Unit 13

Reptile Health Management

To understand reptile health management, it is necessary to understand how reptiles fit into the scheme of living creatures. In the Animal Kingdom, phylum Chordata, reptiles represent one of several classes. Fish compose a class generally considered more primitive than reptiles, while birds and other warm-blooded mammals make up other classes that are considered more advanced than reptiles. The class Reptilia is composed of more than 6,000 species, all of which are air breathing, covered with scales or plates.  Reptiles have a three-chambered heart, nucleated red blood cells and do not possess sweat glands. All reptiles are ectothermic or poikilothermic (meaning that they cannot produce body heat internally). This characteristic is very important when developing proper housing and husbandry.  Lack of understanding of specific requirements of each specific species can lead to health problems. Many if not most health problems of reptiles are due to lack of knowledge of the environmental and nutritional requirements of the particular species.

Temperature, light and humidity are very important components of the reptilian environment and should emulate the region of the world in which the animal normally resides. For instance, reptiles that normally reside in equatorial parts of the world would require a 12 hour light/dark cycle year round, while animals from temperate areas would be accustomed to seasonal fluctuations in light cycles. Some animals are nocturnal and secretive and prefer indirect light, while others require certain intensity and quality of light. Natural daylight may be required to convert Vitamin D in the diet to Vitamin D₃, and some animals, if housed under artificial light, may require "black light" containing a large proportion of UV.

Because reptiles cannot generate their own body heat, they must derive it from the environment. Many species are "basking" species and derive their body heat by basking in the sun during a portion of the day. The thermoregulation of these animals is regulated by the amount of time they spend in the sun, the intensity of the sunlight, their color, etc. Burrowing species derive their heat from the substrate in which they burrow. Establishment of a temperature gradient within the environment, which allows the animal to move to the position best suited to maintain its’ temperature is recommended. Thermal burns can result from heat lamps, pads or tapes that provide too much heat. Some species of reptiles may require a period of hibernation (spontaneous hibernators), while other species will be induced to hibernate if the conditions are conducive to hibernation, but can remain active throughout the year with no ill effects under other environmental conditions.

Humidity is an important environmental factor for the health and well being of reptiles. Establishing a humidity gradient within the environment, by supplying a shallow container of water or a recirculating fountain at one end of the enclosure allows the animal to again choose it’s most desirable location, humidity-wise.

Nutritional requirements vary widely, and in many instances are poorly understood for reptilian species. Herbivores require a variety of fruits and vegetables. It is important to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly prior to feeding, and to assure that they do not contain pesticides. Vitamin/mineral supplements as well as a few crushed insects may be beneficial. Carnivorous reptiles may consume insects and invertebrates, such as brine shrimp, water fleas, white worms, meal worms and crickets, or may consume whole mice, rats or fish. Group-housed animals may injure each other during a feeding frenzy, and snakes have been known to accidentally eat one another if two animals are consuming the same prey from opposite ends. It is best not to handle an animal after a big meal, as this may result in regurgitation of food and subsequent reluctance to feed. Plenty of fresh, clean drinking water should be provided by an acceptable means suited to the species of reptile. Some small lizards normally lap drops of water from foliage in their environment, and need to be misted several times daily to meet their water requirements.

Diseases

• Environmental Diseases
  • Thermal burns
  • Feeding trauma, rat bites
  • Skin sloughing difficulty with humidity too low
• Nutritional Diseases
  • Ca:P imbalance – common in turtles, lizards, iguanas; characterized by soft shells/bones, firm, swollen limbs and tails, deformation
  • Hypo- or hyper-vitaminosis A – common in turtles; deficiency characterized by swollen eyelids, loss of appetite; excess causes dry, scaly skin that sloughs easily
  • Thiamine deficiency -- can be produced in snakes fed an exclusive fish diet due to the thiaminase present in fish
  • Vitamin D₃ deficiency – common in basking lizards and turtles because they need exposure to sunlight to convert D to D₃, or must have D₃ supplementation of the diet
  • Visceral gout – caused by diet too high in protein; too little water
  • Steatitis – (inflammation of fat) caused by feeding a diet too high in fat

• Bacterial Diseases
  • Salmonella – primarily a zoonosis not causing disease in the reptile, but in people handling the animal; difficult to eliminate even with antibiotic administration; resulted in ban on red-eared terrapin sale by pet stores
  • Necrotic stomatitis (mouth rot) – seen in snakes and some reptiles; cause of anorexia; may be due to trauma to mouth or deficiency of Vitamin C
  • Respiratory disease – cold, damp environment may incite
  • Red leg – bacterial disease common in frogs
• Parasites and Protozoa
  • Protozoal diarrhea
  • Intestinal worms – roundworms, tapeworms
  • Mites – common in snakes

References:

1. Reptile Keeper’s Handbook, Susan M. Barnard, ed. 1996, Krieger Publishing Co., Malibar. Florida.
2. Husbandry, Medicine & Surgery in Captive Reptiles, Fredric L. Frye, ed. 1973, VM Publishing, Inc., Bonner Springs, Kansas.
3. The Care of Reptiles and Amphibians in Captivity, Chris Mattison, ed., 1987, Blandford Press, London, UK.

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