluation of beauty and fear of the king snakes. Journal of Environmental Psychology 32: 69–77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2011.10.005CrossRefGoogle Scholar
López, MS and Giraudo, AR 2004 Diet of the large water snake Hydrodynastes gigas (Colubridae) from northeast Argentina. Amphibia Reptilia 25: 178–184. https://doi.org/10.1163/1568538041231148CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marashi, V, Barnekow, A and Sachser, N 2004 Effects of envi-ronmental enrichment on males of a docile inbred strain of mice. Physiology and Behavior 82: 765–776. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2004.05.009CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, P and Bateson, P 1993 Measuring Behavior: An Introductory Guide. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139168342CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mason, G 2006 Stereotypic behaviour in captive animals: Fundamentals and implications for welfare and beyond. In: Mason, G and Rushden, J (eds) Stereotypic Animal Behaviour: Fundamentals And Applications To Welfare pp 325–351. CAB International: Wallingford, UK. https://doi.org/10.1079/9780851990040.0000CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mason, G, Clubb, R, Latham, N and Vickery, S 2007 Why and how should we use environmental enrichment to tackle stereo-typic behavior? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 102: 163–188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2006.05.041CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mason, GJ 1991 Stereotypies: a critical review. Animal Behaviour 41: 1015–1037. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-3472(05)80640-2CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mason, GJ and Clubb, R 2004 Pacing polar bears and stoical sheep: testing ecological and evolutionary hypotheses about ani-mal welfare. Animal Welfare 13: S33–S40Google Scholar
Mason, GJ and Latham, N 2004 Can't stop, won't stop: is stereo-typy a reliable animal welfare indicator? Animal Welfare 13: S57–S69CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mendyk, RW 2014 Is limited space the final frontier? Maximizing surface area in reptile enclosures. Animal Keeper's Forum 41: 308–311Google Scholar
Michaels, CJ, Gini, BF and Preziosi, RF 2014 The importance of natural history and species-specific approaches in amphibian ex-situ conservation. The Herpetological Journal 24: 135–145Google Scholar
Plowman, AB 2003 A note on a modification of the spread of participation index allowing for unequal zones. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 83: 331–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(03)00142-4CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Species360 2019 Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS). zims.Species360.orgGoogle Scholar
Strüssmann, C 1990 Uma tatica de caça da serpente Hydrodynastes gigas no pantanal, mato grosso. Memorias du Instituto Butantan 52: 57–61. [Title translation: A hunting tactic of the snake Hydrodynastes gigas in the thick wetland bush]Google Scholar
Swaisgood, RR and Shepherdson, DJ 2005 Scientific approach-es to enrichment and stereotypies in zoo animals: what's been done and where should we go next? Zoo Biology 24: 499–518. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.20066CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tanious, R and Onghena, P 2019 Randomized single-case exper-imental designs in healthcare research: What, why, and how? Healthcare 7: 143–163. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare7040143CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Therrien, CL, Gaster, L, Cunningham-Smith, P and Manire, CA 2007 Experimental evaluation of environmental enrichment of sea turtles. Zoo Biology 26: 407–416. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.20145CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warwick, C, Arena, P, Lindley, S, Jessop, M and Steedman, C 2013 Assessing reptile welfare using behavioural criteria. In Practice 35: 123–131. https://doi.org/10.1136/inp.f1197CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zwart, P 2001 Pathophysiology: Assessment of the husbandry problems of reptiles on the basis of pathophysiological findings: A review. Veterinary Quarterly 23: 140–147. https://doi.org/10.1080/01652176.2001.9695103CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed