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Chapter 20 Reptiles
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Introduction This chapter will describe the characteristics of reptiles Four orders of reptiles will be compared You will learn proper methods for handing and feeding reptiles as well as their housing and equipment needs
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Characteristics OVERVIEW Cold-blooded vertebrates
Possess lungs Bony skeleton Horny plates Have a heart Reptiles date back carboniferous period
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Characteristics PHYSICAL FEATURES Three body types
Turtles and tortoises form scutes Snakes cannot close their eyelids Tongues of reptiles vary considerably Either oviparous or ovoviviparous
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Characteristics HIBERNATION Temperate zones Systems barely function
Hibernation for breeding Stimulates ovulation and production of sperm Between 39 and 50°F Varies with species
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Turtles, Tortoises, and Terrapins
FAMILIES Chelidae Pelomedusidae Kinosternidae, mud turtle Chelydridae, snapping turtle Platysternidae, big-headed turtle Emydidae, largest family Cont.
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Turtles, Tortoises, and Terrapins
FAMILIES Terrapins, Genus Malaclemys Trionychidae, soft shelled Testudinidae Terrestrial Dermochelyidae Leatherback sea turtle Cont.
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Turtles, Tortoises, and Terrapins
FAMILIES Cheloniidae, hard-shell sea turtle Dermatemyidae Central American river turtle Carettochelyidae Papua New Guinea plateless river turtle
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Snakes, Pythons, and Boas
FAMILIES Leptotyphlopidae, thread snake Typhlopidae, blind snake Anomalepidae, dawn blind snake Acrochordidae, wart snake Aniliidae, coral pipe snake Cont.
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Snakes, Pythons, and Boas
FAMILIES Uropeltidae, shieldtail snake Xenopeltidae, sunbeam snake Boidae, python Colubridae, water snake Elapidae and Viperiae, venomous
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Iguanas and Lizards FAMILIES Gekkonidae, gecko
Pygopodidae, snake lizard Xantusiidae, night lizard Dibamidae, blind lizard Iguanidae, more than 650 species Cont.
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Iguanas and Lizards FAMILIES Agamidae, water lizard
Cordylidae, 50 species Teiidae, whiptails Lacertidae, true lizards Scincidae, skinks Cont.
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Iguanas and Lizards FAMILIES Anguidae, eight genus groups
Xenosauridae, crocodile lizard Varanidae, monitor lizard Chamaeleonidae, true chameleon Helodermatidae, beaded lizard Lanthanotidae, Borean earless lizard
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Crocodiles, Alligators, and Gharials
OVERVIEW Alligatoridae Alligators and caimans Crocodylidae Crocodiles Gavialidae False and true gharial
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Housing and Equipment GENERAL GUIDELINES Habitats
Terrestrial Semiaquatic Aquatic Arboreal Terrarium, a vivarium, or an aquarium
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Housing and Equipment ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT SAFETY GUIDELINES
UL approved Heat lamp placement Water heaters Switch box Appropriate fuses or circuit breakers Ground Fault Interrupters (GFIs)
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Feeding TURTLES Feed every day Aquatic turtle food Land turtle food
Commercial pellets Raw/live food Land turtle food Herbivores Omnivores
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Feeding SNAKES Small snakes Medium snakes Big snakes Small fish
Insects Medium snakes Baby mice and rats Big snakes Full-grown mice
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Feeding LIZARDS Crickets Mealworms Earthworms Larger lizards
Ground meat Dog or cat food
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Handling OVERVIEW Turtles can be easily handled
Snakes may bite in self-defense Transport a snake in a cloth bag Temperament of lizards vary Wear gloves Don’t grab tail
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Diseases and Ailments OVERVIEW Bacterial diseases Shedding
External parasites Internal parasites Vitamin D deficiencies
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Reproduction TURTLES Male climbs onto the carapace Are oviparous
When young hatch On their own Inherit instincts for survival Difficult to tell the sex of young turtles
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Reproduction SNAKES Oviparous, ovoviviparous, or viviparous
Little difference between males and females “Popping” juvenile snakes “Probing” adult snakes Oviduct
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Reproduction LIZARDS AND IGUANAS Most species are oviparous
Sharp egg tooth on the end of their snout Definite differences in males and females No mothering instincts Left to fend for themselves
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Reproduction CROCODILIANS Usually mate in the water
Lay hard-shelled eggs Deposited in nests Females guard nest Dig top of nest open May gather young in their mouths
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Summary Reptiles are cold-blooded vertebrates that possess lungs and breathe atmospheric air To be successful at raising reptiles in captivity, it is important to duplicate the animal’s original habitat as closely as possible Reptiles are ectotherms; they are unable to generate their own body heat and take on the temperature of their environment Cont.
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Summary If the animal appears healthy, if it is eating, and if it does not appear to have any parasites, chances are good the animal will survive for a long time in captivity
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