Hellmuth Heidi, Augustine Lauren, Watkins Barbara, Hope Katharine
Department of Animal Programs, Smithsonian's National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008, USA.
Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2012 Sep;15(3):425-43. doi: 10.1016/j.cvex.2012.06.003. Epub 2012 Aug 14.
In addition to being a large component of most zoological collections, reptile species are becoming more popular as family pets. Reptiles have the cognitive ability to be trained to facilitate daily husbandry and veterinary care. Desensitization and operant conditioning can alleviate some of the behavioral and physiological challenges of treating these species. A survey of reptile training programs at zoos in the United States and worldwide reveals that there are many successful training programs to facilitate veterinary care and minimize stress to the animal. Many of the techniques being used to train reptiles in zoological settings are transferable to the exotic pet clinician.
除了是大多数动物学收藏的重要组成部分外，爬行动物作为家庭宠物也越来越受欢迎。爬行动物具有接受训练的认知能力，以方便日常饲养和兽医护理。脱敏和操作性条件反射可以减轻治疗这些物种时的一些行为和生理挑战。一项对美国和全球动物园爬行动物训练项目的调查显示，有许多成功的训练项目来促进兽医护理并将动物的压力降至最低。在动物园环境中用于训练爬行动物的许多技术都可以应用于外来宠物临床医生。
