Updated Reptile Flashcards
Hermann’s tortoise ID
No Spurs
Tail tubercle
Horsfield’s tortoise ID
Spurs
Tail tubercle
Sulcata ID
Double leg Spurs
No tubercle
Huge adults
Leopard tortoise
Double Spurs
No tubercle
Highly patterned
Red foot tortoise ID
No Spurs
No tubercle
Red legs
Male vs female tortoise
Male: longer tail, caudal vent, concave plastron, prominent hemipenis
Female: shorter tail, proximal vent, flatter plastron with hinge, small cloacal organ
Bearded dragon bio
Insectivore->herbivores with age
Basking
Very intelligent, good pets
Asian water dragon bio
Carnivores
High humidity
Grumpy
Chameleon bio
Omnivore
High humidity
Not as first pets
Green iguana bio
Herbivore
High humidity
Difficult, grumpy, aggressive
Geckos/leopard geckos
Insectivores
Don’t bask
Great first pet
Corn and rat snakes
Carnivore-rodent
Ideal first snake
Boa and Python
Carnivore-mammals
Pythons-small, shy, good to handle
Male vs female lizards
Males: pre anal or femoral pores, brighter, more adornments, two hemipenes on side of proximal tail, wider tail
Females: no pores, smaller tails
Male vs female snakes
Males: longer tail, wider tail, cloacal Spurs (boas/pythons), probe goes into 9-12 scales
Females: probe goes to 4-6 scales
Heliothermic vs Thigmothermic
Helio: Heat gained through radiation, basking
Ex. Lizards and chelonians, diurnal species
Thigmo: Heat gained through conduction
Ex. Snakes, nocturnal species
What heat sources must be provided?
- Raise enclosure to lower end of selected temp. Heating mat, plate, tubular heater, radiator that elevates whole room temp. Need to be controlled
- Basking site: bulb for baskers, direct or focal for non-baskers, don’t make it too focal or powerful
Lighting sources
Daily seasonal light patterns
Visual light and UVA for behavior
UVB for VIT D3 production
Deficiencies when reqs not met
Keep UVB source no further than 12 inches
Best light-Mercury vapor light or metal halides
Ways to create humidity
Heat mats under water bowls
Dripping/misting/fogging
Waterfalls
Water sprayer
What are suitable housing types?
Fiberglass
Plastic
Melamine
NOT GLASS
Feeding herbivores
Plants and leafy greens Veg Fruit Higher protein food Mushrooms Pellet diet Supplementation (calcium)
Omnivores and insectivores
Live food (cricket, locust, mealworm) Supplement by dusting inverts with calcium (gut load inverts with high calcium as well)
Omnivores can be 1-99% herbivorous, so feed accordingly
Carnivores
Whole mammalian prey
Defrost to blood temp
Vitamin and mineral deficiency is rare
Anorexia common
Spur-thighed tortoise ID
Spurs
No tubercle
