Housing and welfare Flashcards
The 5 provisions
- Good nutrition
- Good environment
- Good health
- Appropriate behaviour
- Positive mental experiences
Rabbit housing
- protection from predators
- protection from excessive heat and other inclement weather
- space to exercise and explore
- provide different environments like a warren
Guinea pig housing
- Protection from predators
- protection from cold/damp
- space to exercise and explore
- compatible same-species company
- separate summer and winter accommodation
- dry sheltered nest area
Chinchilla housing
- Dry cool environment with space for nocturnal activity
- quiet, cool resting place for daytime
- protection from excessive heat and damp
- space for exercise
- will chew everything
- mesh on its own can lead to pressure sores on feet
Small pet mammal housing
- Syrian hamsters are solitary, the rest are social
- space and furnishings to allow normal behaviour (foraging, climbing, burrowing)
Rat housing
- like it cool and moist
- can’t cope with US and other high pitched noises
- can climb
- active day and night
- social
- boys may urinate frequently
Gerbil and hamster housing
- desert animals
- prefer it dry
- use burrowing to keep cool
- gerbils: diurnal
- hamsters: nocturnal
Caged bird housing
- need to be able to spread wings and fly
- appropriate perching
- bathing facilities
- appropriate, varying photoperiod/uv-light
- appropriate temp, humidity, ventilation
- environmental enrichment
Housing vivarium for reptiles
- secure
- enough space and furniture to allow normal behaviour
- need a thermostatically controlled external heat source
- need UVB source within 20cm of basking area, replaced annually
Items needed for a reptile vivarium
- ceramic bulb and holder
- strip light and starter
- thermostat
- max/min thermometer
- humidity meter
- cage furniture and substrate
- maybe combo heat/light lamp but need heat when light is off
Heating options for reptiles
- heat pads (most burn issues from these)
- ceramic bulbs
- blue-red bulbs
Lighting options for reptiles
- UVB compact and strip lighting
- heat/light combined bulbs (beware they still need heat), should be in addition
Humidity of reptiles
- most species: spray daily/twice daily
- if need high humidity use automatic misting, needs more ventilation
- some need dripping water to drink from
Substrates for reptiles
- sand and gravel ‘calci-sand’ (can gat impaction if fed on)
- soil/peat (beware fungus)
- orchid bark
- astroturf/reptocarpet (can’t dig etc.)
- bedding pellets
- maize husks
Chameleon housing
- high daytime temp
- dramatic drop at night with high humidity
- need well ventilated enclosure
- need dripping water
Bearded dragon housing
- hot spot in day
- diurnal variation
- high UV requirement
- may bromate
Leopard gecko housing
- arid environment
- humid hide to aid shedding
- need UV light
Snake housing
- need UV
- quiet, vibration free environment
- many need cool rest period during winter
Young terrapin housing
§ Aqua-vivarium
§ Basking light
§ Heated water
§ Decent water depth
§ Filtration or lots of cleaning
§ Separate feeding area
Basking area with heat and UV
Adult terrapin housing
§ Secure pond
§ Greenhouse?
Ability to adapt and hibernate but wouldn’t in the wild
Tortoise housing
Need a large grazing area in the summer, not a tiny pen
Rotate grazing to avoid build up of parasites/regular testing: roundworms
Separate accommodation for adult males and females
In the wild they hibernate for a few months in winter
In UK controlled short hibernation (maximum 3 months)
Extended autumn and spring indoors
Largest land tortoise
African spurred tortoise
Second largest land tortoise
Leopard tortoise
Tortoise that can bend part of its shell
Hinge back tortoise
Flat looking tortoises
Pancake tortoises
American box tortoise
- semi tropical
- front and back can close
- terrepin descended but land based
red and yellow foot tortoises
- terrepin descended
- tropical so need heat
Anura
Frogs and toads
Urodeles
Newts and salamanders
Housing amphibians
Terrestrial/aquatic/both?
Correct temp range?
- live food may breed in vivarium
- poor ventilation
- poor routine disease/parasite control
- need to quarantine new specimens
Indian stick insect housing
- well ventilated enclosure
- tall enclosure
- on the floor are faeces and eggs
- eggs slow to hatch
- can get fungal based problems
