Reptile Management Applicable to Veterinary Medicine

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Reptile Management Applicable to Veterinary
Medicine

• Jefferson College Continuing Education Seminar
• Quentin Hall

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About me

• Personally kept over fifty species over the last
  ten years.
• Founder and President of the University of
  Missouri Herpetological Society.
• Worked with the largest reptile rescue/rehab
  group in Missouri for over seven years.
• Served as an intern at the St. Louis Zoo
  Herpetarium.
• Field researcher for the Missouri Pit-Viper
  Research Team (Washington University).
• Pursuing degrees in (at MU)
• Animal Science
• Fisheries/Wildlife Management
• Minor in Captive Wild Animal Management
• Im single, out of shape, and drive a station
  wagon.

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The Situation

• Reptiles are becoming more mainstream

Reptile Household Penetration Trends
(000s)

• Total reptile HH penetration increased by 36
  from 2001 to 2007
• Total snakes/lizard HH penetration increased by
  51 from 2001 to 2007
• Source AVMA Market Research Pet Ownership
  Statistics

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The Situation (continued)

• Reptiles are found in 12 more households than
  horses

Reptile vs. Equine Ownership (000s)

• There are 13.4 million reptile pets in the U.S.
• Absolute reptile ownership trails equine by only
  3
• Source APPMA 07-08 National Pet Owners Survey

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What does that mean?

• As reptiles become more prevalent, the need for
  veterinarians/vet technicians with reptile
  experience increases.
• Each reptile species has very specific husbandry
  requirements, meaning anyone who wishes to treat
  reptiles needs to be familiar with each patient
  on a species to species basis.
• What works for one does not work for all.

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Basic Components of Reptile Husbandry

• Nutrition
• Heat
• Humidity/Ventilation
• Lighting
• Enclosure Suitability
• Volume
• Orientation
• Substrate
• Internal Structures

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Nutrition Overview

• Most important part of captive management.
• Important to have diverse, well balanced diet.
• Diets/nutritional requirements are species
  specific.
• Pelleted reptile specialty feeds can be used as a
  supplement, but not as a main dietary component.
• Reptiles are only as healthy as the food items
  that they are fed so keep invert/rodent food
  items as healthy as possible.

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Nutrition (Herbivores)

• Iceberg Lettuce diarrhea, no nutritional
• value
• Use leafy greens as foundation of diet
• Kale
• Red leaf lettuce
• Collard greens
• Fruits (should not make up more than 10 of
  vegetation in diet)
• Avoid citrus, avoid tomato

Prehensile Tailed Skink omnivorous, bulk of
diet is vegetable based mates for life, live
bearing, provides parental care for young approx
3yrs.
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Nutrition (Invertebrates)

• Most common invert food items
• Crickets
• Mealworm/Superworms
• Waxworms
• All can be bought in bulk from suppliers across
  the country
• Never buy crickets from a bait store or collect
  them from the wild
• Harbor larger parasite loads (pinworms)
• Could have been exposed to pesticides

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Nutrition (Invertebrates)

• Be sure to vary the types of insects being fed.
• Crickets should be the foundation of insect
  based diet
• High in protein
• Low fat
• High in vitamins/minerals if gutloaded correctly
• Mealworms can be fed intermittently
• High chitin content, can cause impaction
• Lower nutritional content than crickets
• Provides variety in diet
• Waxworms feed as a treat
• Very high in fat
• Low nutritional value

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Nutrition (Gutloading)

• Gutloading feeding invertebrates a high
  quality diet in order to increase
  their nutritional value.
• Should be gut loaded at least 5 days prior to use
• Can use commercial gut load feeds or
• Cereal grains, apples, carrots, egg shells
• Water provided by wet sponge or fresh potato
  

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Nutrition (Rodents)

• Need to be produced in clean, well ventilated
  environment.
• Most rodent colonies utilize a 15 male to female
  ratio.
• Need to be fed high quality diet (Mazuri Pelleted
  Rodent Chow works well).
• Rodent bedding should be aspen/newspaper
  shavings, as pine/cedar shavings can cause upper
  respiratory issues in reptiles.

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Nutrition (Rodents - Live vs. Dead)

• Frozen-thawed feeding a rodent that has been
  killed, frozen,
  and then thawed
• prior to
  feeding.
• Most effective method
• Rodents can be stockpiled
• Longer shelf life
• Allows for correct sizing (rodents can be frozen
  and kept at desired sizes)
• DONT USE A MICROWAVE TO DEFROST!!!!!!!!!

