Exotic animal integument, avain integument + practical SDL....

What is the overview of the components of avain skin

• skin

• scales

• beak

• cere (bird nose)

• feather

• snails

• foot pads

• adapted apendages

What are the layers of avain skin.. (THIS)

Epidermis - 3 layers

dermis - FEather follicles

subcutanues..

Whole skin = much thinner than mammalian skin.

What are the 3 layers of the avain epidermis

• Basal (germinative layer)

• Intermediate layer

• outer cornified layer

How does the skin move and what helps some avain skin appear ‘ scaly’

• KEratinocytes may produce excess keratin

• Strieted muscles in the epidermis will move the skin..

What is the different between mammalian and avain skin

Avain skin = no glands, feathers and is much thinner…

What are teh 2 layer sof the bird dermis..

Superficial layer = varying thickness of collagen interwoven bundles

Deep layer = fat feather follcielsm smooth mucles blood vessels and nerves supplying the dermis and epidermis

What is the subcutaneous bird layer formed of…

• Mainly loose connective tisssue

• containes fat as a layer + discrete fat bodies e.g. yellow dposits under the skin + can vary between speceies

• e.g. fat is depositive d around the pec, cloaca and the back

Clinical note of limited dermal tissue in birds

• doesnt close easly so cannot sutrie together as lack of intentino

• as acian skin is thin the bird skin willl heal VERY VERY quickle

• just must stay moist and clean…

What is podotheca

non feathered areas of the bird - highly keratinised epidermis…

What is the importance of pododermatisis…

birds = VERY PRONE no foot pads, have stages from 1 -5

what are birds missing and what replaces tehm

have NO sebaceous or sweat glands, skin is dry thin and inelasetic, expectiopise are uropygial gland, ear canal + pericloacal glands..

What is the uroygial gland..

also called the ‘preening gland’ and looks like a nipple..

helps to maintain feather contions

secretions and water proofing + cojntains pro vitamin D so that when the light hits it it can be converted into vitamin D…

not present in ALL species, can appear as a ‘nipple’

What is the significant of avian skin attatchent..

• with overly head and extremeties attatched to underlying skeletal mucles

• over rest ogf body = CAN be areas where skin is more loosly attatches.. this is refered too ‘ Patagia’ this is areas where Wings, legs neck and tail joins the body - this is in areas of movemnt

What are th 4 patagia on the bird for the purpose of subcutaneous fluids..

Propatagium= wing web

Postpatagium - caudal cangle of the carpus

metapatagium - caudal junction of the wing + thorax

Alular patagium — space between alula and carpi..

Can be sites of self induced ulcerative dermatitis

What is the anatomy of the bird beak

• Bones of the upper maxilla + lower mandible with a horny covereing

• beak is simil rtoo the skin, but has a modified epidermis, thick stratum corneium _ bound in calcium phosphate with layered crystals of hyroxyapatite + abundant keratin..

• Harness of beak varies between psittacigorms raptors, it is soft in anseriformes…

What is a rhamphotheca

Horny covering over the beak

What is a bill tip organ

specialised sensory structure found aat the tip of the beak and allows sensitisation to heat cold pressure and pain due to the presence of mechanoreceptos (herbst corpuscle) Histologically recognisable as papillae + originates from teh dermis..

BIrds which are granivores where they feed by pecking do NOT have this orgen.

V?ERY developed in water feeding birds - high sensitivity is required…

What is an egg tooth..

• hatch used too open the egg

• used to penetrate air space…

• some birds lack the tooth and use teeth instead

• sometimes reptiles can have it too…

What is the cere

Where the beak and the head join, at the base of the upper beak and composed of keratinised skin..

where nostrils are located..

colour can be influenced by diet and hormones…

In most budgeies the male cere = blue + the female = brown..

In raptors high carotenoids will colour the cere more yellow..

What is brown hypertrophy of the cere in budgies..

can hav ehyperkeratoiss _ kin flacking (can be associated iwth mites)

What are the 3 core functions of feathers

• Flight

• Insulation

• Water proofing

Fun additional uses of feathers..

• courtship displays

• Defence

• aggressive territorial behaviour

What are the 2 types of key bird feathers..

Pterylae = feather tracts

Apteria = areas which do not have feather tracts, i.e. for more warmth

Lcation and number of tracts will vary between slecues, feathers can smoothly overlap and conform to the natural contors of the body

What are apteria feathers

Often in chicks, appear like spikes from new feathergrwoth

cab assess qaulity of underlying fur

no feathers over where the jugular vein should be

also used for intrademal skin testing

Tail Anatome - calamus, rachis, chaft, vane

Also have barbs + barbules which are over and interlocking allwing for flight

How can you examine a feather under a microscopeE

be careful when sampling as can be painful

What are the 5 key types of feather..

