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

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.