Introduction to Animal Care in Captivity - Comprehensive Review

Flashcard study set for Introduction to Animal Care in Captivity covering mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates, caging materials, safety protocols, and exhibit design.

What unique physical property was discovered in real platypuses under UV light in 2020?

Real platypuses glow greenish under UV light.

What is the etymological origin of the term "herpetology"?

It comes from the Greek word herpeton, meaning "reptile" or "creeping thing", and -logia, meaning "knowledge".

What are the three taxonomic orders of amphibians and their common names?

Order Anura (frogs and toads), Order Caudata (salamanders and newts), and Order Gymnophiona (caecilians).

What are the key physical and ecological traits of caecilians (Order Gymnophiona)?

They are limbless, worm-like amphibians with small or nonexistent eyes that live underground in tropical areas and feed on earthworms and other small prey.

How do oviparous, viviparous, and ovoviviparous reproduction differ?

Oviparous animals lay eggs; viviparous animals feed offspring internally via a placenta and give live birth; ovoviviparous animals retain eggs internally fed by a yolk sac until hatching, then give live birth.

What is direct development in amphibians, and in what group is it most common?

Direct development occurs when a small froglet hatches directly from an egg laid on land without a free-swimming tadpole stage; it occurs in 27 of 29 of the smallest frog species.

How are poisons, toxungens, and venoms defined according to Nelsen et al. (2014)?

Poisons lack an active delivery mechanism (ingested, inhaled, or absorbed); toxungens are delivered to a body surface without a wound; venoms are delivered into internal tissues by creating a wound.

How does brumation differ from hibernation?

Hibernation occurs in warm-blooded animals and is regulated internally by hormones, whereas brumation occurs in cold-blooded animals and is regulated entirely by external ambient temperatures.

What physical protocol is recommended for overwintering/hibernating captive temperate turtles?

Fast for ~14 days to empty the gut, soak well, drop temperature slowly 3-4° over 3-4 days, hold at 42\n-50\,^{\circ}\text{F} for at least 6 weeks, and reverse temperatures to wake.

What visual signal indicates that a snake is about to shed its skin?

The eyes turn opaque or "blue" (milky), during which time the snake typically goes off feed and may become aggressive due to impaired vision.

What is the primary function of a fish's swim bladder?

It is an internal gas-filled organ that inflates and deflates to control buoyancy, allowing bony fish to maintain water position without constant swimming.

What are three standard methods used to remove chlorine from tap water for aquatic care?

Chemical neutralization additives, mechanical filtration with activated carbon, or letting water sit open for ~24 hours for outgassing (ineffective for chloramines).

What are the three essential stages of aquarium water filtration?

Mechanical filtration (debris removal), chemical filtration (dissolved chemical removal), and biological filtration (biofilter breaking down toxic ammonia).

Why do post-1982 US pennies and galvanized metals present a toxicity hazard in animal enclosures?

Post-1982 pennies are >97% zinc and galvanized metals are zinc-coated; ingestion causes zinc toxicity leading to liver and kidney damage.

Why are deep moats insufficient as standalone containment for snow leopards?

Snow leopards can jump up to 30 feet high and 50 feet horizontally, requiring enclosed mesh roof barriers.

Why is red lighting utilized in nocturnal mammal exhibits?

Most nocturnal mammals cannot see red light (or see it very dimly), allowing human visitors to view them without disrupting their night vision.

What is a lockout hasp, and why is it used in zookeeping?

A safety hardware fitting that requires two separate padlocks, two keys, and two staff members to open before entering dangerous animal spaces.

Why must UV light fixtures for reptiles be placed directly overhead?

Placing UV lights at side angles can cause direct eye damage; positioning overhead properly mimics natural sunlight.

Why is bottom heating (under-tank heat mats) potentially dangerous for reptiles?

Reptiles evolved to detect heat from above (sunlight) and lack thermal sensors to detect excessive heat from below, leading to thermal burns.

What is a bioactive enclosure, and how does it clean itself?

An enclosure containing live plants and soil invertebrates (such as springtails and isopods) that break down organic waste, droppings, and leaf litter.

What are the primary physiological effects of neurotoxic snake venom?

It attacks the nervous system, causing rapid muscle paralysis, brain damage, and loss of consciousness with minimal local pain.

What are the primary physiological effects of hemotoxic snake venom?

It attacks red blood cells and blood vessels, disrupting clotting mechanisms to cause internal bleeding or cardiac failure; it is slow-acting and painful.

Which five physical characteristics are strictly unique to Class Mammalia?

Mammary glands (milk production), body hair/fur, non-nucleated red blood cells, three middle ear bones, and sweat glands.

How do lagomorph (rabbit) upper incisors differ anatomically from rodent upper incisors?

Lagomorphs possess a second pair of small, peg-like incisors directly behind their primary upper incisors, whereas rodents do not.

What are the primary structural differences between true horns and antlers?

Antlers are branched solid bone grown and shed annually (male-only except reindeer); true horns are unbranched vascularized bone cores covered in permanent keratin that grow for life.

How do precocial young differ from altricial young?

Precocial young are born or hatched relatively mature, mobile, furred or feathered, and with eyes open; altricial young are born or hatched helpless, blind, hairless or naked, and immobile.

Which three physical traits are strictly unique to Class Aves (birds)?

Feathers, hollow bones, and the furcula (wishbone).

What is the function of the uropygial gland in birds?

Located at the base of the tail, it secretes oil that birds spread over their feathers with their beaks during preening to keep feathers flexible and water-resistant.

What occurs during an eclipse molt in male waterfowl?

Males shed all flight feathers simultaneously (becoming flightless for 20-40 days) and temporarily adopt dull, female-like camouflage plumage during the summer.

What are blood quills (blood feathers), and why do they require careful handling?

They are actively growing new feathers filled with a central blood supply; breaking them can cause profuse bleeding and permanent follicle damage.