• contour feather

• coverts

• remiges

• retrices

• and specialsed adapted feathers

primary and secondary feathers

primary - take off and landing

secondary - gldings

What are your down feathers..

often powder down as can break down into powder down…

can be infections causes in more down

iff break is shiney can indicate a lack of powder down

powder sown finer than talcom powder and used for preesing. can be mistaked for excess skin production

What are retained feathers sheaths

can look like ‘ pin feathers’ indicate disease

What are blood feathers

feathers that contains blood in shaft, as they mature the blood will be there. Used too perform surgery.. do not remove unless under aneathesia

What factors influence colour of bfeathers

1) biochromes - e.g. melanins

2) Feather structure - as structue changes willl reflect the light differently, e.g. irridescent glow

What 3 ways can feather colours change..

• moult (seasonal)

• mutations

• disease.. E,g, avian circovieus, psittacine beak and feather disease, essential amino acids. someitmes blue colour can be from vasoconstrction etc….

What are fret marks

clear breaks in feather colur, poorly, streesed of poor nutrition

What is moult

• occours seasonally usually once a year

• a new feather will come in from beneath

• first chicken will occour at 18 months

• may be gradual dramatic or continual

What 3 things control moutl

• circannual rthys + changing photoperiod and temperalture

• pineal fland and hypothalmic pituatory adnautonomic nervous system

• hormonal influences (oestronge, progesterions, thyroid + catacholamies

WHat happensif there is a lack of keratinocytes

can repaire after 4 weeks and sometimes without a moult

ferret colour

Mouse , rat and gerbil official coat colour

Agouti

Chinchilla official coloure

blue grey

Ferret sweat glands?

none

Sweat glands rat

feet only

Ferret coat

• short undercoat + long course gaurd hairs

• skin = thick + sebaceous glands.. so very oily + strong smell..

• NO skin sweat glands.. Prone too overheating

• seasonal moults - coat thins + lightens in the spring…

What is the rabbits coat

Fur long and short gaurd hairs.. NO fur on feed 0 therefore feet are vulnerable to the ground..

Large ears for thermoregulation…

Scent glands = submental anal and inguinal

What is dewlap…

A fat pouch under the body, used too store fat before they give birth

can be a risk factor and makes the rabbits over weight..

What are some breed diposition issues of some common rabbit breeds…

• Rex = short gaurd hairs - hock sores

• Angora = Longer undercoat, therefore the coat will matt

• GIANT BREEDS — > Skin fold dermatitsm pododermatitis…

• Lops = Deformed ear canals, ear infections + ectropian…

• Brachycephallic breeds are NOT a breed BUT BUT BUT certian rabbits will have breathing difficultites..

Where is the common sebaceous glands found on a guinie pig….

1 cm dorsal to anus…

OFten matted _ sticky in makes 0 IT IS NORMAL…

Normal skin variations in the guinea pig..

Thick foot pads - prone to urine scald + bumble food…

HAIRLESS areas behind ears….

What are the significance of chinchillas..

• Dense soft coat - 60 hairs/ follicule

• needs regular dust baths..

• can have a FUR SLIP defence..

• ears have a large bald patch..

What is hamster skin...

• VERY loose skin which stretches…

• Large flank + ventral sweat glands..

• Glands are more prominenat in MATURE males..

Skin significanve in rates..

• Zymbals glands at base of ear…

• Tail = HAIRLESS surface… Thermoregulation..

• Tail Slip…

• Extensive mammary tissue

• females = visible nipples

Where is the gerbil scent gland…

• CAre tail slip + ventral scnet gland…

Sugar Gliders

• Marsupial so females have a pouch + 4 teats…

• CLoaca to an external orogice..

• Scent glands = forehead makes + througt and paracloacal..

• Makes = pendulous scrotum..

What is a patagium sugar glider..

• patagium stretching, front an hind legs like a mini prarchute..

What do we need to know about African Pygmy hedgehog..

• hair and sebaceous glands absent inthe spiny skin, many sweat and sebaceous glands in haired skin and feet + can get bumble foot

Reptile Skin

• Dry skin + FEW galnds

• femoral + pre cloacal pores..

The reptile skin:

• display, protection, camougflage, thermoregulation, fluid homeostasis,

• ALL reptiles = specific enviroment..

Difference between grass snake and bearded dragon

• Grass Snakes —> Shed wHOLE body+

• Bearded dragon —→ Spines for protection + will loose skin bit by bit

BOTH NEED A ROUGH SURFACE TOO RUB AGSINT..

