Small Mammals

Question 1

<p>What order does the ferret belong to?</p>

Answer 1

<p>Carnivora - similar to cats</p>

Question 2

<p>What is a difference between the black footed ferret and the domestic ferret?</p>

Answer 2

<p>the black footed ferret is endangered and can't be kept as a pet
from the north american plains</p>

Question 3

<p>What are some important characteristics of the ferret due to it being an obligate carnivore?</p>

Answer 3

<p>digestion is similar to cats</p>

Question 4

What are the terms for different ferrets

Male, intact:
Male, neutered:
Female, intact:
Female, spayed:
Babies:
Group:

Answer 4

Male, intact:Hob
Male, neutered: Gib
Female, intact:Jill
Female, spayed: Sprite
Babies:Kits
Group:Business

Question 5

What is a health problem that occurs in intact female ferrets if they are not bred?

Answer 5

Anemia - low iron - they are in “constant heat”

Question 6

What vaccinations should be given to ferrets?

Answer 6

canine distemper
influenza
rabies

Question 7

Where are ferrets illegal?

Answer 7

California and Hawaii

Question 8

What is the natural diet of hedgehogs?

Answer 8

insects

Cat food in captivity

Question 9

What is a common health problem in hedgehogs?

Answer 9

The answer is either:
external and internal parasites
obesity

Question 10

Why is the bedding type used for hedgehogs important?

Answer 10

not dusty or dry

can lead to respiratory problems

Question 11

What is self-anointing?

Answer 11

rubbing saliva all over their body

- to mark themselves we think?

Question 12

What order does the chinchilla belong to?

Answer 12

Rodentia

Question 13

What is the native environment of the chinchilla?

Answer 13

Rocky areas

Question 14

What is the importance of the dust bath for chinchillas? How often should it be done?

Answer 14

clean themselves without getting wet

Question 15

What are some important items / considerations when setting up a cage for a chinchilla?

Answer 15

nest box
dust bath
something to gnaw on

Question 16

What is the diet that should be fed to chinchillas in captivity?

Answer 16

Herbivore:
good hay
supplements
chinchilla pellets

Question 17

What are a male and female chinchilla called?

Answer 17

Boars and sows

Question 18

What order and family does the fennec fox belong to?

Answer 18

canidae - like dogs

Question 19

What are some adaptations of the fennec fox to their desert environment?

Answer 19

Large ears to dissipate heat and hear prey

A fur coat that repels sunlight during the day and conserves heat at night (also foot pads to protect from hot sand)

Question 20

What is the natural diet of the fennec fox? What should they be fed in captivity?

Answer 20

OMNIVORE
Wild: beetles, lizards, rodents, birds, plants
Captivity: wild canid diet (zoo diet)
(we don’t know a lot about their diet)

Question 21

What are some issues with owning a fennec fox as a pet?

Answer 21

Not easily house broken or litter trained
nocturnal
high energy

Question 22

What vaccinations should the fennec fox get? What are some concerns with giving them vaccinations?

Answer 22

Canine vaccinations

Don’t know if they work the best?

Question 23

Why is it important to hand raise fennec fox pups?

Answer 23

They burrow into the ground with their babies (?)

why they’re not considered a domesticated animal all the way

Question 24

What infraclass does the sugar glider belong to? What are some characteristics of animals in this infraclass?

Answer 24

Marsupalia - have a pouch

Question 25

What is the native environment of the sugar glider?

Answer 25

Forest, wooded areas with high rainfall

Question 26

How does a sugar glider glide from tree to tree?

Answer 26

using patagia - skin flaps

Question 27

What are some considerations for keeping a sugar glider in captivity?

Answer 27

social groups | lots of room to glide and explore

Question 28

What are the baby sugar gliders called? What is the gestation length? How does the mother care for the offspring immediately after birth?

Answer 28

Joeys - blind and deaf | she puts them in her pouch for 70 days

Question 29

What are most health problems of the sugar glider probably related to? (leg paralysis, constipation)

Answer 29

Dietary imbalances

Question 30

What are common health concerns of the degu?

Answer 30

Overgrown teeth liver disease tail loss

Question 31

Are degus social?

Answer 31

yes

Question 32

Are degus precocial or altricial

Answer 32

precocial

Question 33

What type of diet should prairie dogs be fed?

Answer 33

HERBIVORE commercial diet grass hay

Question 34

What is rut? Why should we be concerned with prarie dogs?

Answer 34

drastic temperament change | don't know why it happens

Question 35

How are prairie dogs captured for captivity?

Answer 35

pups are removed fro underground tunnels with a vacuum device

Question 36

What is the gambian pouched rat natural diet?

Answer 36

``` OMNIVORE insects crabs snails vegetables ```

Question 37

Why are gambian pouched rats and ground hogs (?) illegal in parts of the US?

Answer 37

they are an invasive species | they can carry over diseases to humans - from Ghana - monkey pox outbreak