Lecture 1/2

Question 1

What is the trade off of choosing a traditional zoo structure over a large landscape facility for the work of a veterinarian?

Answer 1

(Behavioral enrichment becomes much more important to prompt naturalistic behaviors since the enclosures are not comparable to typical habitats especially in size; but you get controlled environments, easier access to individual animals, and training is much broader esp. for medical procedures)

Question 2

What is the trade off of choosing a large landscape facility over a traditional zoo structure for the work of a veterinarian?

Answer 2

(Less focus on training of animals, more difficult to treat individual animals, less control over environment)

Question 3

Veterinarians who agree to be the advisor for all things medical for a given species across all AZA institutions would be a part of what AZA program?

Answer 3

(The veterinary advisory group/VAG → traditionally this has been a single veterinarian per species but councils/groups have become more commonplace)

Question 4

What does the animal population management committee (APM) under the AZA decide for AZA accredited zoos?

Answer 4

(What animals should be housed and why → more detailed: supports the development, promotion, evaluation, and management of the AZA cooperative animal programs including the TAGs and SSPs)

Question 5

What subgroup of the APM under the AZA examines the sustainability and conservation needs of an entire taxa and develops recommendations for population management and conservation based on the needs of the species and AZA accredited institutions?

Answer 5

(TAGs, taxon advisory groups)

Question 6

(T/F) The AZA promotes species with species survival plans/SSPs specifically and will put more resources towards their management than non-SSP species.

Answer 6

(T)

Question 7

(T/F) Species with species survival plans/SSPs are typically of a higher conservation value than non-SSP species and all species with SSPs can be considered endangered.

Answer 7

(F, species with SSPs are not necessarily of a higher conservation value and may not be endangered)

Question 8

Who determines the conservation value/endangerment of species?

Answer 8

(The international union for the conservation of nature/IUCN)

Question 9

What is a studbook in zoo medicine?

Answer 9

(Something that documents the pedigree and entire demographic history of each animal within a population that has a studbook)

Question 10

The SAFE (saving animals from extinction) program brings together what two parties to enhance the probability of conservation success for threatened species or a group of related taxa in the wild?

Answer 10

(AZA members and field-based partners)

Question 11

Which government agency sets the standards for public displays of animals?

Answer 11

(The USDA)

Question 12

Which government agency focuses on interstate movement of animals as it relates to human health threats?

Answer 12

(The FDA)

Question 13

What distinguishes odontocetes from mysticetes?

Answer 13

(Odontocetes have teeth, mysticetes have baleen)

Question 14

(T/F) Blowholes are typically at the center of the skull.

Answer 14

(F, left to the midline)

Question 15

How are teeth used to distinguish between species of odontocetes and age them?

Answer 15

(The number of teeth an odontocete has is species specific and if you take a cross section, the growth rings can be used for aging)

Question 16

(T/F) Mysticetes have a symmetrical skull and two blowholes.

Answer 16

(T)

Question 17

What substance forms baleen?

Answer 17

(Keratin)

Question 18

Of odontocetes and mysticetes, which are true echolocators?

Answer 18

(Odontocetes, use high or ultrasonic frequencies, mysticetes use low or infrasonic frequencies)

Question 19

The arteriovenous anastomoses that cetaceans have are superficial/deep (choose) to the insulatory blubber.

Answer 19

(Superficial)

Question 20

How do male cetaceans keep their gonads from overheating?

Answer 20

(A countercurrent heat exchange → arteries feeding testicles are close to veins which pull the heat off of the arteries before the reach the testicles)

Question 21

How have cetaceans increased their oxygen capacity?

Answer 21

(Their muscles are especially rich in myoglobin which holds oxygen, they also have a greater blood volume)

Question 22

How do odontocetes and mysticetes differ in their ovaries?

Answer 22

(Mysticetes → ovaries equally functional, odontocetes → left ovulates initially and right is used later in life)

Question 23

Calves are born head/tail (choose) first.

Answer 23

(Tail first, prevents them from taking their first breath while still being born and drowning)

Question 24

(T/F) Cetacean respiratory tracts and digestive tracts are completely separate.

Answer 24

(T)

Question 25

How long is the average mysticete estrus cycle?

Answer 25

(Two years, gestation is 11 months, lactation is 6-7 months)

Question 26

Higher contaminant concentrations are found in odontocetes/mysticetes (choose), and why?

Answer 26

(Odontocetes, because they eat higher trophic level prey which all have contamination of their own, plankton not really impacted which is the diet of mysticetes)

Question 27

What is the term for a stranding that is unexpected; involves a significant die-off of any marine mammal population; and demands immediate response?

Answer 27

(Unexpected mortality event)

Question 28

How many chambers make up a cetacean’s stomach?

Answer 28

(3, a forestomach, a true stomach, and a pyloric stomach; duodenum has an ampulla that is often confused for a 4th chamber)

Question 29

How are parasites treated in cetaceans?

Answer 29

(Anthelmintics → ivermectin, fenbendazole, albendazole, praziquantel; usually only viable in captive animals)