Miss Sara Hanson
Higher Degree by Research Candidate
School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences
College of Sciences
I am a PhD candidate specialising in captive reptile behaviour and welfare.
My research investigates how captive environments shape behavioural expression in reptiles (particularly snakes) with the aim of informing evidence-based husbandry practices that improve welfare outcomes. My work integrates behavioural science with applied management to enhance the care and wellbeing of reptiles across diverse captive settings, including zoos and privately kept pet reptiles.
More broadly I have a strong interest in understudied taxa and focus on addressing key knowledge gaps within welfare surrounding species that have received limited scientific attention yet are commonly housed within captive settings.
My current research focuses on improving husbandry and housing practices for captive snakes by developing and validating evidence-based welfare metrics. I investigate how environmental conditions influence behavioural and physiological indicators of wellbeing, with the aim of identifying reliable, species-appropriate measures that can be used to assess and enhance welfare in captive settings. This work seeks to provide a robust scientific foundation for husbandry guidelines and support higher welfare standards across zoos, breeding facilities, and private reptile keeping.
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 - 2025 | Casual Demonstrator and Tutor for ANIML SC 1016RW - Principles in Animal Behaviour Welfare Ethics I | University of Adelaide |
| 2025 - 2025 | Casual Demonstrator for AN BEHAV 3000RW - The Science of Enrichment and Animal Learning | University of Adelaide |
| 2025 - 2025 | Casual Demonstrator for ANIML SC 3530RW - Integrative Domestic and Exotic Animal Studies | University of Adelaide |
| 2023 - 2023 | Research Assistant - Reptile Cognition | University of Adelaide |
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| English | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - 2028 | University of Adelaide | Australia | PhD Candidate |
| 2024 - 2024 | University of Adelaide | Australia | Bachelor of Science (Honours) - Animal Behaviour |
| 2013 - 2016 | University of Greenwich | United Kingdom | Bachelor of Science (Hons) Applied Animal Behavioural Science and Welfare |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Turner, J. T., Whittaker, A. L., McLelland, D. J., Hanson, S., & Fernandez, E. J. (2025). Preference Test Design in Applied Animal Settings: A Scoping Review. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 282, 106476-1-106476-13. Scopus6 WoS6 |
| 2025 | Hanson, S. L., Cooper-Rogers, B., Klingner, P., Olijnyk, P., & Fernandez, E. J. (2025). Do Snakes Give a Hiss? Examining the Impact of Zoo Visitors on Captive Snakes.. Zoo Biol, 45(1), 46-56. |
| 2025 | Hanson, S. L., Whittaker, A. L., Cooper-Rogers, B., Burghardt, G. M., & Fernandez, E. J. (2025). Putting the evidence into evidence-based husbandry: A scoping review of empirical approaches to improving captive reptile welfare. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 292, 106831-1-106831-19. |
Connect With Me
External Profiles
