“It’s not easy being green,” Kermit the Frog laments in his famous song.
It also is not easy to keep those animals we often think of as green — amphibians and reptiles — as pets.
There are many reasons people keep reptile and amphibian pets, including the companionship they provide, their looks or the joy in the challenge of their care.
Maybe an allergy in the household prevents a pet owner from having mammal or avian pets.
Many of these type of animals can live in an aquarium-like enclosure, and many pet owners assume that once the habitat is set up, the upkeep is minimal. For some of these pets, that can be true. But for most, the ongoing continued care is more intensive than one might think.
Herpetology is the study of reptiles and amphibians, and people with interests in those animals use “herp” as shorthand. Common herps kept as pets range from snakes, lizards, turtles and frogs to newts, salamanders and even crocodilians.
When looking at the care of herps, there is more involved than with dogs and cats. Pet owners need to know the size and type of enclosure, the temperature and how that is measured, the substrate (material in the bottom of the enclosure), the humidity, the lighting, diet, supplements and more.
The care of these animals involves attempting to mimic their natural environment since many are adapted to an extremely specific niche.
Unlike mammal pets, herps are ectotherms, meaning they rely on their environment for heat. Some have very narrow parameters in which they can thrive.
A perfect example of these complexities is related to the metabolism of calcium. In mammals, calcium is critical for many functions, especially in formation and structure of the bones, as well as how muscles and nerves function. The way herps get calcium into their body is through their diet. However, there are many complex biochemical interactions that are needed to absorb and use that calcium.
The first step is providing calcium to the animal by adding a powdered mineral supplement over the food. Not all of these powered supplements are equal in quality, and some animals require specific forms of calcium and other minerals to be provided.
For reptiles that eat insects, a practice called “gut loading” — feeding insects a high calcium food before feeding those insects to the herp — can be beneficial. For animals like snakes that eat whole prey, additional calcium supplementation generally is not needed.
In order to absorb that calcium as well as digest their food correctly, the herp needs to be at the correct temperature. This varies from species to species and is called the Preferred Optimal Temperature Zone. There is a range that is appropriate for each species, and it is important that the whole range is available to that animal, meaning they have a hotspot and a cooler area to relax. This temperature gradient can be provided by a variety of means from lights to undertank heaters. It is recommended to avoid hot rocks, as these are a notorious cause of severe skin burns.
To measure temperature in enclosures, I recommend that all of my herp clients invest in an infrared thermometer. These are inexpensive and the best tool for accurately assessing the ranges of temperatures within your herp pet’s enclosure.
The thermometers that stick to the side of the tank might give you an idea of the temperature of the air in that area, but they do not tell you the temperature that your herp pet is sitting at in different areas and at different times.
One of the most challenging things to provide for many herp pets involves lighting, specifically the Ultraviolet spectrum. The most critical type of UV light needed is called UVB. The amount of UVB light needed is very species specific. Herps that are active during the day, such as turtles and bearded dragons, have a high requirement for UVB, whereas herps are that active at night, such as leopard geckos, do not require as much.
This UVB wavelength of light is needed for herps to be able to produce vitamin D3, which subsequently is needed to be able to absorb calcium from the gastrointestinal tract. If there is not vitamin D3 present, it does not matter how much oral calcium is provided since the animal will not be able to absorb it.
For some animals, it is recommended to have vitamin D3 as part of their vitamin and mineral supplement, but this is not the case for all herps.
While nothing is better than the sun in providing the range of light needed by these animals, UVB can be provided by special light bulbs. They are more expensive than regular bulbs and should be changed at least every six months due to a gradual decline in the amount of UVB that is emitted. There are UVB meters available to measure the amount of UVB emitted, but these are fairly expensive, so switching out the bulbs regularly is the best route for most herp owners.
Reptiles and amphibians are fascinating pets that require a lot of specialized care. If you are interested in a reptile pet, make sure to do a lot of research into the natural history and the care requirements of that animal. And depending on the type of animal you choose, you might need to be spending a lot of green in order to keep them happy and healthy.
May 25, 2021 at 12:30PM
https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/features/article_99c0aebc-7a0c-53c9-abc6-10643eaecfb4.html
Kirkendall: Keeping green pets isn't easy | Features | telegraphherald.com - telegraphherald.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=easy&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
No comments:
Post a Comment