An Improvement in Enclosure Design Can Positively Impact Welfare, Reduce Aggressiveness and Stabilise Hierarchy in Captive Galapagos Giant Tortoises
, Charlotte Ellis 1, Francesca Servini 1, Benjamin Tapley 1 and Christopher J. Michaels 1Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
I think this is an excellent example of a much-needed focus for this taxonomic group. There are the obvious limitations typically associated with zoo animal research, but the quality of presentation and the strong experimental design makes this manuscript valuable to include in the literature. I think it is a polished and sound example of the type of research that is currently missing in the zoo animal world.
Author Response
Thank you so much for your encouraging words!
Reviewer 2 Report
It is good to present a brief description of population density in natural conditions.
It is necessary to refine some parts of the "introduction", "results" and "discussion" section. There are sentences that should go in the "material and methods" section
In the "material and methods" section, give a brief description (best in a table) between the old aviaries and the new ones so that the reader can compare what has improved in living conditions.
Author Response
We thank you deeply for your time and comments on our manuscript. Following your recommendations, we have added the description of population density in natural conditions on line 61. We have refined sections and have added a table comparing the old and new enclosures in the "material and methods". We look forward to knowing what you think of this new version of the manuscript
