Cursorial Birds (Ratites)
Flightless
Young are precocial
Lack of keel bone
Ostrich, emu, rhea
psittaciformes
Strong hooked bills
Brilliant colors
ability to talk
young are altricial
Parrots, parakeets, cockatoos, lovebird
Passeriformes
highly developed syrinx
young are altricial
perching, songbirds
Canaries, zebra finches, gouldion finch
Columbiformes
produce crop milk
young are alrticial
pigeons and doves
Anseriformes
Waterfowl
young are precocial
down for insulation
Ducks and Geese
Galliformes
Used for sport
Good runners
not good fliers
few migrate
Young are precocial
Chickens, turkey, peacocks, pheasants
Anatomy and Characteristics of birds
homeothermic
four chambered heart
oviparous
no metamorphosis
hinged jaw
feathers
small hollow bones, thin
no abdominal diaphragm
lungs and air sacs
respiration is important in cooling (no sweat)
Flight adaptations in birds
streamlined shape
feathers
pneumatic bones
fused backbone
oxygen gathering capacity
Bird Sight
eyes are very large
can see colors including UV
most have monocular vision some have binocular
Monocular vision (birds)
prey birds
wider field of vision
Binocular Vision (birds)
predator birds
good depth perception
Bird hearing
hears in the same range as humans
ear is used for balance, like it is in mammals
Bird Smell and taste
Chemoreceptor senses
very poor taste, only 12-20 taste buds
may be better developed in other birds, like parrots and vultures
Urogenital System (birds)
removes nitrogenous waste, water, and other non-essential material
Uric Acid
No bladder
No liquid urine
Bird migration
day length and migration
sight
Bird nutrition and feeding
Great variability
seed eaters
fruit eaters
nectar eaters
carnivores
Bird digestive system
Beak (no teeth)
esophagus
crop
proventriculus
gizzard
ventriculus
duodenal loop
pancreas
small intestine
liver -spleen
ceca
gall bladder
big intestine
cloaca
Cecum
lots of bacteria and protozoa
digest things that couldn't be digested before
Human food feeding method (birds)
eat what we eat
advantages: no special food to buy and offers variety
offers grains, fruits and veggies, proteins, dairy (very little)
disadvantages: easy to pick favorites, lots of waste, spoils easily
Pellet feeding method (birds)
Mixing everything together
advantages: eliminates favorites, harder to spoil
disadvantages: lack of variety, difficult to switch to pellets after another method
Seed diet (birds)
cheap, easy to store, very available
disadvantages: high fat, not a balanced diet
Grit (birds)
rocks, oyster shells, limestone,
can be a calcium source for eggs and shells
helps further grind up food
Hand feeding baby birds
better connection with bird
have to keep humidity and temp correct
should be runny and moist
wean around 4-8 weeks of age
Tube feeding (gavage)
fast
cleaner
better measure of consumption
stick tube down throat into the stomach and put food directly into stomach
Spoon feeding
cheaper
may seem "nicer"
need to feed every 2 hrs first week
Birds and Territory
very territorial
will attack others and themselves in glass (robin)
Cavity nests
many cage birds use them
would be tree holes in nature
Bird Mating
photoperiod: day length
long day breeders
courtship is important and can be elaborate
Egg-laying
incubation starts when egg is first laid or when whole clutch as ben laid
Egg incubation
both sexes of birds usually incubate the eggs
Short incubation period
Altricial
Long incubation period
Precocial
Incubation conditions
T.H.A.T.
Temperature: 100F
Humidity
Air: needs ventilation
Turning
How to determine viability
Candling eggs
shows the membrane and embryo
Hatchlings
often imprint on humans with hand feeding
precocial = chickens
Overall bird health
hard to recognize at first
they mask illness
when you notice a problem then its usually really bad
Signs of health problems (bird)
change in droppings
weight loss
fluffed feathers and huddling
respiratory signs
behavioral changes
sleeping more, vocalizing less
Bird disease prevention
proper husbandry
clean
space for exercise
good nutrition
clean water
psychological stimulation
vaccines
good biosecurity
How bird diseases are spread
people are common carriers
some disease can be spread by flies, mosquitos, rats, or mice, even other birds
poor biosecurity
Biosecurity (birds)
limit contact with other birds
change clothes
keep other animals away
quarantine if possible
Viral bird disease
pox (wet and dry)
herpes
PBFD (psittacine beak and feather disease)
Feather loss
can be caused by a lot of things
health issues
nutritional imbalances
psychological problems
normal molt
Avain influenza
mostly respiratory
sudden death with some strains
important issue in the last few years
mutates often
Bacterial bird diseases
tuberculosis (common)
mycoplasmosis: in galiformes, respiratory
salmonella
psittacosis: parrot fever
Protozoal bird diseases
coccidiosis: damages intestines
giardiasis: people can get it
Fungal bird diseases
candidiasis: yeast infection, sour crop
from poor hygiene
Parasitic bird diseases
lice and mites
air sac mites
worms
Non infectious bird diseases
Hypocalcemia: low calcium, bean and bone deformities
Obesity
toxic agents: carbon monoxide, salt, lead and zinc
Other health
trim beak and nails
wing clipping
General characteristics of Mammals
produce milk for young
brain is more advanced
parental care is more advanced
skin rich in glands
quadruped
Anatomical characteristics of Mammals
