Fairly Common Animals That Don't Thrive in Captivity

[lintworm]

From what I've observed I would say some of the common neotropical mustelids are difficult to keep in the sense of ensuring mental wellbeing in captivity.

This is particularly the case with the tayra and grison (although they breed fine in captivity) which are very prone to developing stereotypical behaviour.

That depends more on how they are exhibited, Mustelids are extremely active and do best in an enclosure like Nuremberg, but they typically get far less.

 

[Valentinoamor]

Chipmunks, mainly for the area I live the only zoo that i've been to that has these is Cosley Zoo

Chipmunks are common kept as pets! At least here in the U.S. they are. A pet store a few hours from me will start selling Siberian Chipmunks soon.

Nine-banded armadillos apparently do poorly in captivity despite how numerous and widespread they are in their natural habitat.

Why is this?

From what I've observed I would say some of the common neotropical mustelids are difficult to keep in the sense of ensuring mental wellbeing in captivity.

This is particularly the case with the tayra and grison (although they breed fine in captivity) which are very prone to developing stereotypical behaviour.

What causes them to have poor mental health? Not enough space, enrichment, social contact?

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Chipmunks are common kept as pets! At least here in the U.S. they are. A pet store a few hours from me will start selling Siberian Chipmunks soon.



Why is this?



What causes them to have poor mental health? Not enough space, enrichment, social contact?

I think it is the same issue for most animals that show stereotypical behaviour in captivity in that they need far more extensive spaces than most zoos give them. Being that they are smaller mammals they are often an afterthought after the larger ones but of course there are also other reasons too.

In the case of many Latin American zoos , they often come to institutions as either rescue animals from the pet trade (particularly in the case of grisons in Brazil , which are often kept as pets)or after they have been injured and cannot be returned to the wild and found by the public. The result is that in zoos which already struggle with space these animals often receive more each year than can be adequately housed , again , this is not the fault of zoos but of wider societal issues.