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Nutrition (Rodents Live vs. Dead)

• Pre-killed feeding a rodent that is killed
• immediately prior to feeding.
• Is safe for reptile, but
• Means that you cant keep as many rodents
• Raise on your own or purchase in bulk
• More expensive (rodent upkeep)

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Nutrition (Rodents Live vs. Dead)

• Live feeding a live rodent (duh)
• Should be used only to entice finicky eaters.
• Live rodents can cause
• Nerve Damage
• Lacerations
• Infection
• Death
• BECAUSE LIVE RODENTS CAN BITE BACK

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Nutrition (Rodents Live vs. Dead)
And in extreme cases
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Death can occur.
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Heating

• All reptiles are ectothermic (cold-blooded).
• Utilize thermal energy to regulate body temp.
• Need supplemental heat in captivity
• Heat Mats
• Heat Tape
• Incandescent Bulbs
• All reptiles need a range of temperatures in
  their enclosures (i.e. warm end, cooler end)
• All temperatures are species specific.

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Heating (Heat Mats)

• Heat Mat thin, electrical under-tank heating
  element
• Provides localized heat in one area of cage
• Heats underside of animal, aids in digestion
• Non-contact heat source - safe
• NEVER LEAVE GLASS BARE WHEN USING

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Heating (Heat Tape)

• Heat Tape paper thin heating element that
  can be cut to size and has
  adhesive back
• Provides same advantages as a heat mat, only heat
  tape can be cut to size.

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Heating (Incandescent Bulbs)

• Brooder lamp with appropriate watt bulb.
• More watts More heat
• Provides overhead heat.
• Can be used in conjunction with an under-tank
  heater.
• Must be kept an appropriate distance away from
  basking area to prevent burns
• NEVER PUT INSIDE ENCLOSURE

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Heating (Hot Rocks)

• Electric ceramic heater designed
• To radiate heat
• To be placed inside cage
• Come into direct contact with animal
• Ineffective temperature control
• Develop hot spots on surface
• Can cause burns
• Can cause death
• Reptiles have a primitive nervous system.
• Reptiles cannot distinguish the intensity of a
  heat source as quickly as mammals.

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If hot rocks are used, they will eventually
injure or kill the animal using them.
Why is it always a Ball Python (Python regius)?
Popular beginning pet more mistakes by
inexperienced keeper.
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Humidity/Ventilation

• Each species needs a certain baseline humidity
  level, although it may be temporarily increased
  to aid the shedding process.
• Maintaining good airflow is critical to the upper
  respiratory health of all reptile species.

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Humidity (Control)

• To increase humidity
• Mist enclosure daily (should be done anyway)
• Moisten the substrate (wet scale rot)
• Place water bowl under heat lamp (increases
  evaporation)
• To decrease humidity
• Mist only once a day
• Choose/build an enclosure with screen sides/top

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Ventilation

• Good ventilation is key to upper respiratory
  health in all animals, reptiles are no exception.
• To increase ventilation
• Use screen lids
• Utilize cages with screen sides

Dumerils Boa
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Lighting

• Some reptiles require ultraviolet light to
  synthesize adequate amounts of vitamin D3.
• Vitamin D3 is needed to absorb calcium.
• No UV No D3 Cant absorb Ca MBD
• Metabolic Bone Disease stunting or death
• Different species need different wavelengths of
  UV light.

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Lighting (UV)

• UV bulbs are usually fluorescent, although some
  newer brands are incandescent.
• Glass and plastic filters out UV, so the rays
  must go through screen to be effective.
• UV bulbs must be placed a certain distance from
  tank to be effective, check the manufacturers
  instructions.

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Enclosure Suitability

• Each reptile species has specific enclosure
  requirements.
• It is important to research the requirements
  specific species prior to housing them.
• The following slides are the broad strokes of
  enclosure set-up.

Green Tree Python highly arboreal
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Enclosure Suitability (Volume)

• Depends on animal size, activity level, number of
  individuals in enclosure.

American Alligator large, aggressive,
terrestrial/semi-aquatic
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Enclosure Suitability (Orientation)

• Arboreal lives in trees, shrubs, tall grasses
• Enclosure should be designed for height instead
  of horizontal floor space to provide room for
  climbing.
• Terrestrial lives on the ground, low shrubs
• Enclosure should be designed for maximum
  horizontal floor space.