presence of hair
skeletal differences (growth plate)
lungs hang freely in cavity of chest
diaphragm
4 chambered heart
non nucleated RBCs
homeothermic
viviparous
ova are small and nearly yolk less
functions of hair
insulation
camouflage
protection
sensory organs: whiskers
communication
Monotremes
oviparous
duck billed platypus
spiny anteaters
Marsupials
viviparous
short gestation: rest in pouch
kangaroos, sugar gliders
True placental animals
all other mammals
young attached to the mother by a complicated placenta
gestation lasting from weeks to 22-24 months
Placenta
tissue develops from embryo
tissue is parallel to uterine wall
vascular systems are side-by-side so nutrients and wastes transport across
developing fetus is somewhat protected
Eating habits of mammals
Carnivores: cats and ferrets
Herbivores: gerbils, hamsters, rabbits
Omnivores: mouse, sugar gliders, rat
Mammal habitats
terrestrial
some fly
some are aquatic
some are arboreal
Diurnal
active during the day
dogs
Nocturnal
active during the night time
cats, hedgehogs
crepuscular
active at dawn and dusk
plantigrade
walking on palms
human and bears
digitigrade
up on tip toes or finger tips
heel is up off ground
cat and dog
unguligrade
hooved animals
walking on nails/toenails
heel bone is far up leg
Puberty
period during which secondary sex characteristics being to develop and the capability of sexual reproduction is attained
long bone growth stops
Rat and Mice reproduction
polyestrous
cycle is around 4-5 days
Proestrus
FSH level increases
some follicles being to grow and mature
stimulated follicles produce estrogen
estrogen produces secondary sexual development
FSH
Follicle stimulating hormone
egg cells inside of follicles on the ovaries
from pituitary gland
Estrus
FSH and estrogen levels high
progesterone level is low
only time female will accept male
surge of LH occurs
LH
luteinizing hormone
causes egg to rupture or release egg cell
from pituitary gland
Metestrus (ovulation)
Follicle opens and releases egg cell down
Estrogen goes down along with FSH
Progesterone
secreted by Corpus Luteum
acts at the pituitary to block the LH surge thus preventing ovulation
maintains pregnancy
Oxytocin
produced by the posterior pituitary
causes uterine contractions
stimulates birth
Prostaglandin (PGF2a)
destroys the corpus luteum
stimulates production of relaxin
Estrogen
produced by cells in the follicle
necessary for development of secondary sex characteristics in the female
stimulates estrus (heat)
Relaxin
relaxes cervix, pelvic bones
blood level increase prior to the onset of labor
Prolactin
stimulates milk release
initiates milk secretion after parturition
stimulates maternal behavior
Parturition
the process of giving birth
Diestrus
corpus luteum froms in ruptured follicle
progesterone level is high
if no pregnancy, corpus letup regresses and new cycle beings
prostaglandin causes cl regression and progesterone will fall
Follicular phase
first half of the estrous cycle
Luteal phase
second half of the estrous cycle
Spontaneous ovulation
certain cycle based on time
rats and mice
Induced ovulation
outside stimulus to induce ovulation
rabbits and hares
still have a cycle but need male to cause ovulation
Average litter size (mice and rats)
mice: 4-7
rats: 6-10
Postpartum and lactation (mice and rats)
immediate postpartum estrus in mice and rats
can get pregnant again a day or two after giving birth
lactation is 3 weeks
Menstrual cycle
average 28 days
follicular phase is days 1-13
day 14: ovulation
day 14-15: fertilization (in oviduct)
Day 20: implantation
Day 14-28: luteal phase
uterine lining is shed every cycle
most animals do not do this
Testes
manufacturing lots of sperm
temp cells continually divide and renew themselves
Epididymis
storage
lowest point of the testis, which are outside the body (its cooler, sperm won't die)
Birds also have an epididymis
Accessory sex glands
for final modifications
adds fluids to sperm to help them move through the female tract
seminal plasma
different species have different glands
Penis
deliver to female tract
Testosterone
stimulates testes to produce sperm
LH (males)
acts on cells in the testes to stimulate testosterone production
FSH (males)
stimulates testes to produce sperm and is important to start this process during puberty
Rodentia
largest mammalian order (1500 species)
mammals with four special teeth
2 upper and 2 lower chisel-like incisors
no canines
molars for chewing
rats, mice, gerbils, hamsters, chinchillas
herbivorous
teeth need to be worn down
young are pups and altricial
very short reproductive cycles and gestation periods
Cecum Function
animals can't digest fiber well
cecum provides animal with microorganisms to digest the fiber
Advantages of keeping rodents
take up less space
less expensive
short lifespans
clean
low maintenance
durable with kids
Rats (general)
numerous species
can be very destructive
reproduce quickly
nocturnal
lots of colors
Feeding for rats
commercial pellets
supplement with fruits and veggies
can use human foods
can feed grass hay and oats
treats
water
Housing for rats
2 cubic feet per rat is suggested
wire spacing: 1/2 in. spaces are best
metal is best (chew through wood)
bedding: wood shavings, newspaper, pelleted paper products
enrichment toys are good to have too
Health for rats
tumors are common
mammary and pituitary tumors (can be surgically removed)
Sendai virus: flu-like symptoms
SDA virus