Where is the dewlap in the green the iguana

What is the significant of reptile dermis

• contains pigment cells nerve and vessles

• Has OSTERODERMS (skin in order to make bony plates)

• + chelionshell is mafe from approx 60 osteroderms… Shell = keratin nerves bones.. shelll —> /bone..

What is the significance of reptile skin colour…

Chromatophores = pigment containing cells (between dermis and epidermi

• Influence by aytonomic nervous system, hormones light and temperature

• used in camoflauge, display an dthermoregulation

PIGMENTS…

3 pigments that influence reptiel skin…

• Chromotaphores - pigment containing cells.

• lie between dermis and epidermi s

• influenced by autonomic nervous system, hormonse ligth and temperature

What is the parietal eye…

3rd eye.. .connectedwith the pineal gland + thermoregulation and hormone production… isially on top pof head..

3 additonal adpations of reptile skin….

HEat sensory pits 0 in baos pythons and bvipers

Crests frills hrorns and gular pouches and spines,, used for display and or defence..

spectacles - clear scales over skies over some geckos..

3 additional adaptiosns of reptile skin…

• cloacal spurs….

• * Rattles for loosly fitting keratin

• Adhesive toe pads… - rows of tine overlapping lamellae… tiny branchig hairs..

How to tell if a snake is venemous…

• look downwards form the anal scales… IF a line down the midddl enon venomous no difference form the anal scales = veneomous…

Chelonian Shell

• Carapace dorsally and flattened plastorn

• osteoferms are fused + covered by epidermal scutes

• osteoderms and scutes do NOT overlap…

• scutes can show additon of new keratin…

Key points of Ecdysis…

• shedding of skin under thyroud glands..

• snakes and geckos shed whole skin…

• Geckos will eat skin…

• chelonians only shed legs tail and neck skin + aqauatic chelonia shefd INDIVIDUAL scutes

What are the stages of Ecdysis..

• stratum intermediate - 3 layer epidermis

• Lymph and enxymes diffuse + form a cleavafe zone

• old skin is then shed, new skin hardens…

What happens to the skin during ecdysis…

• DUring ecdysis skin becoms more permeable and vulnerable to parasites…

• Absorption of topical medicines can be enriched..

• SNAKES = 2 stage ecdysis … blue white discolouration… + snakes = aggressive + skittish..

Ecdysis conditions required..

• Increased humidirty

• Rough object rub object…

• failure to humidity makes this difficult

What is the amphibian skin adaptions…

• wholly or partially reliant on water..

• Integument is very importnat for proetctions, sensory thermorefulation and fluid balance…Damage or disease = serious + life threatening…

• Skin = VERY PERMEAVLE>.

• Loos attatchement of dermis

• many amphibians shed and eat skin on a regular basis

What are skin adaptions of Amphibian…

• Anurans drunking patch/ pelvic patch..

• galnds in the epidermis… produce mucous + waxy substances…

• Galnds also producuce chemicals serve to prtect aggainst predators and infection..

How do frogs produce toxins..

• poison arrow frogs = potent toxins

• tocins = metabolised from their wild prey… captive contain litte if any toxins..

• fire salamanders.. spray dorsal glands…

Examples of amphibian examples…

• poision arrow frog s= tightly covered skin

• vietnamese mossy frogs skin..

• slimy salamander = thick skin too deter predators

What is the permeability of frog amphibian culture,…

• use to apminister topical medications by shalllow water bathig….

• even trace amounts of envrioemental toxins.. can cause illness and death

What are the adaptions of fish skin…

• semi water proof to mainain fluid and salt balance…

• Marine vs freshwater fish = different adaptions to cope

• skin = epidermal cells + scales covered by a protective outer cuticel…

• + club cells serete alarm substances..

• breeding ubercles in males.

3 things that make fish skin unique..

• epidermal cells = can cell divide…

• specialised derivatiees inc spines, stings, bony plates _ lateral line system

• FINS = modified structures of skin, aid locomotion + balance

Fish fins labelled

What does the pineal gland do…

WIll release melatonin itself to control the regulationof circadian rthymns

bearded dragon back foot?

long and pointy

how do you bcs a bearded dragon

fat pads lateral and caudal too the ribs

What is in the 1st third of a snakes body

• trachea oesophagys, heart

• 2nd - liver, lungs and stomach

• 3rd - intestines reprodcuetinve siges..

What is the tail slip

gerbil loosing ski n

what do chinchillas need to do

fur slip and dust bath

what do rex rabbits not have

no gaurd hairs