Final Exam Flashcards
What are the 2 things that make something a hazard?
Causes injury or death or pollutes
What are the four types of hazards? Give an example of each
Biological, physical, chemical, zoonotic
What are at least 5 ways we practice safety in the lab?
Hair tied back, closed-toe shoes, no running or horseplay, no large pieces of jewelry, no headphones/earbuds, cleaning spills promptly, frequent handwashing, wet floor signs when mopping, use step stool, never mix chemicals
Proper cleaning is essential for what?
Animal health
What does correct sanitation prevent?
Spread of disease
What is the message we are sending when our animal habitats are not cleaned properly?
They are not receiving good quality care
Explain the difference between basic and thorough cleaning. Give 2 examples of each.
Basic is done daily – examples are: taking out the trash, sweeping, washing dishes, freshening up habitats, wiping down counters. Thorough happens weekly – examples are: completely sanitizing habitats, vacuuming, mopping, taking inventory and tidying up messy spaces
What are the colors of each type of scrubber and what is each used for?
Yellow - food and water related items
Blue - items in contact with urine, feces, and reptiles
Green - used with bleach product to clean sinks/tubs
What is important to remember about multi-purpose cleaners?
Never used on surfaces or items animals will be in contact with
What has to be done with concentrates before they are used and why?
Diluted with water, it is too strong to be used full strength and could be hazardous
List necessary items in a reptile habitat.
Water, substrate, hut/hide, heat source, activity/enrichment items
What type of eaters are reptiles?
May be carnivores, omnivores, insectivores, herbivores
What is the main difference between taking care of a reptile versus a mammal?
Reptiles are not able to maintain their own body heat and require warm and cool areas, they also carry salmonella
Which classroom animals require hay in their diet?
Rabbit, chinchilla, guinea pig
What is an important part of every animal habitat besides water?
Enrichment/activity items
Why should caged pets ALWAYS have access to water?
They are not able to seek it out themselves if they need it
How often should water be changed and why?
Everyday to prevent bacteria growth
Explain why spout size is important.
If a spout is too small the animal will struggle to get enough water and get tired, if the spout is too large the animal will not be strong enough to move the ball bearing that allows water to flow
Explain why the height of the spout matters.
If the spout is too high the animal will have to stretch to reach and will get tired or give up, if the spout is too low the animal will have to bend its neck at an odd angle and may choke
What are considerations for water bottle placement for different animals?
Hamsters and gerbils stand to drink, ferrets like to eat and drink simultaneously, guinea pigs chew on the spouts
How should a water bottle be cleaned and why?
No soap, just hot water and a bottle brush to avoid soap residue that may make an animal sick
What is the minimum size water bottle for each animal? rat, hamster, gerbil, rabbit, ferret, chinchilla, guinea pig
Hamster & gerbil: 8oz
Rat, chinchilla, guinea pig: 16oz/0.5 liter
Ferret & rabbit: 32oz/1 liter
What is important to remember when assisting turtles near the road?
Move them the direction they facing or headed
How should you pick the turtle up?
Pick them up on either side like a sandwich, hold them flat
How does an opossum move their babies? What is the problem with this?
The babies ride on her back, they may fall off and she will not stop to pick them back up
What wild animals are most likely to transmit rabies in Virginia? (5)
Raccoon, fox, opossum, bat, skunk
Which wild birds can be rehabilitated by anyone? (2)
Starling and sparrow
Which type of bird is considered a parasite and why?
Cowbird – they place their eggs in another bird’s nest and push out the existing eggs so the other bird will raise the cowbird’s babies
Which bird is considered as intelligent as a human child?
Crow
What are the native venomous snakes in Virginia? (3)
Timber rattlesnake, copperhead, cottonmouth
Describe what imprinting is in relation to wild animals.
When animals have been in contact with or are cared for by humans in a way that makes them unafraid and act differently than their typical wild species, they can be almost tame.
Explain what we can learn about water quality by examining the creatures in it and how.
Certain aquatic creatures are very sensitive to pollutants so evaluating their presence and numbers gives information about the water quality
Explain the steps to calibrate binoculars.
- Find a stationary object to focus on
- Close your right eye as you look through the binoculars
- Adjust the center focus knob until image is clear
- Close your left eye as you look through the binoculars
- Adjust the diopter ring on the right eyepiece until the image is clear
- View the image with both eyes
What are the primary ways to identify birds? (8)
Evaluate the group, size/shape, behavior, color/markings, noise/song, bill shape, flight pattern, and tail
Describe common methods to keep squirrels out of bird feeders.
Shepherd’s hooks (tall metal poles with a curved top to hang feeders), metal cones on the bird feeder hook, “squirrel buster” type feeders
Which type of bird will fake an injury and why do they do this?
Killdeer - to distract a predator from their nest on the ground
What do chimney swifts resemble while flying and why?
Bats - they are attempting catch small insects
Which common Virginia bird is actually migratory?
Canada Goose
Name at least 5 common Virginia mammals and at least 2 facts about each.
Black bear, raccoon, virginia opossum, coyote, big brown bat, white-tailed deer, river otter, bobcat, red fox, striped skunk, eastern cottontail, eastern gray squirrel, beaver
Why is trash a concern with wildlife? Which mammals are most affected?
It attracts animals into areas with humans and they can become imprinted, unafraid, or injured. This is a large problem with bears, raccoons, and opossums
Describe habitat adaptation and give an example.
An animal’s natural habitat has changed and they adapt or adjust to living in a different environment – like a neighborhood being built in a deer’s natural forested habitat and they don’t move but adapt to living closer to humans
