ReviewAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI2019
Given the Cold Shoulder: A Review of the Scientific Literature for Evidence of Reptile Sentience.
Review in Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed.
- It's not fur: newspaper article reporting of abandonment and relinquishment of pets exhibit taxonomic biases in framing and language use.Royal Society open science · 2025Article
- Evidence of mood states in reptiles.Animal cognition · 2025Article
- Chains of Commerce: A Comprehensive Review of Animal Welfare Impacts in the International Wildlife Trade.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Review
- Laying the groundwork for reptile welfare assessment in zoos and private keeping: A literature-based proposal.Animal welfare (South Mimms, England) · 2025Review
- Behaviours of farmed saltwater crocodiles (Frontiers in veterinary science · 2024Article
- Near and Dear? If animal welfare concepts do not apply to species at a great phylogenetic distance from humans, what concepts might serve as alternatives?Animal welfare (South Mimms, England) · 2024Review
- Mitigating Human Impacts on Wild Animal Welfare.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2023Article
- Entomology beyond research and education: 2022 student debates.Journal of insect science (Online) · 2023Article
- The Effect of Enrichment on Leopard Geckos (Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2023Article
- Environmental enrichment for reptiles in European zoos: Current status and perspectives.Animal welfare (South Mimms, England) · 2023Article
- Introduction to Special Issue on Affective Science in Animals: Toward a Greater Understanding of Affective Processes in Non-Human Animals.Affective science · 2022Article
- A Kettle of Fish: A Review of the Scientific Literature for Evidence of Fish Sentience.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2022Review
- Behavioral Assessment of Six Reptile Species during a Temporary Zoo Closure and Reopening.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2022Article
- Use of Blood Lactate in Assessment of Manual Capture Techniques of Zoo-Housed Crocodilians.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2022Article
- Welfare of Farmed Crocodilians: Identification of Potential Animal-Based Measures Using Elicitation of Expert Opinion.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2021Article
- A Survey Study of Veterinary Student Opinions and Knowledge about Pet Reptiles and Their Welfare.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2021Article
- Pet Reptiles-Are We Meeting Their Needs?Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2021Article
- Circulating miRNome of Trachemys scripta after elective gonadectomy under general anesthesia.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Identification of Animal-Based Welfare Indicators in Captive Reptiles: A Delphi Consultation Survey.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2021Article
- Getting It Straight: Accommodating Rectilinear Behavior in Captive Snakes-A Review of Recommendations and Their Evidence Base.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
We searched a selection of the scientific literature to document evidence for, and explorations into reptile sentience. The intention of this review was to highlight; (1) to what extent reptile capability for emotions have been documented in the scientific literature; (2) to discuss the implications this evidence has for the trade in reptiles; and (3) to outline what future research is needed to maximise their captive welfare needs. We used 168 keywords associated with sentience, to search through four journal databases and one open-access journal. We recorded studies that explored sentience in reptiles and those that recognised reptile sentience in their experiments. We found that reptiles were assumed to be capable of the following emotions and states; anxiety, distress, excitement, fear, frustration, pain, stress, and suffering, in 37 articles. We also found four articles that explored and found evidence for the capacity of reptiles to feel pleasure, emotion, and anxiety. These findings show that reptiles are considered to be capable of experiencing a range of emotions and states. This has implications for how reptiles are treated in captivity, as a better understanding could help to inform a range of different operational initiatives aimed at reducing negative animal welfare impacts, including improved husbandry and consumer behaviour change programmes.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.