Housing III. Exotics Housing Flashcards
Environmental considerations
💡 Other Animals 💡 Accommodation 💡 Lighting 💡 Temperature 💡 Humidity 💡 Water quality 💡 Substrate 💡 Enrichment
Things to consider when housing animals together
🐱Social requirements 🐱Breeding 🐱Infectious diseases 🐱Management requirements 🐱Competition for resources 🐱Aggression 🐱Predator/Prey response
Social Requirements
🐣Solitary species 🐣Social Species 🐣Breeding requirements 🐣Territorial Species 🐣Mixing species
Accommodation Design
🧺Material 🧺Ventilation 🧺Space 🧺Furniture 🧺Security 🧺Dangers 🧺External factors 🧺Hygiene
Ventilation
💨Ventilation essential 💨Reduce odours/gas build up 💨Provide clean air 💨Respiratory health 💨Reduce concentration of airborne pathogens 💨Passive vs active ventilation 💨Air changes per hour 💨Varies between species 💨Balance again temperature/security
Space
📏Space requirements 📏Vertical 📏Horizontal 📏Below ground 📏Air 📏Indoor vs Outdoor 📏Consider natural environment
Furniture
📭Refugia 📭Climbing structure 📭Perches/Basking spots 📭Exercise wheels 📭Toys 📭Mirrors 📭Safety paramount
Exercise Wheels
🧿Consider Size
🧿Material
🧿Design
🧿Noise (!)
Security
🦊Predators 🦊Escape proof 🦊Chew proof 🦊Electrical cables 🦊Risk of entrapment 🦊Theft
External factors
☔️Seasonal adaptations necessary ☔️Noise ☔️Plants if outside ☔️External temperatures ☔️Weather proof ☔️Damp ☔️Drafts ☔️Overheating ☔️Plenty of bedding
Dangers
🌳Plants 🌳Toxins 🌳Aerosols 🌳PTFE 🌳Heavy Metals 🌳Pesticides 🌳Cleaning products 🌳Predator stress 🌳Humans 🌳Pets
Hygiene
🧼Cleaning regimes 🧼Disinfectants 🧼Safe 🧼Contact time 🧼Concentrations 🧼Permeability of materials 🧼Awkward furniture 🧼Spot clean vs deep clean 🧼Personal hygiene 🧼Food/water contamination
Environmental considerations
💡 Other Animals 💡 Accommodation 💡 Lighting 💡 Temperature 💡 Humidity 💡 Water quality 💡 Substrate 💡 Enrichment
Light Spectrum
🌈Huge species variation 🌈Aim to mimic natural sunlight exposure 🌈Visible light 🌈Ultraviolet light 🌈Flicker Frequency 🌈Intensity 🌈Spectrometer 🌈Filtration of sunlight
Photoperiod
🌔Night:Day cycles 🌔Circadian & Circannual rhythms 🌔Routine important 🌔Seasonal variation 🌔Seasonal breeders 🌔Impact on disease processes 🌔UVA light spectrum→behavioural responses to light 24
Ultraviolet light
💜UV-A, UV-B, UV-C 💜UV-A visible to birds and reptiles 💜UV-B required for Vitamin D3 activation 💜 7-dehydrocholesterol → Cholecalciferol (Vit D3) 💜 Calcium metabolism 💜Requirements often not well defined 💜UV Index 💜Solarmeters
Temperature
