Reptiles Flashcards
What should enclosures be made of?
Synthetic nonporous material, sealed wood, plexiglass
What size should enclosures be?
Larger the better, vertical for arboreal species, horizontal for terrestial species
What should the temperature be?
85-95 degrees for tropical and desert lizards with a basking light reaching no more than 100-105 degrees
What humidity should it be?
80-90 for tropical
30-50% for desert
Why is UVB lighting important?
necessary for vitamin d synthesis and calcium absorption
What do herbivore lizards eat?
grasses, leaves, vegetables, and fruit
What type of diet should herbivore lizards have?
moderate to high fiber and moderate to low fat and protein
What should be fed as a protein source?
Alfalfa in moderation
What should you never feed herbivore lizards?
Dog or cat food
What is toxic to herbivore lizards?
parsley, spinach, and chives
What do carnivores eat?
Prey, small mammals, birds, or other reptiles
What type of diet should carnivores be fed?
High protein diet with moderate fat and low fibeer
How should you feed carnivores immature rodents?
Coated with calcium supplement
Why should you avoid feeding live prey?
may cause injury to the reptile
What do insectivore lizards eat?
crickets, mealworms, and was worms
How should you prepare insects?
Must be fed a nutrient rich diet for up to 2 days
Why should you do gut loading?
Insects do not provide enough nutrition without gut loading
What do omnivore lizards eat?
Plant and prey items; combination of items you feed the other types of lizards
How should you give water to reptiles?
Depending on the species, dish, misting, or dripping system
How to restrain a lizard?
Restrain head first to prevent bite; secure the head by placing the index finger and thumb around the base of the mandible. Use free hand to hold rear legs and tail; do not hold tail
What is a calming trick for lizards?
Some species will calm down with both eyes covered due to vagal stimulation
What are the venipuncture sites of lizards?
- Ventral coccygeal (tail)
- Jugular
- Ventral abdominal
How to restrain chelonians?
Grasp both sides of the shell then restrain head by grasping base of skull at the mandible with index finger and thumb
Venipuncture sites of chelonians?
- Jugular
- Subcarapacial venous sinus
- Dorsal coccygeal
What is the main defense of snakes?
Bites and constriction
How do you restrain snakes?
Grasp head at level of mandible support body with the other hand
What is a major medication toxic to chelonians and debilitated snakes?
Ivermectin
What does ivermectin cause in chelonians?
Neurologic deficits and often death
What is metabolic bone disease?
Malnutrition and lack of exposure to UVB light leads to decreased sythensis of vitamin d3
Why is vitamin D3 essential?
Calcium absorption and metabolism