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Year 2 Exotics > Reptiles > Flashcards

Reptiles Flashcards

1
Q

What is the cause of most reptile diseases in the UK?

A

Poor nutrition and husbandry e.g. Think lizard with calcium problems in bones

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2
Q

What does stress do?

A

Reduces immune response and predisposes to infection

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3
Q

Describe the taxonomy of reptiles.

Kingdom? Phylum? Class? And various orders?

A

Animalia
Chordata
Reptilia
Chelonia, Squamata, crocodilia, rhynocephalia

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4
Q

What do you need to keep crocodilia spp as pets

A

A dangerous/wild animal licence

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5
Q

What is the only reptile belonging to the group rhynocephalia

A

Tuatara

These are endemic of nz. They have a pronounced third eye involved in circadian and seasonal cycles

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6
Q

Which is the largest order?

What animals are in this order?

A

Squamata

Snakes. Lizards and worm lizards

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7
Q

Reptiles are ectothermic (rely on external sources of heat). They have a slower metabolism. They utilise mainly aerobic respiration but can switch to anaerobic if extra energy is needed. What’s the consequence of this?

A

Build up of lactate. Little ok as dealt with by buffering system but too much leads to lactic acidosis

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8
Q

What 4 things does metabolism depend on?

A

Diet and feeding behaviour
Size
Body temperature
Species

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9
Q

Describe thermoregulation in reptiles

A

Thermoregulation is controlled by the hypothalamus, specifically the pre optic nucleus.
Blood passes from the heart to the hypothalamus via the internal carotids.
Appropriate behavioural mechanisms can then be undertaken.
Heliothermy= direct solar radiation
Thigmothermy= contact with warm object

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10
Q

What other things are altered for thermoregulation?

A

Heart rate
Vasodilation/constriction
Lungs bypassed by shunt to reduce heat loss by evaporation
Behavioural means- position, shape, burrowing, pigmentation

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11
Q

What are UVA and UVB important for?

A

A- stimulates reproductive behaviour in lizards

B- important for calcium metabolism

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12
Q

What factors triggers hibernation?

A 
Temp
Size/weight
Photoperiod
Reproductive cycle
Food availability
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13
Q

Why is hibernation important?

A

Triggering reproduction activity

Maintaining normal thyroid activity

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14
Q

Describe the process of hibernation?

A

Withhold food for 2 weeks before to ensure nothing in gut that will ferment, reduce temperature, check and weigh regularly. Hibernate from November through to march. When waking up, bathe in water water to encourage drinking and expulsion of faeces.

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15
Q

Give some facts about the skeletal system of reptiles

A

Not Haversian canal system
Bone healing slow
When dealing with fractures must correct nutritional deficiencies
Chelonions and snakes have modifications to their axial and appendicular skeletons
Chelonions, snakes and crocodiles never stop growing- growth plates never shut
Lizards growth plates do shut, but later on

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16
Q

What happens when plasma ca levels are unsufficient to support neuromuscular activity?

A

PTH mobilises calcium from the bones
This is why you see lizards with metabolic bone disease
On X-rays bones appear clear rather than white

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17
Q

Name the three skull types, how do they differ? What species have each?

A

Anapsid = no temporal fenestrate = Chelonia

Synapsid = 1 subtemporal fenestrae

Diapsid= supra and subtemporal fenestrae= snakes, lizards, crocs, tuatara

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18
Q

How would you describe a snakes skull?

A

Kinetic

Has moveable joints between upper and lower jaw

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19
Q

What does ecdysis mean?

A

Skin shedding

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20
Q

Name the layers of the skin compared to normal

A

3 layers opposed to 5: stratum corneum, intermediate layer, stratum germinativum, stratum basale

5: cats love gravy so bad= corneum, lucidium, granulosum, spinosum, stratum basale

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21
Q

What controls ecdysis?

A

The thyroid

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22
Q

What does dysecdysis mean?

What is the usual cause?

Name 2 things ecdysis requires

A

Failure to shed

Husbandry

Humidity and shedding surface

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23
Q

What tube would you use to take reptiles blood?

When doing a smear, you’d use edta- why would you not use this with reptikes?

A

Lithium heparin

EDTA can lyse RBCs

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24
Q

How many chambers are there in the reptile heart?

Except which? Which is this similar to?

A

3

Crocodiles have 4= same as mammals and birds

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25
Q

There are 2 Atria and 1 ventricle, but the ventricle is split into 3 by muscular ridges, name the parts

A

Cavae arteriosum, pulmonae and venosum

Think veins, arteries and lungs

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26
Q

What two things keep mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood in this ventricle to a minimum?

A

Timing of contractions

Division of chambers

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27
Q

What happens when reptiles breath hold?

A

Pressure in lungs increases
Therefore blood bypasses the lungs and passes into aortic arch
This has implications during anaesthetics

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28
Q

Which veins drain the hindlimbs?

A

External Iliac veins

29
Q

The external iliac veins drain into the _________, this goes directly into the ________.

What 2 things need to be considered because of this?

A

Renal portal vein

Kidney

Drugs injected can’t be nephrotoxic and may be flushed out before they have even had a chance to take effect

30
Q

Most reptiles have an easy to visualise larynx and paired lungs- except which? Which lung is Vestigal?

A

Snakes

Left is Vestigal!

