Reptile welfare assessment tool development
Development of a behavioural welfare assessment tool for routine use with captive reptiles
Reptiles are commonly housed in wildlife parks and zoos, and are increasingly being kept as pets.
Husbandry of reptiles is complex; signs of pain or disease can be challenging to recognise, and behaviour is not always well understood.
This project will build on preliminary work in developing a practical welfare assessment tool for captive reptiles.
It is our intention to develop a list of animal-based welfare indicators through expert consultation. The list of indicators will then be trialled for reliability on a range of species of captive reptiles housed at Adelaide and Melbourne zoos.
Supervisor
Co-supervisor: Dr David McLelland - Zoos SA
Research area: Animal welfare, animal and veterinary sciences, behavioural neuroscience
Recommended honours enrolment: Honours in Animal Science or Honours in Ecology and Environmental Science