ACT - Exotic Animals1

2 Exotic Pets Exotic animals are often defined as any species of animal that is not considered to be a common pet (companion animal) or domesticated livestock species. This presentation identifies those species listed in the Texas Veterinary Medicine Association’s Level One course guide; “Identification of Common Exotic Species”. Additional resources are listed at the end of the presentation.

ACT - Exotic Animals3 Exotic Pets MAMMALS Rabbits Ferrets Pot-bellied Pigs Hedgehogs RODENTS Chinchillas Rats/Mice Gerbils Hamsters Guinea pigs Prairie Dogs Sugar Gliders “ Identification of Common Exotic Species” Texas Veterinary Medicine Association Level One Course Guide

ACT - Exotic Animals4 Exotic Pets AVIAN Canaries Finches Parakeets Parrots Cockatoos Cockatiels Macaws REPTILES Iguana Other Lizards Snakes Turtles/Tortoises AMPHIBIANS Frogs FISH “ Identification of Common Exotic Species” Texas Veterinary Medicine Association Level One Course Guide

ACT - Exotic Animals5 MAMMALS Mammals are vertebrate animals that are endothermic, have hair on their bodies, and produce milk to feed their babies. Many mammals give birth to live young that are small and helpless.

ACT - Exotic Animals6 Rabbits Rabbits are intelligent, social animals who need affection. They can become wonderful companion animals if given a chance to interact with their human families. There are a number of breeds; some large and others small. The lifespan is from 5 to 10 years. Mini LopFrench Angora

ACT - Exotic Animals7 Ferrets Belonging to the weasel family, ferrets have long, slender bodies and oval-shaped heads with 40 teeth. Un-spayed females are prone to aplastic anemia and un-neutered males can be aggressive. They are very curious animals and give off a musky smell from their skin. Their lifespan is 8 to 10 years.

ACT - Exotic Animals8 POT BELLY This dwarf swine breed were developed in the 1960's from the Í breed of Vietnam. They were originally brought into Sweden and Canada and have since moved into a number of countries. They come in a variety of colors and are not known for meat production. North American Pot Bellied Pig Association

ACT - Exotic Animals9 Hedgehogs These small, nocturnal, insectivores can be quite nervous and are not generally cuddly. They have soft fur on their face and belly and their body is covered with sharp quills that feel much like a bristly brush. They are relative low maintenance pets with a lifespan of 8 to 10 years.

ACT - Exotic Animals10 RODENTS Rodents have teeth (upper and lower incisors) that grow throughout their life. It they are not worn down properly then an overgrowth occurs causing injury. Gnawing on things helps control the overgrowth by wearing down the teeth.

ACT - Exotic Animals11 Chinchillas Expensive nocturnal animal with compact bodies, bushy tails, and large eyes and ears. Its thick coat does not support parasites like fleas and ticks. They are very timid, easily frightened, and can be noisy. They may bite or shed its fur in fear and because of this are not recommend as pets for young children. They are clean with no body odor but hate water. The lifespan is around 20 years but they are very sensitive to heat and can die from heat stroke.

ACT - Exotic Animals12 Rats Clean, highly intelligent social animals that enjoy human company. There are numerous rat varieties and have a lifespan of 1 to 3 years. They naturally live in groups and are very active and love to climb. Rats mature early and breed extremely quickly from 5 weeks old, producing a litter of 8 or more young every 4 or 5 weeks. They are prone to respiratory diseases which are contagious to other rats and but not humans.

ACT - Exotic Animals13 Mice Domestic mice bred in captivity make friendly pets and come in a wide variety of colors. They live for 1 to 2 years and are fully grown at around 3 months. They love playing with toys and they like cardboard tubes to run through and chew on. Mice love to groom and play with each other. Mice are usually friendly and enjoy human contact but can occasionally be timid.

ACT - Exotic Animals14 Gerbils Mongolian Gerbil most common Inquisitive, friendly, hygienic and rarely bite. Easy to take care and active during night Live underground in tunnels so similar environment needed Have hairy tails instead of rat or mouse like Enjoy running, digging, burrowing, and climbing Territorial and live 2 to 5 years

ACT - Exotic Animals15 Hamsters Most common breed is the golden hamster. Naturally solitary and prefer to be kept alone. Usually enjoy human contact and rarely bite. Short tails and cheek pouches. Lifespan is 2 to 3 years. Most active during the evening and at night. inexpensive, friendly, and fairly easy to care.

ACT - Exotic Animals16 Guinea pigs Seven common varieties and known as “Cavies”. 4 toes on front, 3 on back, and no visible tail. Sensitive hearing, keen eye sight and excellent peripheral vision. Inquisitive, friendly and enjoy being handled. Rarely bite or scratch but can be nervous. Active during the daytime. Communicate vocally with different noises having different meanings. Healthy vegetarians with large front incisors that are very sharp. Can live 4 to 8 years

ACT - Exotic Animals17 Prairie Dogs Highly social amusing animals Require lots of attention and love to dig Weight 5 pounds and have short tails Have been know to carry hantavirus and bubonic plague Life span of about 10 years “Bark" when excited Prone to obesity.

