ACT Exotic Animals 1 Exotic Pets Exotic animals

ACT - Exotic Animals 1

Exotic Pets Exotic animals are often defined as any species of animal that is not considered to be a common pet (companion animal) or domesticated livestock species. This presentation identifies those species listed in the Texas Veterinary Medicine Association’s Level One course guide; “Identification of Common Exotic Species”. Additional resources are listed at the end of the presentation. ACT - Exotic Animals 2

Exotic Pets MAMMALS RODENTS Rabbits Ferrets Pot-bellied Pigs Hedgehogs Chinchillas Rats/Mice Gerbils Hamsters Guinea pigs Prairie Dogs Sugar Gliders “Identification of Common Exotic Species” Texas Veterinary Medicine Association Level One Course Guide ACT - Exotic Animals 3

Exotic Pets AVIAN REPTILES Canaries Finches Parakeets Parrots Cockatoos Cockatiels Macaws Iguana Other Lizards Snakes Turtles/Tortoises AMPHIBIANS Frogs FISH “Identification of Common Exotic Species” Texas Veterinary Medicine Association Level One Course Guide ACT - Exotic Animals 4

MAMMALS Mammals are vertebrate animals that are endothermic, have hair on their bodies, and produce milk to feed their babies. Many mammals give birth to live young that are small and helpless. ACT - Exotic Animals 5

Rabbits are intelligent, social animals who need affection. They can become wonderful companion animals if given a chance to interact with their human families. There a number of breeds; some large and others small. The lifespan is from 5 to 10 years. Mini Lop French Angora ACT - Exotic Animals 6

Ferrets Belonging to the weasel family, ferrets have long, slender bodies and oval-shaped heads with 40 teeth. Un-spayed females are prone to aplastic anemia and un-neutered males can be aggressive. They are very curious animals and give off a musky smell from their skin. Their lifespan is 8 to 10 years. ACT - Exotic Animals 7

POT BELLY This dwarf swine breed were developed in the 1960's from the Í breed of Vietnam. They were originally brought into Sweden and Canada and have since moved into a number of countries. They come in a variety of colors and are not known for meat production. North American Pot Bellied Pig Association ACT - Exotic Animals 8

Hedgehogs These small, nocturnal, insectivores can be quite nervous and are not generally cuddly. They have soft fur on their face and belly and their body is covered with sharp quills that feel much like a bristly brush. They are relative low maintenance pets with a lifespan of 8 to 10 years. ACT - Exotic Animals 9

RODENTS Rodents have teeth (upper and lower incisors) that grow throughout their life. It they are not worn down properly then an overgrowth occurs causing injury. Gnawing on things helps control the overgrowth by wearing down the teeth. ACT - Exotic Animals 10

Chinchillas Expensive nocturnal animal with compact bodies, bushy tails, and large eyes and ears. Its thick coat does not support parasites like fleas and ticks. They are very timid, easily frightened, and can be noisy. They may bite or shed its fur in fear and because of this are not recommend as pets for young children. They are clean with no body odor but hate water. The lifespan is around 20 years but they are very sensitive to heat and can die from heat stroke. ACT - Exotic Animals 11

Rats Clean, highly intelligent social animals that enjoy human company. There are numerous rat varieties and have a lifespan of 1 to 3 years. They naturally live in groups and are very active and love to climb. Rats mature early and breed extremely quickly from 5 weeks old, producing a litter of 8 or more young every 4 or 5 weeks. They are prone to respiratory diseases which are contagious to other rats and but not humans. ACT - Exotic Animals 12

Mice Domestic mice bred in captivity make friendly pets and come in a wide variety of colors. They live for 1 to 2 years and are fully grown at around 3 months. They love playing with toys and they like cardboard tubes to run through and chew on. Mice love to groom and play with each other. Mice are usually friendly and enjoy human contact but can occasionally be timid. ACT - Exotic Animals 13

Gerbils Mongolian Gerbil most common Inquisitive, friendly, hygienic and rarely bite. Easy to take care and active during night Live underground in tunnels so similar environment needed Have hairy tails instead of rat or mouse like Enjoy running, digging, burrowing, and climbing Territorial and live 2 to 5 years ACT - Exotic Animals 14

Hamsters Most common breed is the golden hamster. Naturally solitary and prefer to be kept alone. Usually enjoy human contact and rarely bite. Short tails and cheek pouches. Lifespan is 2 to 3 years. Most active during the evening and at night. inexpensive, friendly, and fairly easy to care. ACT - Exotic Animals 15

Guinea pigs Seven common varieties and known as “Cavies”. 4 toes on front, 3 on back, and no visible tail. Sensitive hearing, keen eye sight and excellent peripheral vision. Inquisitive, friendly and enjoy being handled. Rarely bite or scratch but can be nervous. Active during the daytime. Communicate vocally with different noises having different meanings. Healthy vegetarians with large front incisors that are very sharp. Can live 4 to 8 years ACT - Exotic Animals 16

Prairie Dogs Highly social amusing animals Require lots of attention and love to dig Weight 5 pounds and have short tails Have been know to carry hantavirus and bubonic plague Life span of about 10 years “Bark" when excited Prone to obesity. ACT - Exotic Animals 17

Sugar Gliders Nocturnal tree dwelling Marsupial. Highly social and live in groups. Docile creatures prone to malnutrition often causing rear end paralysis, parasites, pneumonia and malocclusion. Live 10 to 15 years and require a diet of fresh chopped fruit and vegetables. If you're not prepared for the daily upkeep on these, don't get one. ACT - Exotic Animals 18

