Reptiles Flashcards
What is the taxonomy of reptiles?
- Kingdom- Animalia
- Phylum- Chordata
- Order- Squamata
What is the taxonomy of chelonia?
- Kingdom- Animalia
- Phylum- Chordata
- Order- Testudines
What should you avoid in a reptile diet?
Avoid feeding a diet with high oxalate- there is a risk of calcium oxalate uroliths
What supplements should you add in a reptile diet?
Trace minerals
What is gut loading?
ensuring that the insects have calcium, can be done via sprinkling calcium on top
Why do you need to add calcium?
The insects purchased do not naturally contain that much calcium
What do you need to consider for enclosures?
- Consider if the animal needs vertical or horizontal space
- Can be difficult to monitor juveniles in a large enclosure
- May increase the size if sharing with more than one individual
What do you need to consider in terms of humidity?
- Must always be monitored- can change with seasons
- Too high can cause airway problems
What is a ‘humid high’
A micro-humid area within the enclosure- important for shedding
What do you need to consider with temperature?
- Measure with a thermostat
- Dependemt on the species requirement
- Establish a cool and hot period
- Heat lamp without a light to avoid burns
What do you need to consider with lighting?
- Uv allows vitamin D3 to be made in the body
- Needs to be direct as UV cannot pass through glass enclosures
What do you need to consider with Reptile Furniture?
- Create hiding, basking and eating areas
- Quiet areas for brumation
- Stones/ Branches for a rubbing surface
- Soaking area
- Consider reptiles that consume their prey in hiding
What do you need to consider with substrate?
- Cant be too dusty- respiratory problems
- Will consume- loose substrates can lead to impaction
- Provides comfort (not too soft or too hard)
- Easy to clean up
What do you need to consider with enrichment?
- Provide a cognitive or physical challenge
- Beware about causing frustration if too challenging
- Feeding/ Sensory
- Give them choice
What are the best ways to restrain/ handle a reptile?
- handle them from a young age to avoid agression
- use a towel to keep them warm for long periods of time
What is the vasovagal restraint?
- Stimulates the PNS
- decrease in HR, BP, RR
Name four veins you can take blood samples from
- Supcarapacial vein
- Jugular vein
- Dorsal coccygeal vein
- Ventral coccygeal vein
Name three types of chelonia
- Horsfield
- Hermanns
- Spur thighed
What veg should you avoid in a reptile diet?
- green beans or peas (too high in protein)
- Lettuce (too high in water)
What is the best thing to use for constant light exposure?
UV light tube
What areas do you need to consider when creating a reptile environment?
- Hiding/ basking/ eating areas
- consider reptiles that consume their prey in hiding
- soaking area
- stones/ branches to provide a rubbing area
- quiet area during brumation
What is brumation?
a state or condition of sluggishness or inactivity
Why is it important that the substrate is clean?
to avoid introducing parasites
What may loose substrates lead to?
impaction
What do you have to take into consideration when restraining/ handling
- Handling from a young age reduces aggression
- Tails can ‘whip’
- Gloves should be worn
- Ensure hands/ clothes dont smell of prey
- Need to provide warmth if they are out of their enclosure for an extended period of time
What temperature should reptiles be when bruminating?
5 degrees- this can be regulated in a fridge
What is the maximum length of time reptiles should bruminate for?
3 months
How would you feed an animal that is bruminating?
reduce food slowly over 2 weeks, then stop- but should continue to give water
When should you avoid hibernating an animal?
if they are unwell, they may not come out of hibernation
What is the name of the restraint that can calm reptiles down?
Vasovagal restraint
What reptile should be elevated during examination?
Chelonia
Why should you avoid lettuce?
Too high in water content
