Herps Flashcards
What are herps?
reptiles and amphibians
characteristics of amphibians
skin without scales
heterothermic
three chambered heart
fresh water and terrestrial
metamorphosis in amphibians
have gills when young, breathe with lungs as adults
amphibians that participate in metamorphosis
frogs, toads, salamanders
reproduction of amphibians
oviparous: lay eggs
why do amphibians need water to reproduce?
tadpoles have gills
prevents eggs from drying out
ideal temperature for amphibians
68-72 F
how do amphibians cool down?
evaporative cooling, may burrow in soil
what do amphibians eat?
mealworms, crickets, sowbugs, flies, (pinky mice)
why do you need to add calcium to an amphibians diet?
most insects are calcium deficient
gut load
feeding nutrients to feed (insects)
how do amphibians get water?
the absorb it through their skin
argentine horned frogs
up to 6 inches, eat mice and small reptiles
african clawed frogs
carry fungus that is deadly to other frogs
characteristics of reptiles
don’t go through metamorphosis
heterothermic
almost all have three-chambered heart
body covered with scales
air-breathing
terrestrial (secondarily aquatic)
what reptile has a four chambered heart?
crocodiles
reproduction of reptiles
mostly oviparous
some (snakes) give birth to live young (ovoviviparous)
eggs are able to incubate outside of water due to shell
internal fertilization
why is incubation by parents rare in reptiles
they are cold blooded, don’t produce body heat
lifespan of a snake
10-20 years, can be 40 years
things to look for in a healthy snake
no open mouth breathing or gasping for breath
inside of mouth uniformly pink (reddened areas or cheesy looking matter may indicate mouth rot)
why should you ask for a feeding demonstration when purchasing a snake?
since they don’t eat often, it shows they are able to eat/healthy
what is a good size for a snake enclosure?
30 gallon for small snakes, 60+ for large snakes
how should the temperature in a snake enclosure be controlled?
temperature gradient where the heat source is on one side and it gets cooler farther out
reproduction of snakes
a few are ovoviviparous (live birth), most are oviparous (lay eggs)
what is the difference between reptile and bird eggs compared to fish and amphibian eggs
They are large and have shells, so they don’t need to be in water
lizard pets
geckos, bearded dragons, anoles, chameleons
leopard gecko characteristics
7-10 inches long
40-60 grams
average life expectancy of 10-20 years
can be raised together but only one male
leopard gecko equipment
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
leopard gecko feeding
mealworms or crickets (4 per day)
gut-load feed
provide vitamin-mineral powder (calcium, vitamin D)
leopard gecko reproduction
sexually mature by about a year
lay 2 eggs in a “clutch”
may lay 10-16 eggs per year
incubation 60-70 days
what is unique about leopard gecko reproduction?
temperature dependent sex determination: sex determined by daytime high temperature during first 2 weeks of incubation
why are iguanas not good pets?
can grow very fats
difficult to feed
equipment for red eared slider
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)
red eared slider feeding
young mostly carnivorous, need less protein as they get older
offer fruits and vegetables
need vitamin A, calcium
red eared slider reproduction
need to hibernate first
female will lay clutch of eggs (5+) in soil
temperature dependent sex determination
advantages of herps as pets
exotic
quiet
less feeding
disadvantages of herps as pets
temp control
difficult to get food/eat
heterothermic (not cuddly, hard to tell if healthy)
personal injury
what % of salmonella infections in children were caused by turtles in 1970
14%
why was a law passed that makes it illegal to sell turtles smaller than 4” in legth
to make them too big for kids to put in their mouth
jacobson’s organs
on the top of the mouth, allow them to taste odors/sense heat
how long have herps been protected under state anti-cruelty laws?
50 years
