Enriching Tortoises: Assessing Color Preference

Abstract

Environmental enrichment is a principle that is used to enhance the quality of care for nonhuman animals in captivity. To achieve this, it is necessary to understand the animal's needs. This study focused on color preference to provide food stimuli as a source of environmental enrichment for the tortoise, Chelonoidis denticulata. During this study, the stimuli green-, blue-, yellow-, and red-colored bananas and plaster blocks were randomly offered to the tortoises. Analysis of the data showed that the tortoises had a preference for the stimuli dyed with colors red and yellow over the other presented colors. It was possible to conclude that presenting food in different colors stimulated the animals to evaluate their environment and make choices in relation to their color preference. Thus, this experiment introduced an element of choice into their lives, beyond identifying color food preferences for the tortoises. The element of choice is known to be important to animal welfare.

Keywords::

• environmental enrichment
• captive animals
• tortoise
• color preference
• reptile

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks to the Fundação Zoo-Botânica de Belo Horizonte for the permission to undertake the study, to Paulo Emídio for help during the experiment, and to the other zoo employers for logistical support.

FUNDING

Robert John Young receives financial support from FAPEMIG (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do estado de Minas Gerais) and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Luiza F. Passos

Luiza F. Passos is now at the School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom, through the CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil.