Use of Blood Lactate in Assessment of Manual Capture Techniques of Zoo-Housed Crocodilians.

ABSTRACT: Species-specific welfare indicators are important in promoting positive welfare for zoo animals. Reptiles are a notoriously understudied group in regards to behavior, welfare needs, and husbandry requirements. Using opportunistically obtained samples, we evaluated how blood lactate is affected by variation in manual capture and restraint in crocodilians. Lactate is an indicator of anerobic metabolism in reptiles. It offers a relatively simple and indirect way to assess physiological stress. Determining the best way to reduce struggling during capture and associated stress is of great importance to these species' overall welfare. Blood samples (N = 53) were collected from 10 different species of crocodilians. It was found that age class was a significant predictor variable of lactate levels

SUBMITTER: Molinaro HG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8833426 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature