Herps

Question 1

What are herps?

Answer 1

reptiles and amphibians

Question 2

characteristics of amphibians

Answer 2

skin without scales
heterothermic
three chambered heart
fresh water and terrestrial

Question 3

metamorphosis in amphibians

Answer 3

have gills when young, breathe with lungs as adults

Question 4

amphibians that participate in metamorphosis

Answer 4

frogs, toads, salamanders

Question 5

reproduction of amphibians

Answer 5

oviparous: lay eggs

Question 6

why do amphibians need water to reproduce?

Answer 6

tadpoles have gills
prevents eggs from drying out

Question 7

ideal temperature for amphibians

Answer 7

68-72 F

Question 8

how do amphibians cool down?

Answer 8

evaporative cooling, may burrow in soil

Question 9

what do amphibians eat?

Answer 9

mealworms, crickets, sowbugs, flies, (pinky mice)

Question 10

why do you need to add calcium to an amphibians diet?

Answer 10

most insects are calcium deficient

Question 11

gut load

Answer 11

feeding nutrients to feed (insects)

Question 12

how do amphibians get water?

Answer 12

the absorb it through their skin

Question 13

argentine horned frogs

Answer 13

up to 6 inches, eat mice and small reptiles

Question 14

african clawed frogs

Answer 14

carry fungus that is deadly to other frogs

Question 15

characteristics of reptiles

Answer 15

don’t go through metamorphosis
heterothermic
almost all have three-chambered heart
body covered with scales
air-breathing
terrestrial (secondarily aquatic)

Question 16

what reptile has a four chambered heart?

Answer 16

crocodiles

Question 17

reproduction of reptiles

Answer 17

mostly oviparous
some (snakes) give birth to live young (ovoviviparous)
eggs are able to incubate outside of water due to shell
internal fertilization

Question 18

why is incubation by parents rare in reptiles

Answer 18

they are cold blooded, don’t produce body heat

Question 19

lifespan of a snake

Answer 19

10-20 years, can be 40 years

Question 20

things to look for in a healthy snake

Answer 20

no open mouth breathing or gasping for breath
inside of mouth uniformly pink (reddened areas or cheesy looking matter may indicate mouth rot)

Question 21

why should you ask for a feeding demonstration when purchasing a snake?

Answer 21

since they don’t eat often, it shows they are able to eat/healthy

Question 22

what is a good size for a snake enclosure?

Answer 22

30 gallon for small snakes, 60+ for large snakes

Question 23

how should the temperature in a snake enclosure be controlled?

Answer 23

temperature gradient where the heat source is on one side and it gets cooler farther out

Question 24

reproduction of snakes

Answer 24

a few are ovoviviparous (live birth), most are oviparous (lay eggs)

Question 25

what is the difference between reptile and bird eggs compared to fish and amphibian eggs

Answer 25

They are large and have shells, so they don't need to be in water

Question 26

lizard pets

Answer 26

geckos, bearded dragons, anoles, chameleons

Question 27

leopard gecko characteristics

Answer 27

7-10 inches long 40-60 grams average life expectancy of 10-20 years can be raised together but only one male

Question 28

leopard gecko equipment

Answer 28

aquarium with screened top shallow water dish newspaper/paper towel for substrate can fill with moss and mist daily to maintain humidity heat source: mid-80s during day, cooler at night

Question 29

leopard gecko feeding

Answer 29

mealworms or crickets (4 per day) gut-load feed provide vitamin-mineral powder (calcium, vitamin D)

Question 30

leopard gecko reproduction

Answer 30

sexually mature by about a year lay 2 eggs in a "clutch" may lay 10-16 eggs per year incubation 60-70 days

Question 31

what is unique about leopard gecko reproduction?

Answer 31

temperature dependent sex determination: sex determined by daytime high temperature during first 2 weeks of incubation

Question 32

why are iguanas not good pets?

Answer 32

can grow very fats difficult to feed

Question 33

equipment for red eared slider

Answer 33

aquarium: 10 gal per inch need water and land areas water dish separate from swimming area light source/sunshine: important for basking, vitamin D tank heater (75 degrees)

Question 34

red eared slider feeding

Answer 34

young mostly carnivorous, need less protein as they get older offer fruits and vegetables need vitamin A, calcium

Question 35

red eared slider reproduction

Answer 35

need to hibernate first female will lay clutch of eggs (5+) in soil temperature dependent sex determination

Question 36

advantages of herps as pets

Answer 36

exotic quiet less feeding

Question 37

disadvantages of herps as pets

Answer 37

temp control difficult to get food/eat heterothermic (not cuddly, hard to tell if healthy) personal injury

Question 38

what % of salmonella infections in children were caused by turtles in 1970

Answer 38

14%

Question 39

why was a law passed that makes it illegal to sell turtles smaller than 4" in legth

Answer 39

to make them too big for kids to put in their mouth

Question 40

jacobson's organs

Answer 40

on the top of the mouth, allow them to taste odors/sense heat

Question 41

how long have herps been protected under state anti-cruelty laws?

Answer 41

50 years