Reptile Enrichment Live!

This presentation was recorded live on Sunday, September 8, 2024, at the All American Reptile and Plant Expo in Castle Rock, Colorado. The presenter is Lori Torrini from Behavior Education at Spirit Keeper Animal Sanctuary.

The Five Enrichment Categories discussed are those defined by the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) as Cognitive, Dietary, Physical, Sensory, and Social.

Useful terms:
Conspecific - belonging to the same species.
Enrichment (AZA) - A process to ensure that the behavioral and physical needs of an animal are being met by providing opportunities for species-appropriate behaviors and choices.
Looming-sensitive cells - neurons that detect looming stimuli, which are visual motion signals that indicate an object is approaching a collision. These cells are found in many animal species and are important for helping animals avoid collisions and predators.
Pathogenetic - relating to pathogenesis or pathogenic, and is an adjective that describes something that causes or is capable of causing disease.

The looming sensitive cells study involving lizards mentioned took place in Jacky's Dragons not Western Fence Lizards. "Detection of a looming stimulus by the Jacky dragon: selective sensitivity to characteristics of an aerial predator" (Carlile, et al., 2006). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...
Carlile, P. A., Peters, R. A., & Evans, C. S. (2006). Detection of a looming stimulus by the Jacky dragon: selective sensitivity to characteristics of an aerial predator. Animal behaviour, 72(3), 553-562.

The following papers are on behavior of the Western Fence Lizards, a species mentioned in the lecture:
1. Sheldahl, L. A., & Martins, E. P. (2000). The territorial behavior of the western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis. Herpetologica, 469-479.
2. Asbury, D. A., & Adolph, S. C. (2007). Behavioural plasticity in an ecological generalist: microhabitat use by western fence lizards. Evolutionary Ecology Research, 9(5), 801-815.
3. Zani, P. A. (2001). Clinging performance of the western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis. Herpetologica, 423-432.
4. Meyer, J. J. (1998). Social behavior of the Western Fence Lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis (Master's thesis, California State University, Fullerton).
5. Haenel, G. J., Smith, L. C., & John-Alder, H. B. (2003). Home-range analysis in Sceloporus undulatus (eastern fence lizard). I. Spacing patterns and the context of territorial behavior. Copeia, 2003(1), 99-112.

IAABC stand for the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (The acronym was stated incorrectly in the beginning of the presentation. The following are links to the webinar and reptile enrichment article mentioned as well as an article about gecko enrichment:

https://iaabcfoundation.org/courses/e...
https://learning.iaabcfoundation.org/...
https://journal.iaabcfoundation.org/e...
https://journal.iaabcfoundation.org/g...

Here are additional articles about training snakes and potential neurological impacts of captivity:
https://journal.iaabcfoundation.org/t...

Step by Step Target Training Playlist:    • Step by Step Target Training Snakes  

https://journal.iaabcfoundation.org/s...
Accompanying video link to above article:    • Neural Consequences of Environment fo...  

Lori Torrini, CPDT-KA, AAB-UW, FFCP-Trainer
AAS Zoo Keeping, BSc Animal Health and Behavior, MPS Animal Science and Behavior
Fear Free Certifications: Veterinary, Equine, Shelters, Trainer
www.BehaviorEducation.org
www.Patreon.com/BehaviorEducation
www.SpiritKeeperAnimalSanctuary.org