It's that time of year again- last week the UK saw temperatures fall below zero and we all dug out our thermals and winter woolies, maybe you turned the thermostat up on your central heating and made sure your kids had hats and gloves on for playing outside, and those with dogs will have put on their pets coats for daily walks to protect against the chilly weather. But what about reptiles and other cold blooded creatures?
Although our exotic animal ambassadors all live in thermostatically controlled enclosures to mimic their wild habitats (up to 45C for bearded dragons, 25C for our exotic bugs and African pygmy hedgehogs, and 28-35C for our various snake species) being ambassadors, our cold blooded critters don't always stay in their enclosures- they go on the road for educational encounters and experiences and just like your pets at home, they also come out for human interaction, enrichment and exercise. However, even a room temperature of 20C is too cold for periods of more than 20 minutes, so we put special measures in place to keep them safe and comfortable when it's even colder than that.
First of all, we adjust the activities of our animals year round on a daily basis to make sure we do not compromise their wellbeing, checking weather forecasts and actual external and room temperatures in real time when assessing what is appropriate for them. We have both heatwave and cold weather policies for our ambassador animals dictating which species can do what during different periods of extreme weather, and this guide helps inform and manage the expectations of our clients who may want to host a booking either outdoors or indoors at various times of year.
Between October and March (though with flexibility either end according to weather temperatures) we do not take any of our reptiles or exotic animals to encounters bookings outdoors and we do not handle them outdoors for any reason- indoor venues only! Sudden temperature changes and fluctuations can cause psychological and physical stress to ectothermic (cold blooded) animals and harm them both in the short and long term, even though they may not seem to give obvious signs of distress in the first instance.
Therefore, second, and most importantly, we can safeguard welfare by keeping the animals temperature and surroundings as steady, constant and cosy as possible during colder months. We do this by pre-warming their travel boxes to room temperature and lining them with towels or blankets and adding hot water bottles or heat pads to maintain temperatures during transport and engagements, and travel boxes are then covered for added insulation (we actually do this all year round other than when temperatures rise above 27C in midsummer, since even summer temps of 23C that seem warm to us are still too cold by reptile standards for long periods!).
If we will be at a local engagement for an hour or less, hot water bottles are just the job, but if we are working further afield or at a venue for more than an hour, we implement plug-in electric heat mats on thermostats, and sometimes heat lamps too, to provide a constant heat source to keep the animals warm while they work and rest, and we may also use a battery powered heat source in the vehicle to provide under-floor heating for the animals as well as implementing the vehicles climate control system.
We generally only handle each animal at most bookings for approximately 10 minutes each before retuning them to their boxes, and if a venue feels cold to us, we may also carry the animals on their hot water bottles and blankets to keep them comfortable. Handling these animals outdoors in temperatures below 18C, even for short periods is absolutely out of the question, and no good animal carer or encounters company will do this. We constantly monitor our animals environmental temperatures when out on encounters bookings using digital thermometers as this is the most accurate way to know what's going on, but a rule of thumb we also use is it that if it is too cold for us to be out in a t-shirt, then it is too cold for the reptiles, bugs and hedgehogs to be out! As a pet owner, you can use these same techniques to look after the wellbeing of your pets for example if you have to take your pet reptile to the vet or move house, pop a hot water bottle under a towel in their travel box to keep them cosy in transit, monitor temperatures with a digital thermometer gun, and keep tabs on temperatures if you allow free-roaming time in your home and do not let your pets explore outside during winter months.
It's our responsibility as animal carers to continually strive to learn, improve, stay updated and do everything we can to ensure the comfort and well-being of the animals in our charge, using our knowledge, experience and tools available to us. It is also a legal obligation for professionals under the Welfare of Animals Act 2018 and zoo licensing regulations, and for pet owners under the The Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Work with us to help share knowledge and encourage others to stay educated and informed on best practice so welfare wins! And until the next time, stay cosy!
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