Reptiles Flashcards
What makers up a reptile?
Ectotherm
Scales
Internal fertilization
Amniotic egg
Egg laying
Ex: lizards, snakes, turtles, tortoises, crocs/gators, tuatara
What makes up a tuatara?
Not really a lizard
The only species in its order
Live 60-100 yrs
Lives in New Zealand
Nocturnal
Likes colder temp
What are the downsides of being an ectotherm?
More susceptible to stress
Suppressed immune system
Increased disease susceptibility
Relies on environment to maintain body temp
Larger the reptile=harder to heat up=loose heat faster
What makes up reptile’s skin?
Air tight=water retention
Scales made of keratin/all connected
What are osteoderms?
Bone inside scales/ some species
Ex: turtles/tortes
What is Ecdysis?
Shed
New layer of epidermis skin
Lymph fluids diffuse between both layers
Enzymes create cleavage, splitting old skin
Soaking helps during shed to increase fluid for lymph production
Water can be absorbed from the cloaca
Snakes can shed in one peace
What is dysecdysis?
Abnormal shed
Reptiles depend on heat and humidity
Captivity issue not wild
Ex: Leila’s toes
Amniotic eggs?
Has membrane
Filled with fluid
Enclosed embryo, protects animal
Allows space for growth
What is the number one cause of death and disease in reptiles?
Disease
What are the top 4 requirements for reptiles?
Temp
Light
Humidity
Ventilation
Respiratory system?
Very efficient
More so than mammals
True lungs
Driven by low O2 not high CO2
Respiration efficiency
Low respiration rate=less energy used
Requires less O2
No diaphragm (excepts crocs)
Glottis near front
Glottis closed at rest
Lungs?
Different per herp
Snakes have right lung only
Chelonians fused ribs to shell
Lizards have multi-chambered
Crocs have a modified septum
Kidneys?
Excrete protein/waste from food
Regulates body fluid
Produce RBC’s and hormones
Produce Uris acid: helps with water conservation
Renal system?
Bladders: lizards/chelonians
NO: bladder: snakes/crocs
Have a cloaca
Heart?
Three chambers
Two atria
Shunt blood
Less O2 needed=less efficient heart
Heart sounds?
Cannot use stethoscope
Amplitude
Doppler
Teeth?
All so different
Replaced throughout life: crocs
Some replaced/some not: most snakes and lizards
No teeth: torts/turts
Snake bites?
Hand injury: do not pull, push snake head forward, this will open snakes mouth and unlock teeth
Newts vs salamanders?
All newts are salamanders but not all salamanders are newts
Facts about amphibians?
Transitioned from aquatic fish to terrestrial animals
Completely separate from reptiles
Cold blooded
Ectotherms, hibernate, camo, everywhere but Antarctica
Must be near water, not salt
Too much sun and heat is lethal (desiccation)
Metamorphosis?
All have this
Controlled by environment, DNA, hormones
Starts as aquatic eggs, dont have shells
Larvae have gills
Adults develope lungs
Some may never leave the larval stage
Water (amphibians) ?
Adults breathe primarily through skin not lungs
Skin must stay moist
Use gloves, DI water, toxins
Breathing (amphibians)?
Lungs poorly developed
No diaphragm or ribs, use mouth and throat to trap air
Nostrils used to remove CO2
Skin surface transmits O2 and CO2
AKA cutaneous respiration
Eating (Amphibians)?
No teeth
Sticky tongue
Swallow prey whole
Some larvae are carnivorous
Most adults are carnivorous
Often need supplements
Over supplementation can be lethal
Husbandry (amphibians)?
Mostly active during day, seasonal changes
Food size
Diff genders
Habitat style
Origin- captive/wild caught
Light
Humidity
Temp
Ventilation
Water quality
Proper cleaning
Husbandry security (amphibians)?
Stress management
Visual, noise barriers
Escape prevention
Temperate vs tropical vs desert
68-77
77-90
70-104
Why do reptiles need POTZ?
Maintains metabolic activity, digestion, UVB utilization, reproduction
Radiation?
Emission of energy in wave form (sunlight) (heat bulbs, SOME UVB bulbs)
Conduction?
Heat directly transmitted (warm rocks) (heat pads, heat rocks)
Convection?
Heat transferred through air or water (humidity) (environmental air)
Thermogradient?
A range of temperatures or other factors an animals can choose within a cage, enclosure, or environment.
What are the 3 types of light?
Heat
Visible light
UV
UVA
UVB
UVC
UVA?
Visible to reptiles
Food
Behavioral choices
Stimulates endorphins/immune system
UVB?
Synthesis of vitamin D3
Not visible
Cannot penetrate barriers
Oral over supplementations can be lethal
Can cause vitamin D toxicity from over oral supplementation
Calcifies organs
Fat soluble=harder to metabolize
MBD
Not enough
When Calcium is involved….
So is phosphorus
Dietary Ca:P= 2:1
Proper feeding crucial
Gut load d=feeder animals
UVC?
Not required and can be harmful
Used for sanitation purposes
Earths ozone layer filters this
Causes cancer and cataracts
Snake handling?
Wash hand before
Don’t smell like food
Support entire body
A towel can be used for aggressive snakes
Never carry a constrictor around neck
Utilize one handler per 3-4 foot of snake
Use caution with giant constrictor
Venomous
Tools for handling?
Snake hooks/tongs
Tubes
Snake bags
Buckets
Training classes
Shift cages for venomous snakes
Handling lizards?
Wash hands before hand
Support all of body
Careful of tails
Use towel for aggressive
Never carry their mouth near your face
Crate train large lizards
Tail autonomy?
Self amputation of tail
Iguanas, some geckos, some small skinks, tegus
Allow to escape
Disadvantage loss of energy reserves, huge demand to regrow
Regrowth is cartilage, new tail is NOT the same
Handling crocs?
Few muscles to OPEN mouth
Secure head and jaws
Tail is powerful
Crate training is best
Hearing?
Middle and inner ear only
Decent hearing
Tympanum=ear drum= lizards, frogs/toads, not snakes or salamanders
Crocs have external ear flaps
Vision?
Snakes and SOME lizards have no eyelid
Have third eye= some lizards and amphibians
Poor eye muscles
Taste?
Few taste buds
Some have no taste buds
Swallow prey whole
Smell?
Excellent
Jacobsons organ
Chemoreceptor= senses heavier molecules like pheromones used for catching prey or mating
Very well developed in snakes
Touch?
Crocs have ISO= integumentary sensory organ
Mechano receptors
Thermo receptors
Chemical receptors
Sixth sense?
Electro-magnetic navigation
Sea turtles
Enclosures need?
Proper UVB, heat, humidity, substrate, space
