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Amphibian & Reptile Management

Amphibian & Reptile Management. Dr. N. Matthew Ellinwood, D.V.M., Ph.D. March 21, 2012. Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. General Considerations: Some relevant to Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fish. Domestic Animals? Green iguana is kept as a food animal

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Amphibian & Reptile Management

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  1. Amphibian & ReptileManagement Dr. N. Matthew Ellinwood, D.V.M., Ph.D. March 21, 2012 Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

  2. General Considerations:Some relevant to Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fish • Domestic Animals? • Green iguana is kept as a food animal • Crocodile; $17 million impact (Louisiana) • Others? • Companion animal management requires more closely replicating wild environments • Habitat • Food • Regulation

  3. Feeding Amphibians • Tadpoles • Carnivorous/herbivorous/omnivorous • Adults • Visually oriented on prey (may require live insects) • Carnivorous • Insects (supplements) • Fish • Commercial diet (aquatic fish)

  4. Vivarium • soil or peat • water – think fish • dechlorinate • filter • temperature • shelter

  5. Food • Infusoria – babies • Purchased or maintained cultures • Earthworms • Blood worms • Both a fish and amphibian commercial food • Drosophila • Crickets • Mice

  6. Breeding Behavior and Development • Pseudocopulation • Amplexus • Latin for embrace • Fertilization can occur internally or externally • Internal fertilization accomplished by females taking up spermatophores • (Usually) water dependent development and with metamorphsis

  7. Cites • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora • http://www.cites.org/ • ~5000 animal species • ~28,000 plant species

  8. Threatened And Endangered • Sentinel species • Chytridiomycosis • 50% of Salamander and Newts at risk • 10% extinction of some classes • Rhacophoridae "moss, bush, tree, or flying frogs"

  9. Amphibians • Smooth, moist, glandular skin • most species absorb water through skin • some species breath through skin • Must spend part of life in water • Metamorphosis • Eggs adapted to water environment • world – 6,260 species • U. S. – 230 species

  10. Evolutionary Concerns • Derived from Coelocanth/lungfish type forebearer • Developed in Devonian period • ~400 million years ago • Top predators • Permian Triassic extinctions • 250 million years ago

  11. Amphibians • Frogs • Toads • Newts • Salamanders • Caecilians (clade Apoda)

  12. Frogs • Spend most or all of life in water • green frog • Rana clamitans

  13. FROGS • American green tree frog – Hyla cinerea

  14. Toads • Develop in water • Spend later life on land American toad – Bufo americanus americanus

  15. Newts • Spend (most of) life in water or marshy areas • Regenerative abilities (see salamanders) • Toxins: “She turned me into a Newt . . . . I got better” red spotted newt – Eastern newt Notophthalmusviridescens – easy to keep

  16. Salamanders • Approximately 320 species • 2 to 70 inches in length • Autotomy • Limb regeneration etc (limbs, eyes, spinal cords, hearts, intestines)

  17. Fire salamander – easy to keep European and long lived

  18. Axolotl – albino Failure of metamorphosis

  19. axolotl - gold

  20. Axotltl • Related to Tiger salamanders • Research focus • Metamorphosis failure • Gilled and aquatic • Large embryo • Ease of production • Regenerative • Named for lake under Mexico City

  21. Tiger salamander • “terrestrial” • Easy to keep • Carriers of Chytrodiomycosis

  22. Caecilians • Tropical • Live underground • 1 inch to 1.5 meters • Seen in (aquarium) pet trade • Sicilian eel • Typhlonectes from South America (fully aquatic)

  23. Fire Bellied Toad • Small • South Asia • Toxins • Children • Diurnal • Can tame up • 10-15 years

  24. Poison Dart Frog • Name • South America • Rainforests • Up to 1.5 inches • Ants • Diurnal • 3-5 years

  25. African Clawed Frogs • African • Fully aquatic • 6 inches • 15 years • Pet trade • Research • Carnivorous • Good starter

  26. Tree frogs • Americas, Asia, Europe • ~640 Spp • Small • Brightly colored • Nocturnal • Special lights • Special cycles • Hyla cinerea • Mississippi Valley

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