🌡 Poikilothermic/Homeothermic/Heterothermic metabolism 🌡 Consider natural environment/range 🌡 Thermal gradients 🌡 Preferred Optimal Temperature Zone (POTZ) 🌡 Night time temperatures 🌡 Control & monitoring essential 🌡 Thermometer 🌡 Max/minmeasurement 🌡 Thermostaticcontrol
Heat Sources
🔥Lamps 🔥Mercury vapour 🔥Ceramic 🔥Hot rocks 🔥Heat mats 🔥Incubators 🔥Water heaters 🔥Background temperatures
Humidity
💧 Consider natural humidity ranges 💧 Water provision 💧 Skin & respiratory health 💧 Drinking 💧 Gradient 💧 Humidity hides 💧 Hygrometry
Humidity provision
💧 UK Humidity range 💧 Spraying 💧 Misters 💧 Water Features 💧 Strategic water placement 💧 Substrates 💧 NB Ventilation 💧 Microhabitats
Water quality
💦 Aquatic, Semi-Aquatic and Terrestrial species 💦 Filtration 💦 Water samples 💦 Temperature 💦 Quality 💦 Parasites 💦 Drainage 💦 Substrate 💦 Disposal of waste water
Substrate
🍂Different substrates in environment 🍂Consider source 🍂Burrowing/Digging 🍂Cleaning 🍂Potential for ingestion/impaction 🍂Foreign body 🍂Bio-active 🍂Infection control 🍂Spores, parasites 🍂Toxins
Environmental Enrichment
🐚 Should have variety 🐚 Dietary 🐚 Sensory 🐚 Olfactory 🐚 Visual 🐚 Touch 🐚 Cognitive 🐚 Structural 🐚 Social 🐚 Human-Interaction
Husbandry records
📝Recording essential for exotic pets 📝Weight 📝Environmental parameters may fluctuate 📝Events 📝Feeding 📝Cleaning 📝Defaecation/Urination 📝Shedding/Moulting 📝Egg laying 📝Behaviour changes 📝Change in group structure
Hospitalisation accommodation
🐰Consider Diet 🐰Space limited 🐰Company 🐰Observation 🐰Visibility 🐰Access eg for medication/fluids 🐰Noises/smells in vicinity 🐰Security 🐰Escape 🐰Predation
Rabbits
🐰Predator free environment 🐰Crepuscular species 🐰Avoid bright lighting in the day 🐰Litter Trays 🐰3m x 2m x 1m 🐰Need height to stand on hindlegs 🐰Hutch alone not acceptable 🐰Hutch + Exercise area/enclosure 🐰Regularly move the run 🐰Care re burrowing
🐰Interaction at ground level 🐰Strong wire that can’t chew through 🐰Bolt locks 🐰Absorbent bedding 🐰Nesting material 🐰Slip proof under foot 🐰Spot Cleaned daily 🐰Full clean weekly Water provision 🐰Bottle and/or bowl 🐰Enrichment
Rabbits - Outdoor
🐰Out of direct sunlight 🐰Partially covered/insulated 🐰Access to grass run 🐰Care re toxic plants 🐰Temperature shifts dangerous 🐰Noise/Fireworks
Rabbits – Indoor
🐰Minimum 3m x 2m x 1m 🐰Rabbit Proofing 🐰Other pets 🐰Electric wires 🐰Chewing 🐰Being trodden on 🐰Houseplants 🐰‘Escape’ 🐰Free Range vs confined to room or part of room 🐰Conservatories can get very hot 🐰Care re smooth floors
Guinea Pigs
🐹Should never be kept with rabbits 🐹Housed in pairs or small groups (neutering)
🐹Male dominated hierarchy
🐹Hutch raised off the ground
🐹Free access to exercise area (tunnels?)
