Using a novel ethogram of tuatara behaviour to evaluate the impact of interactions with zoo visitors
Many zoos provide the opportunity for visitors to interact with ambassador animals in their collections, but little is known about how these interactions impact on the animals themselves. The current study was the first to examine the effect of visitor interactions on the reptile species, tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus). This pilot project also developed the first […]
Effects of capture and temperature stresses on plasma steroid concentrations in male tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)
The effects of capture and temperature stresses on plasma concentrations of testosterone (T) and progesterone (P) were examined in wild male tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), the only living sphenodontid reptile. Free-roaming male tuatara on Stephens Island, New Zealand, had low levels (0.3–0.5 ng/ml) of plasma T in July (winter), and high levels (15–17 ng/ml) in January […]
Absence of daily cycles in plasma sex steroids in male and female tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), and the effects of acute capture stress on females
The possible existence of daily cycles in plasma concentrations of sex steroids was examined in wild male and female tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus). Samples were collected from freshly captured animals at dusk, middle of the night, dawn, and middle of the day in January (summer) and July (winter). Males showed daily cycles in mean body temperature […]