Anthrozoology Research Group, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Emergent Disease Foundation, Tonbridge, Kent, UK.
Vet Rec. 2020 Aug 8;187(3):114. doi: 10.1136/vr.105409. Epub 2020 Feb 25.
A large number of snakes are kept as pets in Western societies. Few studies have been undertaken to assess keeping practices of snakes by private owners in Australia. Therefore, there is concern that some owners may not understand even basic husbandry requirements. The aim of this preliminary study was to identify the most common practices used by snake owners in Victoria, Australia.
An online survey asked 251 snake owners to describe ways in which they attempt to meet their snake's environmental, behavioural, dietary, social and health needs.
Fewer than half of participants had an enclosure large enough for the snake to fully stretch out, and just over half had an enclosure large enough to meet the requirements in the Victorian Code of Practice. Only 60 per cent of owners correctly identified their snake's activity patterns based on information about wild snakes of the same species.
Educational campaigns may help improve outcomes for snakes in the future, but more research is needed about captive snake husbandry, to provide an evidence base for informing snake management recommendations.
在西方社会，大量的蛇被当作宠物饲养。很少有研究评估澳大利亚私人饲养者饲养蛇的做法。因此，有人担心一些饲养者甚至可能不了解基本的饲养要求。本初步研究的目的是确定澳大利亚维多利亚州蛇类饲养者最常见的做法。
一项在线调查询问了 251 名蛇类饲养者，他们描述了试图满足蛇类环境、行为、饮食、社交和健康需求的方法。
不到一半的参与者拥有足够大的饲养空间让蛇完全伸展，只有一半以上的参与者拥有足够大的饲养空间来满足维多利亚州实践准则的要求。只有 60%的饲养者能够根据同一种野生蛇的信息正确识别其蛇的活动模式。
教育活动可能有助于改善未来蛇类的饲养环境，但需要对圈养蛇的饲养进行更多的研究，为告知蛇类管理建议提供证据基础。