ACT - Exotic Animals18 Sugar Gliders Nocturnal tree dwelling Marsupial. Highly social and live in groups. Docile creatures prone to malnutrition often causing rear end paralysis, parasites, pneumonia and malocclusion. Live 10 to 15 years and require a diet of fresh chopped fruit and vegetables. If you're not prepared for the daily upkeep on these, don't get one.

ACT - Exotic Animals19 AVIAN There are many different types of birds. The two most common orders seen in veterinary clinics are passeriformes and psittaciformes. Passerines – straight beaks – 3 toes in front of foot and 1 in the back Psittacines – curved beaks – 2 toes in front and 2 in the back

ACT - Exotic Animals20 Canaries Passerines Small birds – 5 ½ inches long 2 nd most popular caged bird Known for their singing But the males are the only singers Variety of colors Lifespan 6 to 16 years

ACT - Exotic Animals21 Finches Passerines Small birds – 4 ½ inches long Hundreds of species Colors from gray, tan, cream and buff Short, red bills

ACT - Exotic Animals22 Parakeets Psittacines – Most popular caged bird. Several species but most common is known as the budgie. Life expectancy is 15 to 20 years. They are small bird 6 to 7 inches. The males have a blue cere and blue-gray feet and the females have a pinkish brown cere and shade of pink on their feet.

ACT - Exotic Animals23 Parrots Psittacines Medium size (15 inches) No external differences in male and females Amazon and African Grays are most common Lifespan is 30 to 50 years The African gray is popular because it has the ability to mime.

ACT - Exotic Animals24 Cockatoos Psittacines Medium size (17-18 inches) Usually white or faint pastel Short tails and long or short crests Extremely playful and interactive with a lively personality Loving - affectionate birds

ACT - Exotic Animals25 Cockatiels Psittacines Variety of color patterns and a crest Friendly and easy to tame Medium size (12 inches) Long tail and pointed crest Males have yellow faces and orange cheeks Females have touch of yellow on face and cheeks but not as bright as males Good at whistling and can often be taught to whistle tunes

ACT - Exotic Animals26 Macaws Psittacines Range in sizes from small to large Several species thus several colors Require lots of attention Not good for people that are gone from home 10 hours a day Intelligent, very good talkers and love human attention

ACT - Exotic Animals27 reptiles Reptiles are vertebrates, they have scaly skin that keeps their bodies from drying out, their young do not go through a larva stage like amphibians, but instead look like small versions of the adults when they hatch. There are four main groups of reptiles: turtles and tortoises; lizards and snakes; crocodiles and alligators; and the tuatara, the only species left from an ancient group of reptiles that goes back to the dinosaurs.

ACT - Exotic Animals28 Iguana Green Iguanas most popular Omnivorous and cold-blooded so heating and lighting critical Bright green to dull, grayish- green Adults 4 to 6 feet with long fingers and claws Susceptible to many diseases Good sense of hearing and smell, and superb vision Awake during day and tend to live alone

ACT - Exotic Animals29 Other Lizards Lizards are becoming increasingly popular and the health care team must be very careful in handling these reptiles. Bites are highly septic and can cause nasty wounds and disease conditions. Monitor lizards are the most common species. Others include anoles, bearded dragons, chameleons, geckos, blue tongued skinks, and many more. For pictures of different lizard species the following web site is one of the best:

ACT - Exotic Animals30 Snakes There are many types of snakes whether in the wild or in pet stores. You should never put your hand into a holding container until you are sure what is inside. Know how to identify the poisonous species in your area and always use caution when handling any snake. Pictures of different types of snakes can be found at the following web site. It is one of the best.

ACT - Exotic Animals31 Turtles/Tortoises There are many types of turtles and tortoises. Some types are on the endangered species list so the owner must be aware of the species they have. It is illegal to keep an endangered species as a pet. Pictures of different types of Turtles and Tortoises can be found at the following web site. It is one of the best.

ACT - Exotic Animals32 AMPHIBIANS Working in a veterinarian clinic you may encounter a number of different amphibians that are kept as pets including frogs, toads and salamanders. Some amphibian species are on the endangered species list so the owner must be aware of the species they have. It is illegal to keep an endangered species as a pet.

ACT - Exotic Animals33 FISH Although rare you may have someone to bring in a fish for treatment. Some of the more common species include goldfish, algae eaters, Siamese fighting fish, mollys, and platys. Ich is often a common disease and fish also can have parasites, i.e. anchor worms.

ACT - Exotic Animals34 RESOURCES Exotic Companion Medicine Handbook for Veterinarians By Cathy A Johnson-Delaney - Linda R Harrison Publisher Wingers Pub. ©1996 Lake Worth, Fla. ISBN: OCLC:

ACT - Exotic Animals35 RESOURCES THE NATURAL HISTORY MALL SAN DIEGO ZOO

ACT - Exotic Animals36 RESOURCES For information on different types of pets Rats: Mice: Hamsters: Guinea Pigs: Pot-Bellied Pigs: Reptiles (Snakes, Lizards, Turtles):

ACT - Exotic Animals37 RESOURCES Ferret - or Birds – Gerbils: or usa.com/small_pets/gerbil_care.html Chinchillas: pa.html Sugar Glidders -

ACT - Exotic Animals38 Phone: Toll Free (800) or (940) Address: 2701 Hartlee Field Road, Denton, TX Fax: (940)