EVALUATING BEHAVIOR AND ENCLOSURE USE OF ZOO-HOUSED BROAD-SNOUTED CAIMAN (CAIMAN LATIROSTRIS): A CASE STUDY IN THE ZOO OF CORDOBA (ARGENTINA)

Zoo environments represent a useful opportunity for animal research, particularly for species that are difficult to observe in the wild. Moreover, studying the behavior of zoo-housed populations provides important information about the welfare state of animals. We described the behaviors of a zoo-housed population of seven Broad-snouted Caimans (Caiman lanrostris) composed of males and females of different ages. We evaluated the associations of behavior frequencies with attributes of individuals (sex and age class) and with environmental variables (season, time of the day, and daily mean temperature). We calculated the Spread of Participation Index to estimate the use of space in relation to attributes of individuals and environmental variables. Additionally, we evaluated the suitability of the enclosure and management measures by assessing the Five Freedoms. The results showed higher frequencies of aquatic behaviors in adults than in subadults, which may reflect an ontogenetic shift in behavior or, conversely, may be a consequence of a dominance hierarchy. There were almost no differences in behavior frequencies between sexes. Aquatic behaviors were associated with lower temperatures, which could be attributed to thermoregulation. The results also showed daily movements from water in the morning to land at midday and in the afternoon. A high rate of agonistic behaviors was recorded, and possible causes and implications are discussed. Enclosure use was low, with some zones being poorly used or not used at all, and with marked variability among individuals. Finally, 53% of the husbandry recommendations for this species were met in the study population.