Moroccan Uromastyx terrestrial desert dweller
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Enclosure (Substrate)

• Newspaper cheap, available, safe
• Sand OK for desert species, possible
• impaction risk
• Crushed Walnut high impaction risk, molds
• Coconut Bedding good for tropical species,
• holds
  moisture well

East African Gaboon Viper ambush predator, lies
beneath leaf litter in wild, does well
on newspaper in captivity
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Enclosures (Internal Structures)

• Every reptile enclosure needs
• Water bowl
• 2 hide boxes per animal (1 hot end, 1 cool end)
• Basking area
• Some species need specific structures
• Some species of tree boas need horizontal basking
  limbs.
• Thermometers on both ends
• Humidistat in middle

Colombian Boa in nest box
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Common Beginner Species(hardy, docile, moderate
in size)

• Lizards
• Bearded Dragon
• Leopard Gecko
• Crested Gecko
• Snakes
• Corn Snakes
• Ball Pythons
• Kingsnakes

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Common Pet-Trade Species(sensitive to changes,
more aggressive, large)

• Lizards
• Madagascan Day Geckos
• Tokay Geckos
• Green Iguanas
• Snakes
• Burmese Pythons
• Colombian Boas
• Crocodilians
• American Alligators

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Captive Bred vs. Wild Caught

• Captive Bred
• Born/raised in captivity
• Less stressed
• Fewer parasites/disease issues
• Known life history
• Wild Caught
• Usually in poor health due to shipping
• High parasite/disease prevalence
• Does not adjust as easily to humans
• Depletes natural populations
• All reptiles should be regarded as wild animals
  regardless of being captive bred or wild caught.
• Not domesticated
• In pet trade less than 50 years
• Estimates show that it took close to 2500 years
  to domesticate dogs

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Species Profile (Bearded Dragon)

• Level Beginner
• Scientific Name Pogona vitticeps
• Natural Range Mainland Australia
• Habitat Desert scrubland
• Size 16-20
• Background Common in pet trade. Gets its
• name from the thorn-like scales on
• its neck, jowls, and throat.
  Very
• docile and hardy.

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Species Profile (Bearded Dragon)

• Daytime Temp Cool 76F Hot 86F
• Basking Area 95F
• Night Temp 75F
• Humidity 50
• Lighting Needs UVB/UVA
• Caging Each animal needs about 4ft² of floor
  space
• Diet Omnivorous. Hatchlings should be fed
• 75 animal material, adults about 50
• animal material. (Crickets, kale,
  etc.)

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Species Profile (Leopard Gecko)

• Level Beginner
• Scientific Name Eublepharis macularius
• Natural Range Pakistan through India
• Habitat Rocky desert scrubland
• Size 8-10
• Background The best selling beginner reptile
  of all time. Docile, but very fragile
• and can disconnect tail.

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Species Profile (Leopard Gecko)

• Daytime Temp Cool 82F Hot 88F
• Basking Area
  nocturnal, no need
• Night Temp 80F
• Lighting Does not require UVB/UVA
• Humidity 40-50
• Caging A single animal can live in a standard
• ten gallon aquarium.
• Diet Insectivorous (crickets, mealworms, etc).

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Species Profile (Ball Python)

• Level Beginner
• Scientific Name Python regius
• Natural Range Southern Africa
• Habitat Dry woodland border savannah
• Size 3-5
• Background Burrower. When threatened, rolls
• into a ball with its head in the
  
• middle. Very docile but good
• feeding response.

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Species Profile (Ball Python)

• Daytime Temp Cool 80F Hot 88F
• Basking Crepuscular, none
  needed
• Night Temp 82F
• Humidity 65-75
• Lighting Does not require UVB/UVA
• Caging Adults require at least 3ft² of floor
  space.
• Diet Appropriately sized rodents.

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Species Profile (Tokay Gecko)

• Level Experienced to Expert
• Scientific Name Gekko gekko
• Natural Range Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines,
• Sula Archipelago
• Habitat Tropical forest canopies
• Size 10-14
• Background Large nocturnal gecko. Aggressive
• with abnormally strong jaw
  pressure.
• Important figure in local
  myths, will
• inhabit human altered areas.

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Species Profile (Tokay Gecko)

• Daytime Temp Ambient temp 85F
• Night Temp 70F
• Humidity 80 or higher
• Lighting UVB/UVA required
• Caging Vertically oriented cage, heavily
  planted,
• vertical/horizontal branches.
• Diet Insectivorous, will occasionally eat
  papaya.

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Species Profile (Colombian Boa)

• Level Intermediate to Experienced
• Scientific Name Boa constrictor imperator
• Natural Range Northern Mexico through
• central Paraguay
• Habitat Extremely varied mainly arboreal, but
• will utilize burrows.
• Size 6-9 normal record over 19

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Species Profile (Colombian Boa)

• Daytime Temp Cool 84F Hot 88F
• Basking Area 90F
• Night Temp 82F
• Humidity 65
• Caging 8long x 3wide x 18wide.
• Diet Appropriately sized rodents.

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Venomous vs. Poisonous

• Venomous toxic substance is injected into the
• the victim via fangs or
  specialized
• molars.

Bushmaster
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Venomous vs. Poisonous

• Poisonous toxic substance must either be
• touched or ingested to be
  harmful.

Cane Toad
Poison Arrow Frog
Poison Arrow Frog
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Handling Tools

• Snake Hooks
• Snake Tongs
• Tubes
• Hemostats
• Pinner