🐹Tall enough to stand on back legs
🐹Sheltered
🐹Shelters essential
🐹Move indoors <15oC
🐹Adequate resources to limit competition
🐹Untreated wooden chew toys
Key Information Temperature: 16-24 oC
Humidity: 30-70% Space: 0.9m2 per adult Sociable species
Chinchillas
🌵Nocturnal 🌵Sociable
🌵Pairs, single sex groups, polygamous groups
🌵1 male: 5 females
🌵Horizontal and vertical space required
🌵Narrow wire mesh (max 15mm) + solid floor
🌵Gnawproof material
🌵Dust baths
Dust/Sand Baths
🛀🏽Commercial dust products 🛀🏽Volcanic Ash 🛀🏽Fuller’s earth and Silver sand 1:9 🛀🏽2-4cm deep for mammals 🛀🏽Open container 🛀🏽Max 30 mins 🛀🏽Several times a week 🛀🏽Don’t leave in 🛀🏽Conjunctivitis 🛀🏽Dermatophytosis 🛀🏽Many species
Degus
🐻Similar to Chinchilla housing 🐻Multi-level housing
🐻Vertical space & furniture for climbing
🐻Solid roof
🐻Raise up from ground level
🐻Large rodent wheels/toys/enrichment
🐻Deep bedding for digging and tunnelling
🐻May stockpile food
🐻Dust/sand bath 2-3 times/week
Hamsters
🐹Live in burrows in the wild 🐹Nocturnal – travel <10km at night 🐹Plastic cages with wire tops 🐹Use a latrine – spot clean daily 🐹Stable temperature 🐹Exercise wheels/balls 🐹Dust free substrate 🐹Woodchips 🐹Paper 🐹Deep for burrowing 🐹Nest box 🐹Empty weekly
Gerbils
🐹Live in colonies in underground burrows 🐹Single sex pairs/groups 🐹Plastic cage with wire tops 🐹Gerbilarium 🐹Deep Substrate for tunnelling (15-20cm) 🐹Sawdust, shavings, hay 🐹Avoid sand 🐹Dry environment 🐹Sand or dust bath 🐹Produce very little urine 🐹Care re hamster wheels
Rats
🐀0.6m x 0.35m x 0.25m 🐀Separate areas for feeding, sleeping, exercise 🐀Plastic and wire/gnawproof material 🐀Multilevel housing 🐀Solid floor 🐀Varied environment/cage free time 🐀Dust free substrate 🐀Paper ideal 🐀Clean weekly 🐀Ventilition 🐀Exercise wheel and lots of stimulation/enrichment
Mice
🐁Similar to rats 🐁Plastic cage with removable base tray 🐁Escape proof 🐁Away from predators 🐁Nest box 🐁Ladders/exercise wheel 🐁Sensitive to heat stroke
Ferrets
🦦 Verysociable 🦦 Pairs,groups 🦦 Anysexratio,dependsonpersonality 🦦 Sleepinpiles 🦦 Needhighlevelstimulation 🦦 Multi-levelhousing 🦦 Dig 🦦 Climb 🦦 Tunnel 🦦 Notoriousescapeartists 🦦 Underwireanyoutdoorenclosure
Ferrets
🦦 Smallhutchwithregularplayandcagefreetime 🦦 Sleepingare 🦦 Latrine 🦦 Solidbase 🦦 Hide/hammock/oldclothingbedding 🦦 Dustfreesubstrate 🦦 Noshavings/hay/straw 🦦 Tallenoughtostandonhindlegs 🦦 Climbingetcdigging 🦦 stashing
African Pygmy Hedgehogs
🦔Increasingly popular pet 🦔Exercise wheel 🦔Solitary 🦔Fighting common between males 🦔If grouping introduce when young 🦔Solid floor cage 🦔Aspen/paper bedding 🦔Fleece fabric/carpeting 🦔Shelter to reduce stress 🦔Quiet, dim environment 🦔Will require external heating
Housing General
🦆Free ranging 🦆Flightless 🦆Deflighting 🦆Aviary 🦆Cage 🦆Tethering 🦆Lofting 🦆Homing 🦆Breeding 🦆Unfiltered UV light
Deflighting Techniques - Clipping
🦅Often requested to keep pet birds from flying or reduce risk of injury/escape
🦅Consider freedom to express normal behaviour
🦅Risk of injury from bad clipping
🦅Temporary measure