31
Q

The functional unit in mammals is called the alveoli- what’s the functional unit in reptiles called?

Describe the lung itself

A

Faveoli

Lung is a simple sac structure with a reticular pattern of ridges which increases surface area for gas exchange
(Ridges to inc SA cf to alveoli)

32
Q

Name 3 other things that the respiration system aids with except respiration

A

Vocalisation
Display (think jurassaic park)
Buoyancy

33
Q

Name the 3 phases of respiration

A

Expiration, inhalation and rest phase (can last long periods)

34
Q

What is the controlling factor for respiration?

A

Temperature

With increased temperature, oxygen demand increases and pulmonary resistance reduces

35
Q

What things help with prehension?

What glands are found in the oral cavity?

Which species have no teeth?

A

Tongue, jaw etc.

Mucus secreting to help snakes swallow whole, some glands are modified into venom glands

Chelonions

36
Q

The structure of the reptile tooth is the same as mammals e.g. Cementum/enamel etc. How is it different thought?

A

No periodontal ligament

37
Q

Name and explain the three tooth types

A

Acrodont= water dragon/chameleons= attached to surface, easily damaged

Pleurodont= attached to medial aspect of bone,lateral eroded away= snakes etc.

Thecodont= crocodiles only. Like mammal tooth but no periodontal ligament

38
Q

What’s the process called by which teeth are replaced throughout life

A

Polyphydonty

39
Q

The egg tooth is used for rupturing the leathery egg and rupturing membranes, what’s it called in chelonions and crocodiles compared to snakes and lizards?

A

Egg caruncle

Modified Maxillary tooth

40
Q

Chelonions don’t have teeth, how do they eat?

A

Hard keratinous beak

41
Q

Name 3 things that effects rate of digestion

A

Temp (stops if drops below 7degrees)

Diet (herbivore diet takes longer to digest)

Health status (decreased rate if poorly)

42
Q

Do reptiles have a gall bladder?

A

Yes

43
Q

What does the reptiles GI tract end in?

Name the parts

A

Cloaca

Copradeum, urodeum, proctodeum (remember cup, faeces, urine/repro, common)

44
Q

What’s the end product of protein catabolism?

A

Uric acid

45
Q

Where do you find the kidneys?

A

Caudal coelomic cavity

46
Q

Name 3 things reptile kidneys don’t have that mammals do

A

Renal pelvis
Renal pyramids
Loop of Henle

(They have the tubules- nothing else!!!)

47
Q

Do reptiles have a bladder?

A

No!!!

Except chelonions!!!! They do!

48
Q

Name some ways reptiles conserve water

A

Not much by kidneys but instead use:
Cloaca reflux
Reduced GFR
Renal portal system

49
Q

Eggs are water proof but what do they allow?

A

Some gas exchange

50
Q

Females can have babies ages later when kept alone. This is because sperm can be stored for long periods of time. Is fertilisation external or internal?

A

Internal

51
Q

In oviparous species, what’s the benefit of the yolk?

A

Nutrient for neonates

52
Q

What does viviparous mean?

A

Eggs hatch internally

53
Q

During development, which 2 things determine the sex of the reptile?

A

Sex chromosomes and temperature

54
Q

Deprive where you would find the testes?

A

Internally
The right one is near the vena cava
The left one is near the adrenal gland

These increase in size during the breeding season

55
Q

How do penis’ differ in reptiles?

A

Lizards and snakes have paired extracloacal hemipenes which are everted during mating

Chelonia have a single phallus, this develops from the proctodeum (last part) and everts during mating

(Remember double: snakes & lizards)

56
Q

What’s a common problem with reptile penises?

A

Prolapse

57
Q

Like birds, reptiles have many follicles on their ovaries. Name the parts of the oviduct

A 
Infundibulum
Uterine tube 
Isthmus
Uterus 
Vagina
58
Q

Name the three phases of the repro cycles

A

Quiescent
Vitelline
Gravid

59
Q

It’s important to realise that sperm is _________

A

Stored for years

60
Q

Describe the snakes eye

A

Fused transparent eyelids called spectacle.

Light is detected through the eye and the pineal gland is involved

61
Q

How the the eye of a snake differ to a mammal?

A

The iris is skeletal muscle rather than smooth muscle

62
Q

How do snakes detect pheromones?

What other species has this?

A

Vomeronasal organ

Horses

63
Q

How do snakes feel?

A

They have receptors on their tongue and oral epithelium

64
Q

Which reptile has external eyes?

What do the others have?

A

Crocodiles

The others have a short eustatian tube and an outer margin tympanic membrane

65
Q

Describe travel of vibrations in the ear

A

Down short Eustachian tube to tympanic membrane
Vibrates the membrane
Which vibrates the 1 Middle ear bone called the collumella
To the quadrate bone of the skull

66
Q

What does the third eye look like?

A

Not an eye, it’s a modified scale, located on the top of the head between the two lateral eyes

67
Q

Chelonia have 2 neck shapes, name them, and how do they differs?

A

Pleurodira= side neck= 3 bends= can’t draw head into shell

Cryptodira= 2 bends= head can go into shell

68
Q

Are Chelonia heliothermic or thigmothermic

A

Heliothermic

They bask in the sun

69
Q

Name the three muscles which give lizards a very strong jaw

A

Depressor mandible
Pterygoideus
External adductor muscle

Year 2 Exotics (7 decks)

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