AVIAN There are many different types of birds. The two most common orders seen in veterinary clinics are passeriformes and psittaciformes. Passerines – straight beaks – 3 toes in front of foot and 1 in the back Psittacines – curved beaks – 2 toes in front and 2 in the back ACT - Exotic Animals 19

Canaries Passerines Small birds – 5 ½ inches long 2 nd most popular caged bird Known for their singing But the males are the only singers Variety of colors Lifespan 6 to 16 years ACT - Exotic Animals 20

Finches Passerines Small birds – 4 ½ inches long Hundreds of species Colors from gray, tan, cream and buff Short, red bills ACT - Exotic Animals 21

Parakeets Psittacines – Most popular caged bird. Several species but most common is known as the budgie. Life expectancy is 15 to 20 years. They are small bird 6 to 7 inches. The males have a blue cere and blue-gray feet and the females have a pinkish brown cere and shade of pink on their feet. ACT - Exotic Animals 22

Parrots Psittacines Medium size (15 inches) No external differences in male and females Amazon and African Grays are most common Lifespan is 30 to 50 years The African gray is popular because it has the ability to mime. ACT - Exotic Animals 23

Cockatoos Psittacines Medium size (17 -18 inches) Usually white or faint pastel Short tails and long or short crests Extremely playful and interactive with a lively personality Loving - affectionate birds ACT - Exotic Animals 24

Cockatiels Psittacines Variety of color patterns and a crest Friendly and easy to tame Medium size (12 inches) Long tail and pointed crest Males have yellow faces and orange cheeks Females have touch of yellow on face and cheeks but not as bright as males Good at whistling and can often be taught to whistle tunes ACT - Exotic Animals 25

Macaws Psittacines Range in sizes from small to large Several species thus several colors Require lots of attention Not good for people that are gone from home 10 hours a day Intelligent, very good talkers and love human attention ACT - Exotic Animals 26

reptiles Reptiles are vertebrates, they have scaly skin that keeps their bodies from drying out, their young do not go through a larva stage like amphibians, but instead look like small versions of the adults when they hatch. There are four main groups of reptiles: turtles and tortoises; lizards and snakes; crocodiles and alligators; and the tuatara, the only species left from an ancient group of reptiles that goes back to the dinosaurs. ACT - Exotic Animals 27

Iguana Green Iguanas most popular Omnivorous and cold-blooded so heating and lighting critical Bright green to dull, grayishgreen Adults 4 to 6 feet with long fingers and claws Susceptible to many diseases Good sense of hearing and smell, and superb vision Awake during day and tend to live alone ACT - Exotic Animals 28

Other Lizards are becoming increasingly popular and the health care team must be very careful in handling these reptiles. Bites are highly septic and can cause nasty wounds and disease conditions. Monitor lizards are the most common species. Others include anoles, bearded dragons, chameleons, geckos, blue tongued skinks, and many more. For pictures of different lizard species the following web site is one of the best: http: //www. naturalhistorymall. com/lizards. html ACT - Exotic Animals 29

Snakes There are many types of snakes whether in the wild or in pet stores. You should never put your hand into a holding container until you are sure what is inside. Know how to identify the poisonous species in your area and always use caution when handling any snake. Pictures of different types of snakes can be found at the following web site. It is one of the best. http: //www. naturalhistorymall. com/ ACT - Exotic Animals 30

Turtles/Tortoises There are many types of turtles and tortoises. Some types are on the endangered species list so the owner must be aware of the species they have. It is illegal to keep an endangered species as a pet. Pictures of different types of Turtles and Tortoises can be found at the following web site. It is one of the best. http: //www. naturalhistorymall. com/ ACT - Exotic Animals 31

AMPHIBIANS Working in a veterinarian clinic you may encounter a number of different amphibians that are kept as pets including frogs, toads and salamanders. Some amphibian species are on the endangered species list so the owner must be aware of the species they have. It is illegal to keep an endangered species as a pet. ACT - Exotic Animals 32

FISH Although rare you may have someone to bring in a fish for treatment. Some of the more common species include goldfish, algae eaters, Siamese fighting fish, mollys, and platys. Ich is often a common disease and fish also can have parasites, i. e. anchor worms. ACT - Exotic Animals 33

RESOURCES Exotic Companion Medicine Handbook for Veterinarians By Cathy A Johnson-Delaney - Linda R Harrison Publisher Wingers Pub. © 1996 Lake Worth, Fla. ISBN: 0963699644 9780963699640 OCLC: 34964490 ACT - Exotic Animals 34

RESOURCES THE NATURAL HISTORY MALL http: //www. naturalhistorymall. com/ SAN DIEGO ZOO http: //www. sandiegozoo. org/zoo/index. html ACT - Exotic Animals 35

RESOURCES For information on different types of pets • Rats: www. ratfanclub. org • Mice: www. horns. freeserve. co. uk/mouse. htm • Hamsters: www. hilltopanimalhospital. com/hamsters. htm • Guinea Pigs: http: //cavyspirit. com/ • Pot-Bellied Pigs: www. pigs. org • Reptiles (Snakes, Lizards, Turtles): www. neherp. com/ ACT - Exotic Animals 36

RESOURCES Ferret - www. ferretcentral. org or www. ferretwise. org Birds – www. avianwelfare. org Gerbils: www. animalhospitals or usa. com/small_pets/gerbil_care. html Chinchillas: http: //wvwv. essortment. com/caringforchinc_rq pa. html Sugar Glidders http: //www. sugargliderconnection. com/ ACT - Exotic Animals 37

Phone: Toll Free (800) 357 -3182 or (940) 380 -8858 Address: 2701 Hartlee Field Road, Denton, TX 76208 Fax: (940) 381 -1847 E-Mail: info@4 act. com ACT - Exotic Animals 38