🦅Explore alternative options
Deflighting Techniques - Pinioning
• Permanent flight prevention • Waterfowl downies < 10 days old only • Unilateral amputation of distal wing tip, distal to alula • Act of veterinary surgery • 3-4 days old, cartilage, skin, down • Alula must be preserved • Metacarpals should be as short as possible • Silver nitrate for haemostasis
Psittacines
🦜Highly sociable & intelligent 🦜Cage 🦜Aviary 🦜Horizontal cage wires for climbing 🦜Perches 🦜Space for flight 🦜Mixed species
Psittacines
🦜UV spectrum 🦜Bath 🦜Humidity/Misting 🦜Photoperiod 🦜Environmental pollutants/hazards 🦜Enrichment essential 🦜Toys 🦜Variety
Passerines
🐤Hardbills - Finches & Canaries 🐤Softbills (Mynahs 🐤Wire cages 🐤Aviaries 🐤Breeder boxes 🐤Can mix some Finch species (Psittacines?) 🐤Nesting material/bowl 🐤Mite resistant housing 🐤Perches to fly between 🐤Toys
Domestic Fowl
🐤Backyard Poultry 🐤Ducks/Swans/Geese 🐤Sociable – keep in small groups 🐤Mixed species 🐤Predator proof wooden hut 🐤Eglu 🐤Perch for hens 🐤Natural foragers 🐤Nestboxes 🐤Ducks require water to submerge heads
Raptors
🦅 Hugely variable environmental requirements
🦅Tethered 🦅Blocks
🦅Bow Perches 🦅Protection from predators 🦅Bating injuries
🦅Aviaries 🦅Breeding
🦅Exhibition 🦅Off season
Raptor Aviaries
🦅 Aviary design varies with species and purpose 🦅Accipiters limited visibility 🦅Confident birds more open aviaries 🦅Bigger is not always better 🦅Solid, mesh or net walls 🦅Thick mesh, ideally coated 🦅Rodent proofing 🦅Roof should be part covered 🦅Access to unfiltered sunlight and rain 🦅Concrete based with substrate 🦅Perches (swinging?) 🦅Nest boxes 🦅Baths
Tethered birds
🦅Perches outside during the day if dry 🦅Covered bay at night 🦅Good observation 🦅Portable perches 🦅Moved to aviary during closed season for moult 🦅Flown almost daily 🦅UK zoo legislation minimum 5/7 days 🦅Baths removed at noon 🦅Tethered > 18” from ground at night/winter 🦅Protection from predators
Pigeons and Doves
🐦 Lofts 🐦Garage/Shed/Stable 🐦Freestanding 🐦Different compartments 🐦Old birds 🐦Young birds 🐦Breeding pairs 🐦Entrance traps 🐦Perches 🐦Temperature 🐦Ventilation
Ferguson Zones
🌞 4 Zones to categorize reptiles and amphibians by their UV requirement
🌞Based on natural sun exposure
🌞Helps identify UV requirement in
captivity
Ferguson Zone 1
🌒 Shade Dweller 🌒Crepuscular species 🌒UVI 0-0.7 🌒Basking zone 0.6-1.4 🌒Most Frogs/Toads 🌒Axolotls 🌒Common Geckos 🌒Corn Snakes 🌒Anaconda
Ferguson Zone 2
🌗 Partial Sun 🌗Occasional basker 🌗UVI 0.7 – 1 🌗Basking zone 1.1-3.0 🌗Royal Python 🌗Most Boas 🌗King Snakes 🌗Hognoses 🌗Box Turtles 🌗Asian Water Dragon
Ferguson Zone 3
🌔 Partial or open Sun basker 🌔UVI 1-2.6 🌔Basking zone 2.9-7.4 🌔Bearded Dragon 🌔Mediterranean Tortoise 🌔Green Iguana 🌔Many monitors Some Chameleons 🌔Tegus
Ferguson Zone 4
🌕 Mid day Sun basker 🌕UVI 2.6-3.5 🌕Basking zone 4.5-9.5 🌕Uromastyx 🌕Bosc Monitor 🌕Rhino Iguana Marginated Tortoise
Snakes
