Reptile Husbandry Flashcards
Hermann’s tortoise
Horsfield’s tortoise
Leopard tortoise
Red foot tortoise
Spur thighed tortoise
Sulcata tortoise
How to tell male from female tortoises
Male: longer tail with caudal vent, concave plastron, prominent hemipenis on ventral midline of cloaca
Female: sorter tail with more proximal vent before edge of carapace, flatter plastron with more flexible hinge, small cloacal organ sometimes present
Which lizards are omnivores? carnivores? herbivores?
Bearded dragons: omnivores, shift to herbivores as age
Asian water dragons: carnivorous (insectivore)
Chameleon: omnivore
Iguana: herbivore
Gecko/leopard gecko: insectivore
Sexing lizards and snakes
Male lizards: prominent preanal (gecko) or femoral (agamids, iguanids) pores, more adornments, brighter colors, two hemipenes either side of proximal tail
Male snakes: longer tail, wider just beyond cloaca, higher number of subcaudal scales, boas and pythons have cloacal spurs, probe for hemipenes
Female snakes: probe will only pass 4-6 scales
Selected Body Temperature (Ts)
temperature range within which reptile is able to function
Optimal temperature (To)
temp at which given bodily function is optimal
Activity Temperature Range
reptile can thermoregulate and actively control its body temp
What ways can reptiles lose or gain heat?
Radiation (most important)
Conduction
Convection
Heliothermic
reptiles that warm up by radiation
Thigmothermic
reptiles that warm up by conduction
