CRESTED GECKOS

James Brereton MSc and Louis Pereira report on their new research into enclosure design for crested geckos, reviewing also the way that housing systems for reptiles have changed over recent years, and the impact that this has had within the hobby.

Photograph courtesy ChristianRogersPhotograph/www.shutterstock.com

When it comes to the design of vivarium housing, the focus until recently was very much driven by concerns around hygiene. As such, enclosures veered towards being simplistic in both style and decor, being furnished with easy-to-clean substrates and fixtures. The theory behind this ‘artificial’ appearance was to create a diseasefree environment, with the thinking being that the likelihood of animals becoming ill in such surroundings would be minimised.

This concept obviously still has value of course, and a relatively spartan style of exhibit is still of particular value under certain circumstances. It is especially recommended within reptile stores for example, where the stock is changing regularly, and the accommodation is being used for different species. The emphasis on hygiene serves as a barrier to prevent the risk of transferring an infection, and particularly in cases where this may not be evident in the first place.

For example, there is evidence to show that African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) may carry chytrid fungus on their skin, despite displaying no obvious symptoms themselves. By contrast, chytrid is fatal to many other amphibians and is responsible for vast declines in wild amphibian populations. Similarly, Horsfield’s tortoises (Agrionemys horsfieldii) show no symptoms when carrying a particular strain of herpesvirus, which is likely to be fatal to other tortoise species.

Under such circumstances, enclosures need to be simple enough to ensure that they can be deep cleaned before and after each occupancy. This type of simplistic design is also beneficial for when animals need be quarantined. If an animal is found to be infected, the substrate and all features within the enclosure will need to be stripped out and disinfected regularly too, thereby providing a practical way of minimising the risk of reinfection. For this reason, veterinary clinics also tend to have more simplistic set-ups, with the emphasis on hygiene.

Horsfield’s tortoises can be an asymptomatic carrier of a chelonian herpesvirus.

Photo courtesy MattLphotography.

A different approach

However, a greater understanding of herptile welfare and behaviour in recent years has revealed various issues with overly-simplistic enclosure designs, especially for long-term use. During the course of millions of years, amphibians and reptiles have adapted to specific environmental niches, developing complex prey capture techniques and predator evasion strategies.