🐍 Varied requirements 🐍Frequently inactive 🐍Minimum 2/3 length of the snake 🐍Gaps/sliding doors – escape risk 🐍Good ventilation 🐍Heating (POTZ) 🐍Thermal gradients 🐍Variable UV requirement Night time temperatures 🐍Wire guards over heat sources Humidity hide for shedding 🐍Substrates
Bearded Dragons
🐲 Australian species 🐲Vivarium 🐲90 x 45 x 45cm 🐲26-40oC 🐲Minimum night time temperature 16oC Diurnal 🐲High intensity Full UV Spectrum 🐲Ferguson Zone 3-4
Geckos
🦎Desert species eg Leopard 🦎Forest species eg Crested 🦎Range in humidity requirements 🦎Humidity and temperature gradients 🦎 Deep substrate 🦎Low level UV-B 🦎Sometime considered optional 🦎Vertical routes 🦎Range of textures 🦎Water provision
Chameleons
🦎Arboreal 🦎Rainforest species 🦎Tall escape proof vivarium 🦎Branches/tall furniture Rarely go on the floor 🦎Thermal gradient Diurnal 🦎High intensity UVA UVB 🦎12-14 hour photoperiod 🦎70% humidity 🦎Drink from droplets
Turtles
🐢 Aquatic/Semi Aquatic 🐢Water filtration 🐢Turtle Tub 🐢Guidelines for water depth vary 🐢Dry landing place 🐢Heat Source (air and water) 🐢Basking spot 🐢UV Spectrum 🐢Substrate 🐢 Territorial 🐢Can grow very large 🐢Water temperature
Tortoises
🐢Indoor and outdoor space 🐢Grazing 🐢Toxic plants 🐢Heat Source 🐢Basking spot 🐢UV Spectrum 🐢Night time temperatures 🐢Substrate 🐢Solitary/Territorial
Tortoise Hibernation
🐢Healthy adult Mediterranean species 🐢October – February 🐢1-10oC 🐢Predator proof 🐢Temperature controlled 🐢Ventilation 🐢Stable temperature 🐢Insulation 🐢Refrigerator ideal 🐢NOT OUTDOORS 🐢Preparation key 🐢Monitoring
Frogs
🐸 Very variable taxonomic group 🐸 Tropical Frogs 🐸 Aquatic/Semi Aquatic 🐸 Nocturnal/Diurnal 🐸 Arboreal tree frogs 🐸 General high humidity 🐸Variable temperature 🐸Leaf litter 🐸 Water - Deep to shallow 🐸 Tall vivarium 🐸 Wood surfaces need to be resin sealed 🐸 Mesh lid UV Provision 🐸 12 hour photoperiod
Impact of poor housing on health
🚫Many conditions caused by sub-optimal housing
🚫Will be covered in clinical course
🚫Often multifactorial
🚫Highlights importance of appropriate housing
🚫Often many good methods of housing
🚫Some examples…
Examples of Impact of poor housing on health
🧑🏻⚕️Ring tail – low humidity in rodents
🧑🏻⚕️Frost bite – cold temperatures in birds
🧑🏻⚕️Burns – inappropriate heating source
🧑🏻⚕️Wing tip oedema – tethering raptors low to ground in winter 🧑🏻⚕️Respiratory problems – dusty substrate/low humidity 🧑🏻⚕️Pododermatitis – inappropriate substrate/wire floor 🧑🏻⚕️Immunocompromise – stress of overcrowding
🧑🏻⚕️Injuries from conspecifics – inadequate resource/group dynamic 🧑🏻⚕️Metabolic Bone Disease – Inadequate UV-B
🧑🏻⚕️Poor Breeding Success – Inappropriate photoperiod
🧑🏻⚕️Impaction – inappropriate substrate
🧑🏻⚕️Cutaneous ulcers – poor water quality
Specific health requirements
👩🏽⚕️ Changes to housing may be required
👩🏽⚕️ Substrate thickness or type
👩🏽⚕️ Paper towel for wounds/post surgical
👩🏽⚕️ Thick substrate for bumblefoot
👩🏽⚕️ Humidity
👩🏽⚕️ Increase in respiratory disease
👩🏽⚕️ Decrease in some infectious disease
👩🏽⚕️ Temperature
👩🏽⚕️ Increased to help healing esp. ectotherm
👩🏽⚕️ Furniture
👩🏽⚕️ Remove in some conditions
👩🏽⚕️ Enrichment may need to be adapted eg mobility
