Brushes and Shelters as Low-Cost Environmental Enrichment Devices for Loggerhead Turtles (Caretta caretta) During Rehabilitation Available to Purchase

Environmental enrichment (EE) can significantly improve the welfare and health of captive animals. Despite the known benefits of EE, there has been a lack of research on the effects of EE devices (EED) for wild animals. Here, we quantified the time loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in a rehabilitation center spent interacting with EEDs, specifically brushes and sheltering objects. We found turtles spent up to 50% of their time interacting with EEDs and demonstrated a preference to rest under sheltering objects (assisted resting), when compared with the open. Based on these findings, we propose the inclusion of brushes and sheltering objects as low-cost EEDs for improving the welfare of sea turtles in captivity.