exam 1 Flashcards
Anurans
amphibians that include frogs (in or around water) and toads (terrestrial)
Caudata/Urodela
amphibians that include newts (rough skin and aquatic) and salamanders (smooth skin) that are terrestrial as an adult
How do chelonians ventilate?
They uses muscles to increase the lung space
when inside dont have space to breathe, holding breathe inside
do not have intercostal muscles
What are the common pitfalls in obtaining blood from a turtle?
hematoma can develop from improper venipuncture
Lymph dilution or contamination is a common complication during blood collection in chelonians. Lymph-diluted blood samples will result in erroneous hematological, plasma biochemical and serological results
How do you determine the sex of turtles?
males have longer tales and plastron concavity
box turtles- males have red iris
semi-aquatic- males have elongated nails on forelimbs
Advantages of ectotherms
it is good for energy conservation
they need lower food requirements, have efficient food conversion, adapted to some very harsh environmental niches, hibernation, night cooling
What are some disadvantages of ectotherms?
their activity is limtied by the ambient temperature and therefore have limited environmental range, and extreme temperatures can lead to prolonged activity,
unable to sustain high activity levels
Heliothermy
a thermoregulatory mechanisms used by fish and most reptiles including turtles where radiant heat is the primary mechanism of maintaining temperature
Thigmothermy
A thermoregulatory mechanism used by nocturnal or forest dwelling species where they maintain temp using conduction. specifically, they find a source and absorb heat by putting their body on it
Preferred Optimal Temperature Zone
the temperature range of the natural habitat that is psecies dependent and where metabolic activity is predictable and optimized. practicing medicine in this zone dictates the metabolism of drugs and food
Poikilotherm
an organism that has a variable internal temperature
Why are all ectotherms not poikilotherms
some deep water fishes are unable to modulate their internal body temperature
How are not all poikilotherms ectotherms?
Naked Mole Rats are unable to maintain a steady body temperature and therefore have a variable internal temp
tunnels are divided with purpose at the right temp they need to maintain function
Methods of water filtration
Mechanical: traps large particles (suspended and solids) using gravel sand, foam, etc.
Biological: aerobically reduces nitrogenous waste using micro-organisms to break down ammonia and nitriates (oxidizes fish waste).Biofilms
Chemical: water passes through a substance and changes its chemistry using activated carbon, ammonia-absorbing clays, UV and ozone
Nitrogen
nitrogen enters through feces and plants and it gets eliminated by fish through passive diffusion of ammonia (NH3) from the gill capillaries
ammonia (both NH3 and NH4) are converted to nitrite (NO2-) using ammonia oxidizing bacteria then nitrates which is removed through water changes or can be uptaken by plants
Dissolved oxygen
a common cause of mortality
decreased by uneaten food, high water temp, salinity can lead to supersaturation/gas bubble disease
Supersaturation/gas bubble disease
where tissues reach equilibrium with the surrounding partial pressures of gas
The culprit is nitrogen
important to measure dissolved oxygen and treat with excess gas elimination
Unionized ammonia
highly toxic and should not be present in an aquatic tank. It should be simply removed by bacteria
increases with temperatures pH and decreases in salinity
caused by vigorous cleaning, overfeeding, and malfunction of biological filter
New Tank Syndrome
leads to neurologic signs, hyper-excitability of fish from vigorous cleaning and lack of bacteria in the tank to convert ammonia in the nitrogen cycle. Treat using nitrifying bacteria or ammonia chloride, discontinue feeding, decrease density,
Nitrite
the intermediate of the nitrogen cycle that is toxic to fish. It passively enters the bloodstream across the gill epithelium, it then complexes with hemoglobin to form methemoglobin leading to brown blood disease
Brown Blood Disease
the chocolate color of the gills and blood that is a result of too much nitrate in the tank.
Treat with water change, increasing NaCl as it is a competitive inhibitor of nitrate at the gill epithelium
Nitrate
typically a chronic problem in the tank, leading to dyspnea, tan/brown gills and brown blood, similar to nitrite toxicity
treat using water changes, decrease density, add buffers (similar to nitrite)
Low tank pH
increased mucus production, poor growth, decreased reproduction
High tank pH
hypertrophy of cells in the gills and damage to the cornea
How does pH influence NH3
ammonia toxicity dramatically increases as pH rises and more deaths. This causes fish spiiner “skittering” near the surface
test ammonia, pH, and water temperatures
Swim bladder
air filled organ used by some fish to maintain buoyancy at a desired depth and produce or hear sound
can be physostomous- connected directly to the GI tract so fish can gulp air
or physoclistous so gas must diffuse from the blood
where is the swim bladder located?
it is located dorsal to the stomach and ventral to the vertebral column
Where are fish gonads located?
they are elongated, paired and contained laterally in the abdominal cavity, ventral to the air bladder, suspended from the dorsal wall and surrounded by peritoneum
How might fish act differently in breeding season?
some species might develop a strong red color and hump or other secondary sexual features. Some have courting ceremonies before spawning, improve fertilization, while others practice parental care. Some migrate distances
How might the gonads of fish change during breeding seasons?
