Week Three: Reptile Nursing Flashcards
What are chromatophores?
Scales that change color
What are chelonian scutes?
Scales on shells
What is the difference between snakes and legless lizards?
Snakes don’t have eyelids and legless lizards do.
Where are plastron bones on a chelonian?
Chest/bottom part of shell
Where are carapace bones on a chelonian?
On their back, big part of shell
What is tail autonomy?
Purposely detaching tail, may grow back
Where is the heart located in a snake that lives in a terrestrial/arboreal environment?
A marine/aquatic environment?
Closer to head
Closer towards center of body
Which lung is dominant in a snake?
Right
Where are the lungs in a chelonian?
In the carapace
What is the difference between oviparous and viviparous?
Oviparous: lay eggs
Viviparous: Carry babies inside with eggs, then when eggs hatch babies come out
What is the man part called on a reptile?
Hemipenes
Reptiles usually have eyelids and a nictating membrane, snakes do not. Instead they have…
Spectacle scale
What is the parietal (third) eye in some species for?
It is a light sensor, used to regulate day/night
What is Vomeronasal (Jacobson’s) organ?
Smell sensor in the roof of the mouth
What is the difference between a turtle and a tortoise?
Turtle: aquatic
Tortoise: terrestorian
Bearded Dragon
Lizard, Pogona (species)
Less than 2 ft long, do best in dry, land setups, 68-86F, omnivore
Boa
Snake
Common- Boa constrictor: up to 10 ft.
Rosy- Lichanura trivirgata: up to 3 ft
Box Turtle
Tortoise
Chameleon
Lizard; Veiled (Chamaeleo calyptratus), Jackson’s (Ch. jacksonii), Panther (Ch. Pardalis)
What does a Jackson’s chameleon look like?
Has horns
Colubrid
Snake King snake (Lampropeltis getula) Corn snake (Elaphe guttata) Rat snake (Elaphe obsolete) Milk snake (Lampropeltis trangulum) Garter snake (Thamnophis spp.)
Gecko
Lizard
Day (Phelsuma spp.)
Leaf-tailed (Uroplatus spp.)
Leopard (Eublepharis macularius)
Tail autonomy
Iguana
Lizard Green iguana (Iguana iguana) Sizes over 6 ft., herbivore, can be very aggressive, tail autonomy
Monitor
Lizard
Nile (Varanus niloticus)
Savannah (V. exanthematicus)
Terrestrial carnivores, aggressive
Painted/Slider
Turtle
Most common water turtles kept as pets
Python
Snake
Ball (Python requis) or royals up to 5 ft.
Burmese (P. molarus bivattatus) up to 20 ft.
Green tree (Morelia chondrophython viridis) up to 6 ft.
Skink
Lizard
Blue tongue (Tiliqua spp.)
Omnivore
Sulcata
Tortoise
AKA African spurred, males exceed 100 lb
Tegu
Lizard
Tupinambis spp., large, primarily carnivores, may be aggressive
Uromastyx
Lizard
Desert, land lizards, omnivores
Water Dragon
Lizard
Physignathus coccinus
Do best in humid, arboreal setups, omnivores, can be aggressive and don’t like to be held
What are some venomous retiles?
Lizards: Gila monster, Mexican beaded
Snakes: Rattlesnakes, water snakes
How do you prepare for venomous patients?
Have antivenin available or hospitals contacted in preparation, use anesthesia for all procedures
What is conspecific dominance aggression?
Aggression between the same species
What are some things to keep in mind when housing reptiles?
Size, shape, substrate, and materials vary by species
Large enough for thermoregulation
Height is important for arboreal and length is important for terrestrial
What do you need to keep in mind when picking out cage furniture for reptiles?
Climbing, basking, hiding, nesting, food and water
What does POTZ stand for?
Preferred optimal temperature zone
What is candling?
Looking for vascularity in the eggs
What is pipping?
You breaking the eggs for the babies
How should you transport reptiles?
Appropriately sized cages or crates, large snakes can be bagged or put in a plastic tub
What are some pharmaceutical toxicities for reptiles?
Ivermectin and Metronidazone
What are some common vitamin deficiencies in reptiles?
Vitamin B,E, and A
Selenium
Calcium
When do reptiles get gout?
Too much Vitamin A
What are some restraint tools for snakes?
Hooks or tubes
What should you look for in reptiles during a physical exam?
Muscle mass of tail, sunken eyes, opening mouths, gravid females
What are some ways of restraint for reptiles?
Plastic containers, or lifting chelonians
What are some common injectable drugs for anesthetizing reptiles?
Ketamine and telazol IM Propofol IV or IO Butorphanol IM Isoflurane for inhalant Sevoflurane may be used
Where are some catheter sites for reptiles?
Medium to large lizards: Cephalic
Smaller lizards: Femoral IO, Tibial IO
Where are some common venipunctures sites for reptiles?
Caudal tail vein, jugular for chelonians
What are some tubes we use for assisted feeding in reptiles?
Pharyngostomy tube, red rubber, or cannula feeding
Where would you administer subq injections in lizards?
Very uncommon but lateral scapular region
Where would you administer subq injections in snakes and chelonians?
Wherever skin folds are visible (coiled snakes or skin folds of neck and legs in chelonians)
Where are some common IM injection locations in reptiles?
Epaxial, triceps in large lizards
Intracoelomic injection means the injection will go where on a lizard?
Right lower quadrant of abdomen
How do you determine the sex of a reptile?
Anatomically, probing, or eversion/popping
Where are the common routes of euthanasia in reptiles?
Either IO or IC
What is dysecdesis?
General term for any issue with shedding
Retained shed on toes, tails, and eyes is a concern
What is the most common disease in reptiles?
Metabolic Bone Disease
____ should ALWAYS be treated as a serious issue in reptiles
Dyspnea
What are some signs of GI obstruction and impaction in reptiles?
Anorexia, bloating, lethargy, weight loss, diarrhea, constipation
What is a cloacal prolapse like?
Like a cows junk falling out. Clean it, lube it, stick it back in.
What happens with dystocia?
Eggs are unable to pass
Calcium and oxytocin can be administered
What are some internal parasites of reptiles?
Coccidia, hookworms, roundworms
Weakened immunity in snakes can come from…
Husbandry, nutrition, stress, feeding techniques, trauma
What is the most common zoonotic concern with reptiles?
Salmonellosis
caused by Salmonella spp.
