| Autor: |
Warwick C; Emergent Disease Foundation, Suite 114, 80 Churchill Square Business Centre, King's Hill, Kent ME19 4YU, UK., Grant R; School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Rd, London SE1 0AA, UK., Steedman C; Emergent Disease Foundation, Suite 114, 80 Churchill Square Business Centre, King's Hill, Kent ME19 4YU, UK., Howell TJ; School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3552, Australia., Arena PC; Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) Department, Murdoch University, Mandurah, WA 6210, Australia., Lambiris AJL; Emergent Disease Foundation, Suite 114, 80 Churchill Square Business Centre, King's Hill, Kent ME19 4YU, UK., Nash AE; Colorado Reptile Humane Society, 13941 Elmore Road, Longmont, Colorado, CO 80504, USA., Jessop M; Veterinary Expert, P.O. Box 575, Swansea SA8 9AW, UK., Pilny A; Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital, 2340 E Beardsley Road Ste 100, Phoenix, Arizona, AZ 85024, USA., Amarello M; Advocates for Snake Preservation, P.O. Box 2752, Silver City, NM 88062, USA., Gorzula S; Freelance Consultant, 7724 Glenister Drive, Springfield, VA 22152, USA., Spain M; Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, 370 Zoo Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32218, USA., Walton A; Dewdney Animal Hospital, 11965 228th Street, Maple Ridge, BC V2X 6M1, Canada., Nicholas E; Notting Hill Medivet, 106 Talbot Road, London W11 1JR, UK., Mancera K; Facultad deMedicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Insurgentes Sur s/n, Ciudad Universitaria CDMX, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico., Whitehead M; Chipping Norton Veterinary Hospital, Banbury Road, Chipping Norton OX7 5SY, UK., Martínez-Silvestre A; Catalonian Reptiles and Amphibians Rescue Centre (CRARC), 08783 Masquefa, Spain., Cadenas V; Animal Protection Biodiversity & Environment Section, Government of Catalonia, 43004 Tarragona, Spain., Whittaker A; School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia., Wilson A; Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine, 562 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10024, USA. |
| Abstrakt: |
Snakes are sentient animals and should be subject to the accepted general welfare principles of other species. However, they are also the only vertebrates commonly housed in conditions that prevent them from adopting rectilinear behavior (ability to fully stretch out). To assess the evidence bases for historical and current guidance on snake spatial considerations, we conducted a literature search and review regarding recommendations consistent with or specifying ≥1 × and <1 × snake length enclosure size. We identified 65 publications referring to snake enclosure sizes, which were separated into three categories: peer-reviewed literature (article or chapter appearing in a peer-reviewed journal or book, n = 31), grey literature (government or other report or scientific letter, n = 18), and opaque literature (non-scientifically indexed reports, care sheets, articles, husbandry books, website or other information for which originating source is not based on scientific evidence or where scientific evidence was not provided, n = 16). We found that recommendations suggesting enclosure sizes shorter than the snakes were based entirely on decades-old 'rule of thumb' practices that were unsupported by scientific evidence. In contrast, recommendations suggesting enclosure sizes that allowed snakes to fully stretch utilized scientific evidence and considerations of animal welfare. Providing snakes with enclosures that enable them to fully stretch does not suggest that so doing allows adequate space for all necessary normal and important considerations. However, such enclosures are vital to allow for a limited number of essential welfare-associated behaviors, of which rectilinear posturing is one, making them absolute minimum facilities even for short-term housing. |
