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Title: The Effectiveness of Simple Environmental Enrichment on the Activity of Captive Tortoises
Author: Paul Barnes
Establishment: Kings College London / Writtle College
Summary: The health and welfare of many species of animals have been improved by environmental enrichment however there has been a lack of studies examining the behavioural and welfare needs of reptiles and specifically tortoises. This study examines the change in activity budget when some simple environmental enrichment, in the form of scatter feeding, is applied to a small group of captive tortoises (Geochelone sulcata). Significant differences were observed in all recorded behaviours and the scope for increased tortoise and reptile welfare is considered in the wider context of animal welfare science.
Complete article:
The time budget of four male Sulcatta tortoises (G. sulcata) was observed during feeding time. Environmental enrichment was then added to stimulate foraging behaviour and a new time budget was recorded to detect any change in behaviour. Four particular behaviours were noted: stationary, walking, eating and ‘pacing’ (one individual paced around the potted plant in the enclosure continuously after feeding as noted in a pilot study).
The tortoises were observed using scan sampling methods, recording behaviour at 60 second intervals. These recordings began when food was placed in the enclosure and continued for one hour. This was repeated seven times and then the same duration of observations were recorded in the presence of enrichment. Generally the tortoises are fed at a single site in the enclosure, so scatter feeding was used as the enrichment feeding variable in this study.
The performance of locomotion and feeding behaviour significantly increased in the presence of the enrichment, whilst stationary and pacing behaviour decreased. In fact, the pacing behaviour exhibited by the one individual completely ceased with the presence of enrichment
This study confirms that scatter feeding presents the tortoises with the physical challenge of moving to different places in order to satiate their desire for food. The presence of ‘pacing’ entirely ceased during enrichment and this can be explained as a direct result of engaging in natural behaviours to obtain food. This evidence of a stereotypical behaviour in tortoises may bring proof of their behavioural need for high welfare, which may have been ignored by collectors in the past, due to a perceived lack of complexity of tortoise species due to their ‘slowness’.
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