Warwick Clifford, Grant Rachel, Steedman Catrina, Howell Tiffani J, Arena Phillip C, Lambiris Angelo J L, Nash Ann-Elizabeth, Jessop Mike, Pilny Anthony, Amarello Melissa, Gorzula Steve, Spain Marisa, Walton Adrian, Nicholas Emma, Mancera Karen, Whitehead Martin, Martínez-Silvestre Albert, Cadenas Vanessa, Whittaker Alexandra, Wilson Alix
Emergent Disease Foundation, Suite 114, 80 Churchill Square Business Centre, King's Hill, Kent ME19 4YU, UK.
School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Rd, London SE1 0AA, UK.
Animals (Basel). 2021 May 19;11(5):1459. doi: 10.3390/ani11051459.
Snakes are sentient animals and should be subject to the accepted general welfare principles of other species. However, they are also the only vertebrates commonly housed in conditions that prevent them from adopting rectilinear behavior (ability to fully stretch out). To assess the evidence bases for historical and current guidance on snake spatial considerations, we conducted a literature search and review regarding recommendations consistent with or specifying ≥1 × and <1 × snake length enclosure size. We identified 65 publications referring to snake enclosure sizes, which were separated into three categories: peer-reviewed literature (article or chapter appearing in a peer-reviewed journal or book, = 31), grey literature (government or other report or scientific letter, = 18), and opaque literature (non-scientifically indexed reports, care sheets, articles, husbandry books, website or other information for which originating source is not based on scientific evidence or where scientific evidence was not provided, = 16). We found that recommendations suggesting enclosure sizes shorter than the snakes were based entirely on decades-old 'rule of thumb' practices that were unsupported by scientific evidence. In contrast, recommendations suggesting enclosure sizes that allowed snakes to fully stretch utilized scientific evidence and considerations of animal welfare. Providing snakes with enclosures that enable them to fully stretch does not suggest that so doing allows adequate space for all necessary normal and important considerations. However, such enclosures are vital to allow for a limited number of essential welfare-associated behaviors, of which rectilinear posturing is one, making them absolute minimum facilities even for short-term housing.
蛇是有感知能力的动物，应遵循适用于其他物种的公认的一般福利原则。然而，它们也是唯一通常被饲养在无法进行直线式行为（完全伸展身体的能力）的环境中的脊椎动物。为了评估关于蛇的空间考量的历史和当前指导的证据基础，我们针对与蛇体长的≥1倍和<1倍的饲养箱尺寸一致或明确规定的建议进行了文献检索和综述。我们识别出65篇提及蛇饲养箱尺寸的出版物，这些出版物被分为三类：同行评审文献（发表在同行评审期刊或书籍中的文章或章节，共31篇）、灰色文献（政府或其他报告或科学信函，共18篇）以及不透明文献（非科学索引报告、护理手册、文章、饲养书籍、网站或其他信息来源并非基于科学证据或未提供科学证据的信息，共16篇）。我们发现，建议的饲养箱尺寸短于蛇的尺寸完全基于数十年前毫无科学依据的“经验法则”做法。相比之下，建议的饲养箱尺寸能让蛇完全伸展则运用了科学证据和动物福利考量。为蛇提供能让它们完全伸展的饲养箱并不意味着这样做就为所有必要的正常且重要的考量提供了足够的空间。然而，这样的饲养箱对于允许进行有限数量的与福利相关的基本行为至关重要，直线式姿势就是其中之一，这使得它们即使对于短期饲养而言也是绝对的最低限度设施。
