FINAL EXAM Flashcards
What are the 2 most common behaviour problems in ferrets?
nipping and failure to litter train
When breeding hamsters, what should you do?
only take the female to the males cage, NOT VV
What are the biting habits of hamsters?
Solitary hamsters (like syrian: often aggressive)
Russian: may bite
Robo: rarely bite
What are some common issues seen in mums with hamster pups?
Aggression to them
Cannibalism (reasons why are many, may do it to the whole litter or only some)
Litter abandonment (more common during first pregnancy)
What family are hamsters in?
Cricetidae
Why do hamsters chatter their teeth?
between males, may be agonistic tension
Which small animals have a vomeronasal organ?
hamsters, GP and ferrets
Where do hamsters have secretions from and why?
flank gland, ear gland, vaginal, urine, feces and saliva to communicate information (species and individual info, sexual receptivity and territory boundaries) – Secretions deposited by arching the back and rubbing its side against vertical surfaces – occurs mostly in social but can also occur in non social contexts
What are 2 predominant behaviours for hamsters?
burrowing and climbing
What is piloerection?
hairs stand up to make them look bigger
How do hamsters keep from freezing while hibernating?
they have lotsa brown adipose tissue
How do hamsters get their info?
from tactile info – through whiskers and forepaws
What is hamster vision like?
- all rods, no cones (like guinea pigs)
- almost panoramic (move body not eyes)
What family are guinea pigs in?
caviinae
What can anosmia lead to in guinea pigs?
- disruption in sexual activity
- Failure to form species typical dominance hierarchies
- Elimination of aggression between males
- Reduced scent marking