The reproductive organs increase in size at the caudodorsal part of the fish. Looking at giant testes or ovarian follicular development. Most common gonadal enlargement
How do frogs differ from salamanders
metamorphosed adults of salamanders are highly terrestial and adult newts are aquatic
Anurans do not have a tail
neotony
mature sexually despite external appearance of the larvae
True or False: All amphibians are carnivorous as adults
True
parotid glands
amphibian glands caudal to the eyes that contain toxins
nuptial pads
pads on some male amphibians that are more prominent during the breeding season to hold onto females
Why is amphibian skin more permeable than other animals
breathing and absorption of water through the skin
What glands are responsible for keeping the amphibians skin moist?
glandular gland and mucoid gland
What is special about the lungs of amphibians
they do not have parenchyma, they have septa and air comes in which is where gas exchange occurs, less surface area for gas exchange because it is also taking place across the skin
What is the best source of UV light
the sun as it allows for cholecalciferol synthesis
Why might have a glass or plastic cover on your tank be bad?
a glass and filter cover filters out 290-320nm which is the prime area of UVB which is needed
Pyramiding
the abnormal growth of the turtle shell that is a result of increased heat exposure
What is the correct substrate for chelonians
use woof chips and shavings as sand can be impaction and cocument fiber can be possible pica
How do you feed herbivore chelonians
with greens but make sure to avoid oxalates as it can lower calclium levels
rarely treat with fruits
How do you feed omnivore chelonians
earthworms, mealworms, most insects, etc.
ratio of vegetables to pellets vary
Hypovitaminosis A
occurs in chelonians
make sure to feed pelleted diets, and produce like kale, sweet potato, and squash
How should you enrich chelonians
varied plants and structures in the habitat, outdoor time, digging, foraging, and target training
How do you sex a snake?
you probe snakes, males have hemipenes
ensure to use snake probes, lube, and gloves
males have much deeper pocket
What is dangerous about feeding snacks live prey?
injury to the snake, eat skins, eyeballs, etc.
What is the importance of humidity to snakes?
dysecdysis- skin is not shed in one piece
make sure to supply supplemental foggers and misters
What organs are in the snake’s cranial third?
trachea, heart, thyroid gland, parathyroids, thymus
What organs are in the snake’s middle third?
gall bladder, pylorus of stomach, liver, spleen, pancreas,
What organs are in the snake’s caudal third?
gonads, kidneys, adrenal glands, cecum, cloaca
What adaptations do snakes have that allow prehending and swallowing of large food items?
they have the fibroelastic joint between the quadrate and articular bones
snakes have less bones in their ear but they are able to open their jaw more
Lizard herbivore nutrition
very species dependent but make sure 80% dark leafy greens and then 20% veggies and friot.
Make sure to rotate food diet to avoid calcium oxolates that bind and prevent calcium absorption, make sure there is a 2:1 calcium ratio
lizard carnivore nutrition
make sure to feed insects, small mammals, eggs, small bird, cooked chicken but not really a good option for them. most are insectivores
Lizard tail autotomy
some lizards have the ability to drop their tail to evade predators, can have clinical implications- be careful to pull their tail off
some regrowth possible but never the same
breaks off at the fracture point on the vertebrae body, not between vertebrae
bearded dragons do not
What are the three major considerations to prevent hemorrhage when performing lizard ovariectomy?
1) perform the surgery during the lizard’s reproductive cycle. Follicles large and mesovarium is stretched, easy to extract ovary from body wall and visualize ovarian artery and veins
2) Be careful handling the gonads to prevent follicle rupture and egg-yolk coelomitis
3) Clamp off and ligate the ovarian arteries and veins
Blood shunting
a mechanism of thermoregulation where temperature is maintained through increase in heart rate and blood is shunted from the right to the left (bypassing evaporative cooling by the lungs) when taking breathes, blood can be pumped to the right side again.
Behavior adaptations for maintaining body temp
alteration of body shape and sun exposure
coiling in snakes
selection of dark backgrounds (melanin in skin)
panting, hypersalivation, urination
shade, water seeking
Equipment needed for a fish enclosure
aquarium, cover, light, heater, thermometer, air pump, substrate, filtration
What is the purpose of an aquarium air pump
1) circulates water through movement of air bubbles
2) agitation increases at air-water interface (increases the rate of diffusion of atomospheric gases, increases rate of diffusion of dissolved carbon dioxide from from the water
What materials are dissolved in water?
nitrogen, dissolved oxygen, salinity, pH, hardness/alkalinity
Why should you reduce or stop feeding with high water temperatures?
there are increased amounts of oxygen needed for homeostasis and digestion of food may exceed the amount of oxygen that can be extracted from the water due to the high temperature
Chlorine in fish tank
very low levels are toxic to fish
neutralized by sodium thosulfate aeration, natural dissipation
Chloramine
a weaker germicide but much longer residual effect, essentially chlorine and ammonia
more toxic than chlorine alone
not removed through the same methods due to ammonia component
mental glands
underneath the chin of males in some species
How are the activities and ranges of amphibians limited?
they have a greater loss of evaporative water loss compared to other terrestrial vertebrates.
How often do you change fish water versus amphibian
10-20% of water changes 1-2 weeks for amphibians
about 25% of water changes 1-4 weeks for fish
What amount of humidity is needed for amphibians?
greater than 70% measure with a hygrometer
Why are calcium supplements needed to be given to amphibians
invertebrates have an inversed Ca:P ration and Ca is needed to be given in higher amounts
Do turtles understand glass
No
