Age-Dependent Enclosure Use in Juvenile Chinese Crocodile Lizards, Shinisaurus crocodilurus crocodilurus

Kimberley C Carter,Daniel Kane,James J Hicks,Christopher J Michaels,Benjamin Tapley

doi:10.3390/jzbg2030029

Abstract

This study compared the resource use of juvenile zoo-living Chinese crocodile lizards, Shinisaurus crocodilurus crocodilurus across three observation windows, spanning nine months, accounting for time of day and lizard age, and under consistent environmental conditions. Lizards showed a significant difference in proportionate resource use, quantified using a modified spread of participation indices between the second and final sampling period, such that with increasing age, resources were more equally utilised. The time of day did not have a significant effect on resource use. Lizards in this study significantly increased their use of water bodies and branches outside the bask zone and decreased their use of the land areas within the bask zones over time. Resource use data suggests the importance of providing enclosures which cater to ontogenetic shifts in captive individuals or within mixed age groupings.

Highlights

Juvenile Chinese Crocodile Lizards, Understanding how individuals of a particular species utilise their enclosures and the resources available to them can help to inform captive management and enclosure design, as well as aiding in assessing animal welfare
One conception of animal welfare is described as how well an animal can cope in its environment [1,2]
The size of an animal may impact resource utilisation in mixed age captive groups and may constrain juveniles to niches that are not being used by adults, regardless of whether or not it is appropriate for their welfare [4]

Summary

Introduction

Juvenile Chinese Crocodile Lizards, Understanding how individuals of a particular species utilise their enclosures and the resources available to them can help to inform captive management and enclosure design, as well as aiding in assessing animal welfare. The lizards in the 3rd observation period had increased use of the resources water

Results

Conclusion