Birds Fish and Rats ANS330

What Is the Rat scientific name?

Rattus Norvegicus

where were the first rats found? when did that change? where?

Temperate Asia; 18th century, Europe

What does a Wister Albino Look like?

wide head, long ears, tail shorter than body

What does a Sprague-Dawley Albino Look like?

grow faster than WI, longer, narrower, head and tail same length as body

What does a Long Evans look like?

smaller than albinos, white fur w/ black patches; head is typically black

What are 2 commonly used inbred rat strains?

Fischer344 & Lewis

Which “Breed” of rat is often referred to as the “Hooded Rat”

Long Evans

how do you handle a rat?

pick them up by the base of the tail, remember to support their back and pin front legs with thumb and forefinger, and support hind legs and bottom with the other

T/F: The more rats are handled, the more relaxed they will be?

T

How much will an adult male weigh?

300-500 grams

How much will an adult female weigh?

200-400 grams

How much will a newborn rat weigh?

5 grams

T/F: Rats are omnivorous, hence they have a large cecum and gallbladder

F: rats don’t have gallbladders

What is a rat’s average life span?

2.5-3.5 years

What gland is responsible for porphyrin staining?

Harderian Gland

how are rats born?

pink skin, hairless, helpless

what are the 2 ways to tell gender in rats?

male anogenital difference is 2x female anogenital distance and male testes are visible beneath the tail

What is the period for post partum estrus in rats?

24 hours after birth

name 2 differences between mouse copulatory plugs and rats?

1. mouse plugs are visible to the naked eye while rat plugs are not

2. mouse plugs prevent breeding, while rat plugs can be dislodged

when do rats reach sexual maturity?

65-110 days

how long is an estrous cycle in rats?

4-5 days

how long is gestation in rats?

20-22 days

when are baby mice weaned?

20-21 days

based on gestation length and weaning length, what can be inferred?

a litter could be weaned just as a new litter is arriving

how big is the average litter in rats?

8-18 pups

T/F: like mice, first time rat mothers will often cannibalize their young

F: rat mothers usually do not cannibalize

What are some normal and abnormal behaviors? (4+, 3-)

Healthy:

• Groomed, clean fur

• Nocturnal

• Coprophage

• Mild porphyrin staining

Unhealthy:

• hunched over while sitting

• excessive or persisting porphyrin staining

• rough fur

What is the ideal humidity for rats? what are some side effects if not?

Ideal is 55%. too high (80%) can cause heat exhaustion, whereas too low (<40%) can cause ringtail

What is the purpose of a metabolism cage?

seperates urine and feces from food and water, and collects urine & feces

what are 3 examples of enrichment for rats?

1. Nest materials

2. structures to hide

3. Chewing materials

What class are birds?

Aves

name 5 features of all birds?

2 legs, egg laying, warm blooded, wings, feathers

which 4 orders of birds are used in research? give examples.

1. Galliformes: Chickens, Turkeys, Quail

2. Columbiformes: pidgeons, doves

3. Passeriformes: crows, sparrows, finches

4. Psittaciformes: Parrots

Explain a bird’s respiratory system?

rigid lung with many expandable air sacs; unidirectional airflow

Name 3 differences between mammalian breathing and avian breathing

Mammals:

• expandable lung, no air sacs, tidal airflow, active inspiration, diaphragm, high hemoglobin affinity

Birds:

• rigid lung, expandable air sacs, unidirectional airflow, active inspiration & expiration, no diaphragm, low hemoglobin affinity

what are the advantages of avian respiratory systems?

no mixing of inspired/expired air, 4-8x better gas exchange, hemoglobin gives more O2 at higher altitudes

How to handle Birds?

FRAGILE; least stressful on the first time, place on floor when released

How do you handle galliformes?

control the wings (pin them with forearm and body) then support the legs as you pick them up

How do you handle columbiformes and Passeriformes?

very hard to catch, hold head between thumb and forefinger and support back with palm of hand and fingers

How do you handle Psittaciformes

Special Care considered for their heads (to prevent biting). may need to use three point hold on sides and top of head

what is it called when 2 genders of identical species differ in size, feather conformation, and/or color pattern?

sexual dimorphism

T/F: all birds exhibit sexual dimorphism?

