Lab Management - Saimiri Flashcards
How warm do squirrel monkeys need to be maintained at? Why? What are squirrel monkeys predisposed to and when?
80 F. NWM with little body fat, a high metabolic rate, and relatively large surface area. Predisposed to hypothermia and stressed if placed in standard stainless steel cages at room temperature of 72 F.
What types of perches do squirrel monkeys need? How does perching impact their sleep?
Thermoneutral perches. Perches must be off the floor and those less than 0.75 inch in diameter can cause pressure sores and ulcers on the dorsum of the base of the tail. Squirrel monkeys perch and sleep balancing on the base of the tail. Sitting puts considerable pressure on base of tail. Large-diameter perching prevent formation of tail-base ulcers.
A single-male can be paired with how many females for mating?
No more than 12.
Once established, is aggression appreciated in mixed sex groups?
Minimal, except at beginning of breeding season.
How should new animals be added to established groups?
Not as individuals, as aggression and serious injury will occur.
Can squirrel monkey infants be reared by foster dams or in a nursey?
Yes, foster dams preferred.
How warm should neonatal squirrel monkey infants be kept? What should be provided?
85 F for first 2-3 weeks of life. Surrogates that allow for the normal dorsal clinging posture are desirable.
Squirrel monkey infants are inefficient in their utilization of what dietary component? What should formula consist of and how often should it be fed?
Protein, require 13% of their calories as dietary protein. Use of dry formulation mixed with powdered milk and water better than human infant formulas. Fed ever hour for at least 14 hours a day. Feeding interval extended as infant gains wait. Infant self-feed from a bottle by 3-4 weeks of age, started on moistened monkey chow at 1 month.
When can nursery infants be introduced to multiage social groups?
6 months of age
Interaction of what species with Saimiri may promote social enrichment and mimic interactions observed in the wild?
Cebus
Describe the squirrel monkey diet in the wild. Compared to other platyrrhines, they spend a large amount of their foraging time looking for what?
Omnivorous, eating primarily fruit and insects. 70-80% of foraging time looking for insects.
Why do squirrel monkeys require a high caloric diet? Why should they always have feed available?
High basal metabolic rate and short GI tract compared to other NWM. Susceptible to hypoglycemia.
Which molecules do squirrel monkeys have a dietary requirement for? What molecule do they have a high dietary requirement for/ What occurs with deficiency?
Require vitamin D3 and C. Have high requirement for folic acid. Deficiency results in megaloblastic anemia, low-birth weight infants, and stillbirths.
What types of research are squirrel monkeys used for? What are their three most valuable contributions?
Neuroscience, studies of the cortisol receptor and the role of chaperone proteins (due to their natural glucocorticoid resistance, circulating levels of free or unbound cortisol are approx. 100 times greater than found in humans or OWM), heart failure and cardiomyopathy (naturally develop these conditions). Malaria, transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, and pelvic organ prolapse.
Why are squirrel monkeys used in malaria vaccine development? What species are used for what models?
Plasmodium are host-specific and animals used for these studies must be susceptible to the same strains of Plasmodium that cause disease in humans. Bolivian squirrel monkey superior model for P. falciparum Indochina I. Bolivian, Peruvian, and Guyanese squirrel monkeys susceptible to different strains of P. vivax but respond differently depending on strain of parasite used.
