Exotic Animal Husbandry Flashcards
What is husbandry?
the care, cultivation, and breeding of crops and animals.
management and conservation of resources.
Why should we care for husbandry?
- ‘pet’ keepers -> research -> conservation
- welfare
- cost-effectiveness
- interpretation of captive/laboratory studies
- education
- instilling respect for nature
- work efficiency (less time wasting)
- etc.
What does husbandry involve?
- enclosure design
- environment (heat, light, water)
- feeding
- cleaning
- handling and restraint
- healthcare
- welfare and enrichment
- captive breeding?
- aesthetics?
What is the importance of evidence?
educated guesswork may lead to ok regime, but evidence needed to improve or create good one from the start
What information are we looking for? (evidence)
distribution, morphology, behaviour, physiology, ecology, evolution, ‘direct’ research
Where should we look for evidence?
scientific papers, databases, books (esp. field guides), specialist mags, websites
What is important for enclosure designs?
size, shape (dimensions), furnishings (shelters), substrates (on the ground), layout/access (inc. for cleaning)
example: small hutches that don’t allow full range of behaviours are not good for welfare - Rabbits need to be able to fully stand up on their hind legs and move enough to exercise (including binkys)
What is important in environments?
heating, lighting, water/humidity (including monitoring these aspects and correcting problems)
What is important in feeding?
diet, feeding schedules, portion size, food quantity, frequency, supplements?
what does restraint and handling mean?
and what is important for handling and restraint?
- restraint - controlling their movement quite tightly
- handling - animal has more control
- safe for handlers and animals, equipment and techniques
What is important in healthcare?
quarantine, regular health checks
what is important in welfare and enrichment?
types of enrichment, sociality?, aggression, human interactions, crowding, training, aims of enrichment
what is important in captive breeding?
life stages, breeding cues, sexing, nesting, incubation, care of juveniles, conditioning of adults for breeding
what is important for context? (facilities for husbandry and conservation)
zoos, pet shops, labs/research, conservation institutes, etc
What is important in mixed-species enclosures?
which species combinations, ecological separation(?), interspecific interactions
