If there is
one thing people don't come to zoos to see, it is flabby snakes and couch
potato lizards. Melbourne Zoo has found a way to keep its reptiles buff with
the creation of a water gym they think is the first in the world. The real
value lies not in getting whatever snakes have instead of abs rippling, but in
keeping the precious captives healthy and hopefully happy. Sometimes the gym
may even be the difference between survival and extinction.
Bathing
animals is an important part of zoo hygiene, but Melbourne Zoo realized it
could also be useful for dealing with the problem that zoo life can just be too
easy for many animals. “A lot of reptiles are ambush predators,” keeper Alex
Mitchell told IFLScience. “If they don't have to chase their prey they become
sedentary and quite prone to obesity.”
Starting out
by trying to get snakes to swim in a bucket, Melbourne Zoo gradually upped its
game to eventually produce what Mitchell described in a statement as “a
temperature-controlled, filtered body of water, which allows keepers to manage
water flow through the tank.”
The current
flow is adjustable, allowing a gentle introduction. As animals get used to the
idea, the current can be turned up to create a sort of watery version of a
treadmill. However, Mitchell told IFLScience, "the animals don't just go
against the current, sometimes they swim with it. It creates novelty,” and
opportunities to play.
Or, as
Mitchell puts it, it's “sort of like aqua-aerobics for reptiles.”
Most animals
enjoy a 4-5 minute swim before showing signs they are tired, at which point the
keepers scoop them out. On the other hand, eastern diamondback rattlesnakes
prefer extended time in the water, and no one is game to tell them no. Some
animals chill out on a platform when they feel they have had enough exercise
for the day, while the snakes move out of the main current to where still water
makes swimming easier.
Among the
species benefiting is the golden coin turtle, whose critically endangered status
means each individual needs to be breeding for the planet. The unfortunate
turtle is in such demand for Chinese medicine that individuals can sell for
thousands of dollars. If a nice dip gets the turtle juices flowing, the
hydro-gym will have been well worth it.
Sadly, the
positioning of the gym means it is rarely possible for members of the public to
watch the fun, but staff hope the idea will catch on and other zoos will start
to install similar facilities.
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