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VMS 2010 > Rodents > Flashcards

Rodents Flashcards

1
Q

What is the main characteristic that all rodents share?

A

Single pair of upper and lower incisors

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2
Q

What is the consequence of enamel on the back of the tooth being softer than the front?

A

They all sharpen themselves whilst chewing

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3
Q

What are rabbits?

A

lagomorphs

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4
Q

Give 4 reasons why rodents are so popular as pets?

A

» Fit in well with owner’s lifestyles and living habits
» Less commitment in terms of time and money
» Relatively inexpensive (downside – cost of vet bills sometimes
not warranted by owners)
» Good starter pets for children

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5
Q

What should a rodent herbivore diet look like?

A

Diet should consist of:
* Hay and grass (70%)
* A small amount of species-specific pelleted food
(20%)
* Fresh fruits/vegetables (10%, type and amount
specific on the species)

High in Fibre and Low in energy

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6
Q

What should a rodent omnivore diet look like?

A

Diet consists of:
* Species-specific pelleted food (75%)
* Some fresh veg and fruits (20% offered
daily)
* Small amount of protein (e.g., boiled egg,
chicken– once per week) Reduce amount in
senior animals

16% protein and 5% fat

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7
Q

What is coprophagy?

A
  • normal behaviour of rodents
  • rats will eat around 10% of their faeces off the cage floor
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8
Q

What is thigmotaxis and what animal exhibits it?

A
  • tendency to stay close to the wall
  • exhibited by guinea pigs
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9
Q

What rodent eats 10% of their faeces off the cage floor?

A

Rats

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10
Q

Where is the scent gland found in gerbils?

A

Ventral abdomen

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11
Q

Where is the scent gland found in hamsters?

A

Bilateral Flanks

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12
Q

Where is the scent gland found in guinea pigs?

A

by the tail base

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13
Q

Why should you not house mice and rats together?

A

Can cause disease transmission

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14
Q

What can cause fatal septicaemia in mice?

A

Streptobacillus moniliformis

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15
Q

What is gerbil tail slip?

A
  • Escape mechanism, essentially a ‘de-gloving’
  • The skin on the tail is more loosly attached than the skin in other rodents
  • if its left the exposed part dries up and drops off, but it can be painful if left
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16
Q

Which rodent has a long gestation period and can spray urine when frightened?

A

Chinchillas

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17
Q

How many mammals does the order rodentia comprise of?

A

Half of all mammalian species on earth

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18
Q

Name two herbivorous rodents

A

Guinea-Pigs and Chinchillas

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19
Q

Name 4 omnivorous rodents

A
  1. Hamsters
  2. Gerbils
  3. Rats
  4. Mice
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20
Q

Give the average gestation period of guinea-pigs, chinchillas, hamsters, mice, rats, gerbils

A
  1. Chinchillas- 105-113 days
  2. Guinea-pigs- 59-72
  3. Gerbils- 24-26
  4. Rats- 21-23
  5. Mice- 19-21
  6. Hamsters- 16-18
21
Q

What are guinea-pigs taxonomically related to?

A
  • The porcupine and chinchilla
22
Q

What is the adult weight of a guinea-pig?

A

1kg

23
Q

What material should you avoid for guinea-pig bedding?

A

Cotton wool

hay is best as it needs to be safe if accidently ingested

24
Q

What is the ‘rumba’ ?

A

Purring or chirping whilst swaying bottom, excitement/ stimulation

25
Q

What is ‘popcorning’ ?

A

leaping around in the air for no apparant reason- most common in young

26
Q

What may guinea-pig food need to be supplemented with?

A

Vitamin C

27
Q

Why cant guinea-pigs be placed with rabbits?

A

possibility of Bordatella
Brochiseptica

28
Q

What kind of water is best for guinea-pigs

A

Ad-lib water (nipple drinker)

29
Q

What do you need to do if keeping your guinea pigs outside?

A

Provide adequate bedding and insulation

30
Q

Why are wire mesh floors best avoided?

A

can cause injury

31
Q

Why are aquariums not the best housing?

A

Can cause a build up of ammonia

32
Q

What mice should you house together?

A
  • Male mice will fight unless they are litter mates without any females
  • Best if they are raised together
33
Q

What is the normal diet of mice/rats?

A
  • they are omnivorous so they eat food of both plant and animal origin
  • seeds, grains, small invertebrates
34
Q

What should you supplement a mouse/ rat diet with?

A

fruit, veg ocassionally cooked chicken, egg

35
Q

What is the background of gerbils

A
  • they originated in the deserts of north africa and central asia
  • bred and kept as pets since the 1960’s
  • good tempermant, gentle
  • have almost no odour
36
Q

Who shoud gerbils be kept with?

A

Gerbils should always be kept with other gerbils as they are very sociable
* males and females often ‘pair bond’

37
Q

What is the most ideal tank to keep gerbils in?

A

Fish tank with a breathable mesh lid

sand baths are also good to help keep their fur clean

38
Q

What is the best food for gerbils?

A
  • Feed pellets that have been formulated for gerbils
  • pumpkin/ sunflower seeds are a good treat ocasionally
39
Q

What sort of enrichment items should you provide to gerbils?

A

anything that is safe if swallowed as they will chew anything

40
Q

Where do hamsters usually live in the wild?

A

they live on dry flat grasslands or brushy slopes and are naturally solitary

41
Q

Why do you need to provide deep bedding for hamsters?

A

In the wild they construct burrows and hibernate when the temperature is below 5 degrees

42
Q

What can be an issue with hamsters and their babies?

A

Potential for cannibalism, have to make sure you do not disturb nesting females/ touch the babies

43
Q

What is the main diet of hamsters?

A

Vegetation, Seeds, Fruit and Meat

44
Q

Which rodent is now endangered in the wild?

A

Chinchillas, due to fur demand

45
Q

How long do chinchillas live for?

A

Up to 20 years

46
Q

Which rodent can spray urine if frightened and need places to hide during captivity?

A

chinchillas

47
Q

What is ‘fur slip’

A

Protective reaction in chinchillas, large patch of fur is released- revealing smooth skin underneath

occurs when handled incorrectly or due to excitement/ fighting

48
Q

How long can it take for chinchilla fur to grow back?

A

can take several months to regrow and is frequently a different colour shade

49
Q

What rodent cannot synthesise their own Vitamin C

A

Guinea-Pigs

VMS 2010 (13 decks)

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