Influência de tratamentos alternativos no bem-estar e na saúde de serpentes cativas

Abstract

In nature, animals are constantly subjected to stressful situations, whether in search of food, reproductive partners or shelter, escape from predators and territorial defense, being able to make decisions according to their instincts and needs. However, in captivity, animals are subjected to unnatural stressful situations, such as confinement, the reduction or absence of sunlight and changes in typical animal behaviors, which can lead to various health problems. As ectothermic beings, solar irradiation is essential for the regulation of the physiological processes of reptiles. Hematology corresponds to an area of medicine that allows the evaluation of these physiological processes. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the influence of sunbathing and immersion in water on the hematological and biochemical profiles of captive snakes in a serpentarium at the Federal University of Ceará. From February to September 2021, 45 captive snakes at NUROF-UFC were examined, measured, weighed and had their blood collected for hematological evaluation. Of these, 29/45 snakes underwent alternative treatment and were reassessed after five weeks. The hematological and biochemical parameters evaluated were: hematocrit (Ht), hemoglobin (Hb), total erythrocyte count (CTE), total leukocyte count (CTL), total plasma proteins (PPT) and glucose (glyc). For descriptive statistics, the basic package of the R program was used to calculate the mean and the minimum and maximum values of the morphometric, hematological and biochemical data from the first stage of the study. In inferential statistics, the NPMANOVA package and the GLM test were used to analyze whether the treatment significantly influenced the global leukogram, the global hemogram, biometry and blood glucose. The NPMANOVA indicated statistical significance for the global blood counts after treatment between the families (F= 3.3283 ep > 0.039) and for the global leukogram between the families (F=3.3366 and p>0.042). The GLM indicated that the glycemia was influenced by the treatment in the family Colubridae. The statistical difference is possibly due to the reduction in stress levels caused by the change in routine with exposure to sunlight, immersion baths and greater space for movement. However, without excluding other interference factors such as seasonality. Finally, it is inferred that the treatment adopted was satisfactory to alleviate the stress caused by captivity, and consequently to improve the welfare of the animals, which can be observed in the basic clinical examinations.