Reptiles, Fish & Birds Flashcards
What does UVA trigger?
What is UVB for?
Reproduction
Vitamin D conversion
What is the preferred optimum temperature zone for most reptiles?
20-38oC
Where is the fat stored which is the main energy source during hibernation?
Liver and tail
How much body weight should a tortoise lose during hibernation?
10%
What is the optimal Ca:P ratio in reptiles?
2:1
What are the 3 spinal regions in reptiles?
Presacral, sacral, caudal
What is the blood volume of reptiles?
5-8% of bodyweight
What is the egg tooth in reptiles used for?
What is it made of?
Rupturing membranes and shell during hatching
Snakes and lizards-adapted maxillary tooth
Crocodiles/chelonians-keratinised tissue
Where are the kidneys located in reptiles?
Caudal coelom
Which reptile species have a bladder?
Chelonians, some lizards
Name the 3 sections of the cloaca and state what they do
Copradeum- collects faeces
Urodeum-collects urine, drains reproductive tract
Proctodeum- urine and faecal matter mix, excreted from body
In female reptiles, what do the oviducts secrete for eggshell formation?
Albumin, protein and calcium
In reptiles, what controls shedding of skin?
Thyroid gland
What is meant by heliothermic?
Gains heat from the sun-basking
What is the ideal body temperature of a tortoise?
22-33oC
How many claws do tortoises have?
FL=5
HL=4/5
What are the venepuncture sites of a tortoise?
Jugular vein
Dorsal coccygeal vein
If tortoises have no diaphragm, how do they drive respiration?
Use trunk muscles
How long does the passage of food take in a tortoise?
2-4 weeks
What is the difference in the plastrons of male and female tortoises?
Male=concave shape
Female=convex or flat shape
In snakes, do all of the precloacal vertebrae have ribs?
Yes, except for the first 2 cervical
Do snakes retain remnants of their ancestral limbs?
Yes- ‘primitive’ snakes (boas and pythons) retain remnants of pelvic limbs as spurs
What is the preferred body temperature of a snake?
18-34oC
How is a snake’s jaw modified to allow it to swallow large prey?
Mandible is in 2 halves, linked by an elastic ligament (no symphysis)
Can move each side independently and ‘walk’ over prey
In chelonians, what are the upper and lower portion of the shell called?
Upper=carapace
Lower=plastron
What basic tissue forms the rest of the shell, excluding the scutes?
Dermal bone plates
In chelonians, what components of the skeleton have fused with the inside of the shell?
Ribs, spine
What are the 3 kinds of fish filter?
Chemical-adsorb substances from water: carbon=’colour-causing substances eg phenols, zeolite=ammonia, phosphate-removing granules prevent algae
Mechanical- to trap suspended and sinking solid wastes
Biological-Ammonia oxidising bacteria break down ammonia to nitrite. Nitrite oxidising bacteria break down nitrite to nitrate
What is the function of the lateral line in fish?
Detects underwater vibrations and determines the direction of their source
Detects changes in pressure, movement etc
What is the function of pelvic fins in fish?
Used to help elevation and descent through water, acts as a brake, assists when turning sharply.
Some fish have adapted theirs into ‘suckers’ to cling to rocks in fast-flowing water
What is the function of the dorsal fin?
Sharp turns, and to stop the fish from rolling as it swims
May be venomous
What is the function of pectoral fins?
Used for slow and precise movements
What is the function of the anal fin?
Stability
What is the function of a swim bladder?
Hollow, gas-filled balance organ that allows a fish to conserve energy by maintaining neutral buoyancy (suspending) in water
In fish, what is the pyloric caeca?
Organ with finger-like projections
Located near junction of the stomach and intestines
Secretes enzymes that aid in digestion
In parrots, what provides plumage colour?
Melanocytes provide brown, yellow and black melanins
Rd and yellows come from dietary carotenoid pigments
White and blue is due to reflection and refraction of light through air spaces and specialised cornified cells within un- or semi-pigmented feathers
In birds, which oviduct is functional and which is rudimentary?
Right is rudimentary, left is functional
In birds, what are the 5 parts of the oviduct and what happens in each one? How long does the egg spend in each section?
Infundibulum-oocyte capture, impregnation by sperm, surrounds fertilised egg with chalazae (suspends the yolk) (15 mins)
Magnum-produces albumin (protein) (3 hours)
Isthmus-produces shell membranes (1 hour 15 mins)
Uterus (shell gland)-albumin layer completed, calcified egg shell is produced (20 hours)
Vagina-egg cuticle is added (minutes)
Describe inhalation and exhalation in birds
1st inhalation: air flows through the trachea and bronchi, mostly into the posterior air sacs
1st exhalation: air moves from the posterior air sacs into the lungs
2nd inhalation: air moves from the lungs to the anterior air sacs
2nd exhalation: air moves from the anterior air sacs back into the trachea and then out
Do birds have alveoli?
No- instead their lungs contain millions of tiny passages called parabronchi
When measuring fish, what is the difference between the total and standard length?
Total=whole of fish, to end of caudal fin lobes
Standard=to end of caudal peduncle
In fish, muscles of the tail and trunk consist of a series of muscle blocks called what?
Myotomes
In fish, what is the difference between white and red muscle?
White: Short duration, bursts of power, quick fatigue, low mitochondria and myoglobin levels, little vascularisation, anaerobic glycolysis
Red: Sustained swimming, abundant myoglobin and mitochondria, aerobic respiration
In fish, give the 8 stages of the circulatory system
Sinus venosus -> Atrium -> Ventricle -> Conus arteriosus -> Gills -> Respiratory capillaries -> Systemic capillaries -> Body
What is meant by brackish water?
More salty than freshwater, but not as salty as sea water
Where is the swim bladder located in the fish?
Dorsal to the stomach and gonad, and ventral to the kidney
In snakes, which lung is reduced/absent?
Left
In snakes, which are more cranial: gonads or kidneys?
Gonads
