Abstract
Exotic animals, such as reptiles, are becoming increasingly popular as pets. However the welfare of these animals in captivity has been largely neglected as an area for scientific research. This thesis studied the behaviour of one of the most popular pet reptiles - the corn snake. In particular, the effects of different housing conditions on the behaviour of the corn snake was examined, with the aim of assessing the impact of housing conditions on the welfare of this species.Experiment 1 investigated the preferences of 18 juvenile corn snakes for different environmental features. Snakes showed a preference for newspaper or bark chippings, over sand or artificial grass, providing support that corn snakes prefer a substrate that allows hiding behaviour. Snakes also showed preferences for a large over a small hide box; a large over a small water dish; and, a covered over an uncovered climbing branch. All of these preferences could be explained by the fact that they offered something extra, in terms of the behaviour(s) which they allowed a snake to perform.
These results were then used to create the experimental housing conditions used in the thesis. Snakes were housed in cages varying in size (large or small) and type (naturalistic or clinical) and the effects of housing size and type on various snake behaviours was studied. Snakes were studied: in a novel environment (experiment 2): on a spatial learning task (experiment 3); and, their general behaviour and activity observed in their home cage (experiment 4).
Enclosure type was found to affect only 2 behaviours in the novel environment (number of visits to outer perimeter and transparent boundary squares), with snakes from naturalistic housing showing higher levels of each. These were interpreted as indicative of cover-seeking or escape behaviours, which are normal for the species and the situation. In experiment 4, naturalistic housing also resulted in more time spent active in the air, another behaviour appropriate to the species. No consistent effects of enclosure size or type, or evidence of learning, were found in the spatial ability task.
Enclosure size was found to be quite influential on the behaviour and general activity of the snakes. Snakes from small enclosures displayed greater levels of behaviour suggestive of escape attempts, namely greater activity in the air. Also, activity in the air and total activity on the ground increased over time, suggesting that snakes from small enclosures became increasingly restless and showed increased escape behaviours, with longer time in the conditions. Snakes from the large enclosures showed behaviour that suggested they became more settled and less anxious as time passed, namely decreasing times active in the air and total time active.
Naturalistic housing was concluded to be better for the welfare of captive juvenile corn snakes, as it encouraged climbing, which is a natural and appropriate behaviour for the species. In this sense, a climbing branch is an appropriate enrichment device for captive corn snakes. The large enclosure size was concluded as better for welfare, given the lower levels of escape behaviours shown. The area of captive snake welfare is one requiring much more scientific research.
| Date of Award | Dec 2004 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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