Exotics GIT Flashcards
bird core body temp?
42 degrees celcius
gut transit times in reptiles?
much slower due to much lower core body temp
length of oesophagus of fish?
short
what are the four forms of stomachs of a fish?
Y-shaped (eels)
U-shaped (trout)
Absent (e.g. blennies)
Straight (e.g. mullet)
what separates the stomach from the intestines in a fish?
pyloric sphincter
pyloric caeca?
present in some species of fish, thought to secrete digestive enzymes (contended)
swim bladder?
pocket of gas - absorb or release gas in order to change their buoyancy
not all species have a swim bladder
what species are swimbladders not present in?
elasmobranchs and ray finned species
where is kidney found in fish?
invaginations inbetweeen vertebrae of spine
squamata?
scaled
e.g. saurai (lizards), serpentes (snakes) and amphisbena (worm lizards)
lungs of snakes?
tend to only have one lung
what direction are the teeth facing in snakes and why?
teeth are backward facing to aid swallowing
what organ is normally diffused?
pancreas
stomach of crocodilians?
two part stomach - one part glandular and one part muscular
problems with chameleon having a long tongue?
they can swallow it and it can stick out the rear end
tortoises, turtles and terrapins do not have teeth…
instead they have a keratinised beak
fermentation of tortoises, turtles and terrapins?
hindgut fermentation
hibernation?
rumation
why starce before rumation?
due to hindgut fermentaiton - septisemia
how long do you starce tortoises for?
couple of weeks
what are beaks?
they are bone covered in rhampotheca (keratinised epidermis) for protection
birds can’t taste?
pepper/chilli powder
gular pouch in which birds?
it is a large adaptation of the oesophagus
found in pelicans, frigate birds and boobys
geese ‘teeth’ made from?
made from tomium (the sharp bit of the beak)
tomium?
good for tearing away at leaves
ventirculus AKA?
gizzard
gizzard?
solid muscular structure - feels like a stone - small pocket inside - helps to grind down food items
which bird species do not have a crop?
owls, raptors, swans, geese
crop milk?
milky paste for young to feed on made out of sloughing of epithelial cells e.g. pigeons, doves and flamingos)
grit is really important for which bird especially?
chickens
birds instead of caercun?
caeca - paired caecum
which rodent species does not have a gall bladder?
rats
three issues with the cheek pouches in rodents?
things can get stuck
sometimes sick animal ‘eating’ are not eating
abscesses and tumours may occur
what species engage in coprophagy?
rats, mice
coprophagy
eat faeces to get extra nutrition
caecotrophy?
specialised coprophagy
