Out of Sight, Out of Mind or Just Something in the Way? Visual Barriers Do Not Reduce Intraspecific Agonism in an All-Male Group of Nile Crocodiles (<i>Crocodylus niloticus</i>)
Here, we evaluated if visual barriers could reduce intraspecific agonism in an all-male group of Nile crocodiles (<i>Crocodylus niloticus</i>) living in a zoo. Crocodiles were monitored for nearly 100 h, and four “hotspots” of aggression within their exhibit were identified. Within these...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/3/269 |
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| author | Austin Leeds Alex Riley Megan Terry Marcus Mazorra Lindsay Wick Scott Krug Kristen Wolfe Ike Leonard Andy Daneault Andrew C. Alba Angela Miller Joseph Soltis |
| author_facet | Austin Leeds Alex Riley Megan Terry Marcus Mazorra Lindsay Wick Scott Krug Kristen Wolfe Ike Leonard Andy Daneault Andrew C. Alba Angela Miller Joseph Soltis |
| author_sort | Austin Leeds |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Here, we evaluated if visual barriers could reduce intraspecific agonism in an all-male group of Nile crocodiles (<i>Crocodylus niloticus</i>) living in a zoo. Crocodiles were monitored for nearly 100 h, and four “hotspots” of aggression within their exhibit were identified. Within these four locations, visual barriers were placed at the surface of the water with the goal of reducing agonism by targeting sight lines associated with their species-typical minimum exposure posture, where crocodiles submerge their body but maintain facial sensory organs above the water line. Crocodile behavior was then monitored for 226 h, evaluating both short- and long-term effects of the visual barriers. In both observation periods, intraspecific agonism was unaffected by visual barriers. However, crocodiles were more likely to be on land and closer together, after the barriers were installed, showing the barriers affected nonagonistic behaviors. Monitoring of such unintended effects is significant to ensure no welfare concerns are created in any exhibit or husbandry modification attempt. Additionally, time of day and temperature were significant predictors of behavior, highlighting the importance of such factors in the analysis of reptilian behavior. While ineffective at reducing agonism, this is the first published study evaluating exhibit design and behavior of crocodilians in zoos and aquariums. The methodologies and findings here should provide useful information for future behavioral and welfare studies of this understudied taxa. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:19:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-810f6578e3af484ead6620961482d217 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:19:01Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-810f6578e3af484ead6620961482d2172023-11-23T15:46:57ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152022-01-0112326910.3390/ani12030269Out of Sight, Out of Mind or Just Something in the Way? Visual Barriers Do Not Reduce Intraspecific Agonism in an All-Male Group of Nile Crocodiles (<i>Crocodylus niloticus</i>)Austin Leeds0Alex Riley1Megan Terry2Marcus Mazorra3Lindsay Wick4Scott Krug5Kristen Wolfe6Ike Leonard7Andy Daneault8Andrew C. Alba9Angela Miller10Joseph Soltis11Animals, Science and Environment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom<sup>®</sup>, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, USAAnimals, Science and Environment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom<sup>®</sup>, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, USAAnimals, Science and Environment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom<sup>®</sup>, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, USAAnimals, Science and Environment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom<sup>®</sup>, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, USAAnimals, Science and Environment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom<sup>®</sup>, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, USAAnimals, Science and Environment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom<sup>®</sup>, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, USAAnimals, Science and Environment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom<sup>®</sup>, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, USAAnimals, Science and Environment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom<sup>®</sup>, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, USAAnimals, Science and Environment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom<sup>®</sup>, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, USAAnimals, Science and Environment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom<sup>®</sup>, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, USAAnimals, Science and Environment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom<sup>®</sup>, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, USAAnimals, Science and Environment, Disney’s Animal Kingdom<sup>®</sup>, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, USAHere, we evaluated if visual barriers could reduce intraspecific agonism in an all-male group of Nile crocodiles (<i>Crocodylus niloticus</i>) living in a zoo. Crocodiles were monitored for nearly 100 h, and four “hotspots” of aggression within their exhibit were identified. Within these four locations, visual barriers were placed at the surface of the water with the goal of reducing agonism by targeting sight lines associated with their species-typical minimum exposure posture, where crocodiles submerge their body but maintain facial sensory organs above the water line. Crocodile behavior was then monitored for 226 h, evaluating both short- and long-term effects of the visual barriers. In both observation periods, intraspecific agonism was unaffected by visual barriers. However, crocodiles were more likely to be on land and closer together, after the barriers were installed, showing the barriers affected nonagonistic behaviors. Monitoring of such unintended effects is significant to ensure no welfare concerns are created in any exhibit or husbandry modification attempt. Additionally, time of day and temperature were significant predictors of behavior, highlighting the importance of such factors in the analysis of reptilian behavior. While ineffective at reducing agonism, this is the first published study evaluating exhibit design and behavior of crocodilians in zoos and aquariums. The methodologies and findings here should provide useful information for future behavioral and welfare studies of this understudied taxa.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/3/269animal behavioranimal welfarezoo exhibit designvisual barrierreptile behaviorreptile welfare |
| spellingShingle | Austin Leeds Alex Riley Megan Terry Marcus Mazorra Lindsay Wick Scott Krug Kristen Wolfe Ike Leonard Andy Daneault Andrew C. Alba Angela Miller Joseph Soltis Out of Sight, Out of Mind or Just Something in the Way? Visual Barriers Do Not Reduce Intraspecific Agonism in an All-Male Group of Nile Crocodiles (<i>Crocodylus niloticus</i>) Animals animal behavior animal welfare zoo exhibit design visual barrier reptile behavior reptile welfare |
| title | Out of Sight, Out of Mind or Just Something in the Way? Visual Barriers Do Not Reduce Intraspecific Agonism in an All-Male Group of Nile Crocodiles (<i>Crocodylus niloticus</i>) |
| title_full | Out of Sight, Out of Mind or Just Something in the Way? Visual Barriers Do Not Reduce Intraspecific Agonism in an All-Male Group of Nile Crocodiles (<i>Crocodylus niloticus</i>) |
| title_fullStr | Out of Sight, Out of Mind or Just Something in the Way? Visual Barriers Do Not Reduce Intraspecific Agonism in an All-Male Group of Nile Crocodiles (<i>Crocodylus niloticus</i>) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Out of Sight, Out of Mind or Just Something in the Way? Visual Barriers Do Not Reduce Intraspecific Agonism in an All-Male Group of Nile Crocodiles (<i>Crocodylus niloticus</i>) |
| title_short | Out of Sight, Out of Mind or Just Something in the Way? Visual Barriers Do Not Reduce Intraspecific Agonism in an All-Male Group of Nile Crocodiles (<i>Crocodylus niloticus</i>) |
| title_sort | out of sight out of mind or just something in the way visual barriers do not reduce intraspecific agonism in an all male group of nile crocodiles i crocodylus niloticus i |
| topic | animal behavior animal welfare zoo exhibit design visual barrier reptile behavior reptile welfare |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/3/269 |
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