Hide-And-Seek: Examining Hide Preferences And Behavior Patterns Of Reptiles Through 24-Hour Monitoring

Providing animals in zoos with private, out-of-view areas is a basic need for many species but has been rarely studied systematically. Recent research on reptiles has highlighted the welfare benefits of complex environments but, as these studies typically include private hide areas alongside other environmental complexity changes, the specific effects of hides have often not been isolated and their importance remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated artificial hides (PVC tube) for four reptile species: African rock python (Python sebae (n=1)); Rio Fuerte beaded lizard (Heloderma exasperatum (n=4)); West African Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica (n=1)); Aruba Island rattlesnake (Crotalus unicolor (n=2)) Observations were conducted once per hour, each hour, for four weeks using a camera system (672 observations per species) to determine overall hide usage and preferences in hide height (ground-level or elevated), hide humidity (humid or dry), and time of day (day or night). Preferences in hide type were analyzed with chi-squared tests. Hide usage varied between species, with the African rock python observed rarely leaving the hide, and the Aruba Island rattlesnakes only entering hides twice during the entire study. Of the species that used hides, dry hides were preferred over humid hides. Hide usage based on height and time of day appeared to align with the natural history of each species. These results suggest that reptiles have a basic need for private spaces, and attention should be paid to the species' natural history when designing and placing hides. Future studies could improve understanding of species-specific hide needs.