Exotic Birds II

Dr. N. Matthew Ellinwood, D.V.M., Ph.D.

March 19, 2012

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES

Passerine Birds

• Perching or songbirds– Anisodactyl– One order (oscines) control syrinx muscles for song– Perching “stay” mechanism

• Latin name for house sparrows (passer)

• Passeriformes: half bird species– 5,000 identified species

Passerines• Common Hill Myna

– (Myna – any Indian bird of the Starling family)

• Omnivorous

• Native to Southeast Asia

• 1990’s 20,000 in trade/yr

• Captive bred/imported

• Not endangered

• Popularity

Finches• Zebra– Australian– Research, neural basis of learning

• Gouldian Finches– Australian (pot 100,000 pets)– Color variants in fancy

Canaries

• Finch song bird from Madeira, Azores, Canaries– Islands named for dogs

• Bred, since 1600’s for– Type– Color– Song (eg Harz Roller)

• Research model of neurogenesis• Canary in the coal mine

Color Varieties• Red Factor

– Diet dependent– Bronze

• Many others– Ino, Eumo, Satinette,

Bronze, Ivory, Onyx, Mosaic, and Brown

Body Type• Usually along size

– Fife (small)– Many other varieties

• Usually named for place names

• UK Types– Border, Fife, Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Gloster

• Others– Gibber Italicus, Raza Española, Berner, Mexicana, Australian Plainhead

Song Types

• Spanish Timbrado• German Roller (also known as "Harzer Roller” or

Harz, for the Harz Mountains)• Awaterslager (aka Malinois)• American• Russian Singer• Persian Singer

Reptiles

REPTILES• Taxinomic class defined by:

– Air breathing– Egg laying of shelled eggs– Scaled or scute covered skin/bodies

• Four orders– Crocodiles– Sphenodontia (tuataras – New Zealand, resembles lizards)– Sqamata

• Lizards, snakes, amphisbaenians (worm lizards)

– Chelonia or Testuidines (turtles etc)

Chelonians

• Turtles

• Tortoises

• Terrapins

• Salmonella risks– Not just turtles, etc.

TURTLES

• spend most or all of their time in water• leatherback turtle – Dermochelys coriacea– largest turtle, endangered

TORTOISE

• spend most or all of their time on land• Aldabra tortoise – Geochelone gigantia – 2nd largest tortoise, CITES protected

TERRAPINS

• Spend significant time on land and in water

• American Indian word

TERRAPINS - Red-Eared Slider

• Southern U.S.

• omnivorous

• 75° F

Red-Eared slider – Trachemys scripta elegans

LIZARDS• habitats - desert to marshes

• diets - herbivorous, omnivorous, carnivorous, insectivorous

• temperature requirements - widely varied

• bottom line - do your homework

Iguanas• Green iguana

• Calcium

• Vit D– Lights

• Central and South Am

• Up to ~ 7 feet• Related

– Chuckwalla

– Desert Iguana

Anoles

• Small new world lizard

• False chamelions

• Green Anole– Native to USA– Cuban brown

• Now in Florida

– Knight Anole• 18 inches

Skinks

• Small lizards

• Five lined skink– North America native

• Blue tongued skink– Australian– Pet trade

• Solomon Island giant skink– Arboreal– Largest species of skink; 28”

Geckos

• Desert to tropical

• Lamellated feet– Climbers

• Nocturnal and vocal

• Leopard gecko– India native

– Pest control

– Popular pet species

• Tokay gecko– Aggressive

Chameleons

• Experienced owner only

• Africa, southern Europe, Near East to south asia

• Change color

• Turret eyes

horned toad (a lizard - really!)

Phrynosoma platyrhinos –

TUATARAS

• habitat - small islands around New Zealand

• diet - carnivorous• temperature

– ~54° F

• 50-80 cm; up to 1 kg• living fossils

AMPHISBAENIANS worm lizards

• Florida worm lizard – Rhineura floridana