Weight control of psitacídeos kept under human care in an environmental park of Fortaleza-Ce

Abstract

In captivity, the energy demands reduce substantially in relation to the needs in free life. The assessment of the animal's weight is important to measure whether the level of activity and food supply are adequate. The weights of 14 psittacids were analyzed, being two Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus, one Ara ararauna, three Ara chloropterus, one Ara macao, six Amazona aestiva and one Aratinga jandaya. For the species of psittacans analyzed, a decrease in weight from the period from the first collection to the fourth collection was observed for most of the animals. Changes in the size of the enclosures and social interactions with other species, given the mixed enclosures, may have influenced, both by calorie burning and perhaps by dispute in access to food, respectively.