Page 17 - Ratel 2023 Summer

Ratel volume 50, issue number 2

Figure 3. White-clawed crayfish are traditionally transported with nylon rope to provide refuge.
Figure 5. Meerkats using 3D-printed puzzle feeder.

Figure 4. 3D-printed refugia for transporting crayfish. Figure 6. Red panda using 3D-printed puzzle feeder.
They’re each printed using a black PLA plastic from a company Finally, we’ve been thinking of a way to properly explain to people
called Form Futura, with this particular item from their product line the difference in size between the white-clawed crayfish and signal
being 100% recycled. Even the spool it comes on is card rather crayfish, so printed a generic crayfish model we found on
than plastic. Moving forward, all of the other print examples I will Thingiverse. They’re not anatomically correct for those two species
show you, also use this same material. and the size also isn’t quite right as these things can be difficult to
really dial in with some of the pre-made models. However, they
Once we had finished with these thermometers, I had a totally have proven to be a very useful visual aid that people can pick up
different problem. When moving crayfish, they are often moved on our touch tables and get a better understanding of the two species
with things like floating nylon rope (Fig.3) or pieces of filter foam. and how the signals have impacted our white clawed crayfish.
I had a large number of males to move and wanted to give them
more security, so I moved them with their refugia but then worried I don’t think a 3D printer is necessarily for every collection, but if
that the movement of the car may move the refugia in a way which you have someone on the team who is interested in it and 3D design
would damage them. After all, they’re made from heavy PVC pipe. it can certainly be used to help you solve problems. We’ve found
it handy with things like our penguin pool and lemur leaf frog room
Using Tinkercad again I designed a new refugia stack large enough if you quickly need a water pipe fitting that isn’t going to be under
for five white-clawed crayfish of just about any size and combine pressure for example. Rather than running to a plumbing supply
this with a securing rod to hold the stacks in place (Fig.4). We shop or waiting for your Amazon delivery of parts, small things like
tested this with a group of crayfish which we were delivering from that can often be ready in 20 minutes or so.
our park to Bristol for release and even though they also had access
in their box to the old-style nylon rope, every single one chose to I think we can look forward to some really exciting innovations
remain in the refugia for the journey and even the acclimation coming out of these machines and into our work with animals in
process. I think it was safe to say that the crayfish were happy with years to come, especially now that so many sustainable material
the situation which closely mimicked the type of refugia they were options are available.
used to. Plus, it had the added bonus of allowing us to submerge
the refugia in their enclosure the night before (although with a
weight on top as PLA floats) which meant that this particular group
of 10 crayfish didn’t even need to be caught up as they were ready
Markus Wilder is the Curator at Wingham Wildlife Park
to travel that morning!
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