World’s first reptile swim gym opens in Australia Posted on 18 February 2019 Much like human beings, animals need to stay fit and healthy too. There have been all kinds of technological developments created around animal fitness, from hydrotherapy for dogs, to the exercise wheel for cats. The Melbourne Zoo however takes the cake with the world’s first “swim gym” for reptiles. The swim gym aims to keep the animals healthy and happy, whilst simultaneously keeping their weight stable. As these animals are hand fed their prey, laziness can take a toll on their physical health and obesity in reptiles in captivity is not uncommon, as they can become inactive, from not needing to ambush their prey. View this post on Instagram We’re *very* excited about a new swim gym we’ve installed at Melbourne Zoo to keep our snakes and other reptiles fit and trim. The snakes swim against the current (kind of like a treadmill) and also with the current which seems to be for a bit of slithery fun! Oh and yes, snakes can swim 😱 A post shared by Zoos Victoria (@zoosvictoria) on Jan 22, 2019 at 1:46am PST Animal hygiene is of the utmost importance and Melbourne Zoo took the bath game from getting snakes to swim in a bucket, to getting them to swim in a water gym. Alex Mitchell, a keeper at Melbourne Zoo said that the swim gym is ‘temperature-controlled’ tank with filtered water, allowing keepers to control the water flow. Much like a normal treadmill, the water flow is adjustable and can be made stronger or weaker. This allows the snakes and other reptiles to be slowly introduced to the current, before the flow speed is turned up. The animals swim for about 4-5 minutes, before displaying signs of being tired and are then removed by the keepers. Some of the animals relax on a platform when they feel they’ve had enough, where other snakes move out of the main current for an easier swim. The Eastern diamond rattlesnakes enjoy their swim time and stay in the water for a bit longer than others species. There are many animals benefiting from the swim gym, including the endangered Golden coin turtle that is critically endangered. Watch the swim gym in action below. Image source: Pixabay Related Posts Cape Town’s sustainability: Leading the way in environmental initiatives 1 June 2023 As National Environmental Month commences in South Africa, Cape Town stands proudly at the forefront... read more Kapama to host Safari Guide of the Year Awards 2023 1 June 2023 Kapama Private Game Reserve near Hoedspruit will host this year’s Safari Guide of the Year... read more Blood Lions relaunches for public viewing on YouTube 1 June 2023 Award-winning documentary feature film Blood Lions has been relaunched on YouTube for public viewing, creating... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
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