F: some do, others may need to be surgically inspected to figure out gender

what is different in the genes for gender in birds vs in humans

In humans, the male is heterozygote (XY) and female is homozygote (XX), but in birds, the female is heterozygote (ZW) and the male is homozygote (ZZ)

when do hens reach point-of-lay?

~20 weeks old

where does fertilization occur in birds?

Infundibulum

what is the longest portion of egg-laying in birds?

the time spent in the shell gland/uterus (typically 20 hours out of the 24.5)

T/F: Birds establish peck orders?

T: can be controlled in Galliformes by removing the tip on their upper beak

What would you do for a permanent flight control and a temporary flight control?

for permanent flight control, pinion one wing (remove 3rd and 4th metacarpal bones). for temporary flight control cut the first 10 primary flight feathers on one wing (will regrow after 1-2 years) 

What are some forms of enrichment for birds?

nest boxes, baths, foraging, perches, & toys

what are the 2 chambers of an avian stomach?

proventriculus & ventriculus/gizzard

T/F: birds need to be quarantined anywhere from 3 days to 4 weeks

T

Why must you use fluorescent wide spectrum lights or white incandescent lamps for birds?

they dont give off any heat that could harm the birds

Why should you never mix bird species?

they will fight & cannibalize each other

What is an important consideration for young birds?

they will need an external heat source to prevent hypothermia

What is a cuttlebone’s purpose?

beak maintenance; necessary for passeriformes and psittaciformes

what is the most common method of bird identification?

leg band

what is given to birds to increase digestion in the gizzard?

grit

What does it mean to be ovoviviparous? 

Eggs grow within the mother and are either hatched within the body or immediately after being laid

what does it mean to be viviparous

produce live young born from within the body

What does it mean to be oviparous

eggs develop and hatch outside the material body; i.e. egg laying

How are fish identified?

Jaw tags, patterns, fin clipping, & freeze branding

what are some important considerations for handling fish

ensure there is no mud or damage on gills and that they remain moist at all times, ensure protective mucus coating is in tact. if transporting, water must be identical in ph, temperature, and O2 level

What are some problem signs for fish?

food refusal, abnormal posture, erratic movements, gulping air, scraping against things, & jumping out of water

T/F: Fish will aggressively defend territories from fish of other species, but will not against fish of their own species

F: both intraspecies and interspecies fighting will occur

What are some characteristics of an optimal fish environment?

easy to clean/self cleaning & water regulation

what type of tank is best for continuous swimmers?

circular

Explain recirculation

the water in the tank is sent through a triple filter (mechanical, chemical, & biological) to be cleaned and reused 

what is important for lighting with fish?

they should be under fluorescent light and out of sunlight, since both minimize heat

how long do fish need to be quarantined?

3 weeks

Why is it important to never use soap in fish tanks?

any residual soap that is put into the water will kill the fish

what are the 2 rules for species population density requirements?

1 g of fish per 1 liter of water

2.5 cm of fish per 4 liter of water

what is the difference between feeding young fish and adult fish?

adults are fed once a day and young are fed 3 times a day

T/F: to prevent the food from rotting, scoop any unwanted food out after no longer than 10 minutes

T

What is unique about the zebrafish?

despite its small size it has 28000 genes (more than humans), and itis able to regenerate neurotransmitters, and their brain in larvae stage, plus, their genes share homology with 70% of human genes, and 84% of human disease causing genes

why are zebrafish embryos ideal?

transparency and rapid growth

what is metamorphosis?

when an organism grows in one way during the early stages of its life, then another different way at a certain point in their life (i.e larval pattern of growth and adult pattern of growth)

In zebrafish the most important organs have formed ___ after fertilization and hatch after ___

24 hours
3 days

do zebrafish exhibit sexual dimorphism? if so, how?

Y, the males have a slender body and gold and blue stripes while females have a large belly and silver and blue stripes

Who chooses who mates in fish?

FEMALES

In fish, how is sex determined?

by genotype, environment, or both

What does an aromatase inhibitor do

limits estrogen, changing female fish to males

What is the Trojan Gene Effect, who is it monitored by, and what are the three criteria to avoid it?

Trojan Gene Effect means if a favorable gene is genetically given to a species that escapes into the wild, the entire ecosystem will change when they outcompete native species

Monitored by the FDA

1. cannot escape

2. cannot survive

3. cannot reproduce

What is the “drug” in genetic modification?

the intentional genomic alteration being given to the animal. Afterwards, not considered a drug since it is no longer “treating” the animal