Would you be able to recognize if
your reptiles were suffering from
stress by their behaviour? This is
something that researchers at the
University of Lincoln in the UK have been
investigating, and their research is really
interesting. The team focused on bearded dragons and red-footed tortoises.
An animal’s response to an unfamiliar environment is a commonly used as a method in mammals and birds to determine their welfare. Yet before the Lincoln team could adopt this approach, they needed to know how reptiles respond to an unfamiliar environment, and if those individuals taking part would show a marked behavioral variation in response to familiar versus unfamiliar environments.
So the reptiles were initially familiarized with one of two environments, and their behavior recorded. After this, they were moved to the second, unfamiliar environment, and their behavioral responses in the two contrasting environments were compared. Their behavior was analyzed using pre-existing indicators, derived from mammalian and avian behavior, such as displaying a willingness to move and the time spent moving around the enclosures. Specific indicators for each type of reptile, such as tongue-flicking and tongue surface contact for the bearded dragons, plus neck extension for the tortoises were also used.
The investigation found that the stress-induced behavior caused by an unfamiliar environment is a valuable welfare indicator for the red-footed tortoise. These reptiles displayed hesitation when starting to move in the unfamiliar environment, as well as reduced neck extension. Interestingly, however, the longer that a tortoise spent in either environment, the further the neck was extended, suggesting that relaxation occurred over time regardless of where the tortoise was being housed.


Since 1993 REPTILES magazine has been bringing readers articles written by experts about reptile and amphibian care, veterinary topics, conservation issues, natural history and all things “herp.” Whether you’re a beginner looking to get your first pet reptile, an experienced keeper wanting to try something new, or if you simply love reading about reptiles, there’s something for everyone in every bimonthly issue. Other reptile magazines have come and gone, but thanks to its expert writers and loyal readers, REPTILES continues to provide the must-have information that’s needed by those who keep these fascinating animals.

In many situations though, keeping a dog or even a cat is not a feasible option, especially if you are normally out during the day. Reptiles and amphibians on the other hand represent a much more easily managed group of pets, and also, following the initial set-up costs, their ongoing maintenance is very much cheaper as well. You can easily reduce the food bill by growing or collecting wild plants from safe areas for a pet tortoise for example.
There’s also tremendous scope too, when it comes to choosing a cold-blooded pet, whether you are simply seeking a companion with character, such as a bearded dragon, or prefer to create a stunning naturalistic display housing amphibians perhaps. Plus of course, it can be
exciting to observe the behaviour of species that you are keeping, and learn more about them on a daily basis, simply by watching them. Breeding overs even greater possibilities of course, providing a unique insight into the natural world that relatively few people will have been privileged

There are a host of projects that could be set up and run to provide
both local employment and assist conservation work in poor countries
with growing human populations that have little money to spend on
conserving their own natural resources. Many species of reptile and
amphibian could then benefi t as a result, if their habitat was not being
destroyed.
This type of approach could also be combined with captivebreeding
centers producing stock for release, to boost the numbers of
vulnerable species in areas where suitable habitat is being
re-generated again. There could then be additional human benefi ts
too. More frogs would consume larger numbers of mosquito larvae
and adult mosquitos, and in turn, this would naturally help to control
the malarial parasite.
Finally, in these very uncertain times, stay safe and enjoy your
herps. Don’t forget that you can always log on to our website at
reptilemagazine.com and enjoy much more reptile-related content
there.

Did you catch the recent report on the tv news channel CNN that featured Monkfield Nutrition? By way of background, the
company has been well-known for breeding
crickets and other live foods for many years in the
UK, supplying pet stores across the country
there. It has developed a massive, purpose-built breeding facility, pioneering the way forward in this field.

I am particularly delighted to be able to include the insightful story on the return of the mountain chicken to its native islands in Caribbean in this issue. It is a truly remarkable conservation success story which spans continents.
And just in case you think the mountain chicken is a bird, you’d be wrong! It’s a very distinctive amphibian. But there are parallels here with birds, in terms of the conservation methods being employed in the battle to raise public awareness and safeguard this frog’s future. Originally, most of the islands in the Caribbean had their own very unique species of parrot, many of which have gone extinct since Europeans started to colonise the region at the end of the fifteenth century.
Back in 1977 however, an Englishman called Paul Butler set out to reverse this trend, by helping to raise awareness of the uniqueness of these birds, initially on St Lucia and then Dominica. He enlisted the help of local schoolchildren, using their enthusiasm to drive forward the conservation message with older generations.
Our story about the mountain chicken takes you into the field, and highlights how Butler’s policy of engagement is now being used once again to help the fragile recovery of this species in the wild - a tough task, from some points of view, given that these frogs were highly sought after as a traditionalgourmetdishontheislandswheretheyoccur! Butwithstrong advocates on the ground, plus the latest scientific help, so the future is now looking much brighter for these unique amphibians.

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Reptiles Magazine - Nov/Dec 2020

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