Courtship behaviour of tortoises includes biting, ramming, chasing, same-sex sexual behaviour, and it commonly is excessive in European tortoise species kept as pets. As a result, males are kept individually. To assess the effect of orchiectomy on excessive courtship behaviour in European ...

Continues the highly regarded series of Zoo Animal Nutrition books. Based on papers from the 5th European Zoo Nutrition Conference held in Chester in 2008, it draws upon the expertise of nutritionists, veterinarians, zoo professionals, lab and field-based biologists and represents current research...

We recorded the thermoregulatory patterns of five Aldabra giant tortoises (Aldabrachelys gigantea) (25-193 kg) during spring (ZRH spring trial), after the installation of a heating area (concrete heat pad and basking lamp) at Zurich Zoo, Switzerland. The measurements were compared to published...

Captive reptiles often show higher growth rates than in the wild, possibly due to higher feeding intensity. Although health problems are usually linked to inappropriate diets, fast growth itself, such as triggered by appropriate diets fed in high amounts, has traditionally also been considered...

Grading the fecal consistency of carnivores is a frequently used tool for monitoring gut health and overall digestion. Several fecal consistency grading systems are available for mainly felids and canids. No such system exists for the brown bear (Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758). We aim at extending...

Comparisons of wild and domestic populations have established brain reduction as one of the most consistent patterns correlated with domestication. Over a century of scholarly work has been devoted to this subject, and yet, new data continue to foster its debate. Current arguments, both for and...