Snakes and Chelonians

Question 1

What order are snakes in?

Answer 1

Squamata

Question 2

What is a fossorial habitat?

Answer 2

Underground habitat

Question 3

Cornsnakes resemble what venemous snake?

Answer 3

Copperhead

Question 4

What is the prey of California kingsnakes?

Answer 4

Other snakes

Question 5

How long can California kingsnakes live and grow?

Answer 5

up to 20 years

10 ft long

Question 6

Name 3 pet snakes native to the U.S.A

Answer 6

Gopher snake, cornsnake, rosy boa

Question 7

How long do Rosy boas live and how big do they get?

Answer 7

Up to 50 years

4 feet

Question 8

The red tailed boa is native to what place?

Answer 8

North, Central and South America

Question 9

What habitat does the red tailed boa live in?

Answer 9

Arboreal

Question 10

How big do red tailed boas get?

Answer 10

6-10 feet

Question 11

What is the largest gopher snake?

Answer 11

Bull snake

Question 12

How long do gopher snakes get and live?

Answer 12

3-6 feet

15-30 years

Question 13

Ball pythons are native to what place?

Answer 13

Native to central and western Africa

Question 14

How long do ball pythons live and how long do they grow to?

Answer 14

15-20 years

3-5 feet

Question 15

Surgical equipment used for snakes include:

Answer 15

Dremel, stainless steel suture, transparent surgical drapes, and a magnifying surgical headset

Question 16

What are the 6 common snakes kept as pets?

Answer 16

Corn snake, california snake, ball python, rosy boa, red tailed boa, gopher snake

Question 17

What are topics to discuss with owners that own aquatic snakes?

Answer 17

water quality control, filter systems used, sources of water, and frequency of water change are all important. Owners need to list types of cleaning agents and disinfectants used and the frequency of use.

Question 18

What it is the appropriate temperature range for snakes?

Answer 18

75-90 degrees

Question 19

What is the humidity range of most pet snakes?

Answer 19

50%-70%

Question 20

Which pet snake mimics the rattlesnake by making the rattling noise in their throat?

Answer 20

Gopher snake

Question 21

Nephrotoxic drugs should not be given in which part of the reptilian body?

Answer 21

Caudal

Question 22

What is the common IM injection site in snakes?

Answer 22

Epaxial muscles

Question 23

How are oral meds given to snakes?

Answer 23

Stomach tube

Question 24

What is the most common reptilian disease seen and what’s it caused by?

Answer 24

Metabolic bone disease

Caused by really low calcium, low vitamin D3, excessive phosphorous

Question 25

If fresh feces isn't available, how can it be obtained?

Answer 25

removed from the terminal alimentary tract by gentle palpation or by the insertion of a fecal extractor or cotton tipped applicator through the cloacal vent. A warm water enema can also work.

Question 26

What is the percentage of water used for an enema in a snake?

Answer 26

1% or less

Question 27

What are the 3 main layers of skin in snakes?

Answer 27

Epidermis, stratum germinatavum, and dermis

Question 28

The dermis consists of what 2 layers?

Answer 28

Stratum compactum (innermost layer of dermis of densely knit tissue) and stratum spongiosum (connective tissue, blood vessels, glands, nerve endings, and other cellular structures)

Question 29

What is eccdysis?

Answer 29

Shedding

Question 30

Snake and lizards have what kind of bacteria?

Answer 30

Gram negative

Question 31

Cross contamination of bacteria can occur between what 2 species?

Answer 31

Avians and snakes/lizards

Question 32

How many chambers are in the snake heart? How many chambers does the snake actually function?

Answer 32

3 | 5

Question 33

How and why is the heart oriented in terrestrial snakes?

Answer 33

Heart is closer to the head and blood vessels in the distal portion of the body dilate to receive more blood

Question 34

How and why is the heart oriented in arboreal snakes?

Answer 34

Heart is closer to the head so blood can easily reach the brain while hanging vertically

Question 35

How and why is the heart oriented in aquatic species?

Answer 35

Heart is in the middle of the body to make pumping effort minimal. External water pressure compensates for low blood pressure and lack of accumulation in the tail

Question 36

The snake ventricle is divided into what 3 parts?

Answer 36

cavum arteriosum, cavum venosum, and cavum pulmonale

Question 37

Snakes can perform what cardiac function?

Answer 37

Intracardiac shunting, classified as left to right or right to left.

Question 38

What is a right to left intracardiac shunt? What is it used for?

Answer 38

deoxygenated blood that should flow out to the pulmonary circuit is expelled out to the systemic circuit via the aortic arches (increasing the amount of circulating blood, decreasing oxygen content). Used to increase body temperature and bypass the lungs during breath holding.

Question 39

What does a left to right intracardiac shunt do?

Answer 39

stabilizes the oxygen content in the blood

Question 40

In snakes, blood goes to the heart from the kidney via what vein?

Answer 40

Post caval vein

Question 41

If blood travels through the renal portal system, it only goes through the:

Answer 41

convoluted tubules, not the glomeruli

Question 42

The hepatic portal system drains:

Answer 42

blood from the intestines into the liver

Question 43

The renal portal system drains:

Answer 43

venous channels of tail into kidneys

Question 44

The hypophyseal portal system drains:

Answer 44

hypothalamus into sinusoids of anterior pituitary, is the smallest portal system

Question 45

Snake veins lack what?

Answer 45

Valves to prevent backflow

Question 46

Why should a feeding tube in snakes be placed in the stomach and not the esophagus?

Answer 46

Snake's esophagus is static and the bolus will sit there for hours

Question 47

What are 3 adaptations in snakes that makes sure there's enough blood flow?

Answer 47

Contraction of smooth muscles along the vessels, undulation/contraction of skeletal muscles massaging blood towards the heart, tight skin in arboreal species acts as an antigravity suit

Question 48

Do reptiles have lymph nodes?

Answer 48

No

Question 49

What are common venipuncture sites of snakes?

Answer 49

Caudal/Coccygeal vein, cardiac puncture, ventral abdominal vein, palatine vein

Question 50

Describe the lungs of most snakes

Answer 50

Most snakes have a larger right lung and smaller nonfunctional left lung

Question 51

What are the vomeronasal organs used for in snakes?

Answer 51

Sense a den or pheromones

Question 52

What is sputum in snakes? | Under a microscope, what common parasites can be seen?

Answer 52

Mix of saliva and mucus. | Rhabditis spp., Entomelas spp., and Stongloides stercoralis

Question 53

Do snakes have urinary bladders?

Answer 53

No

Question 54

Snake kidneys lack what?

Answer 54

Loop of henle and renal pelvis

Question 55

What are the 6 hormones released by the adenopophysis in snakes?

Answer 55

Adrenocorticotropin• Follicle stimulating hormone• Luteinizing hormone• Prolactin• Somatotropin• Thyrotropin

Question 56

What are the 2 parts of the pituitary gland in snakes?

Answer 56

neuropophysis and adenopophysis

Question 57

Which gland in snakes control eccdysis?

Answer 57

Thyroid

Question 58

When doing a cloacal probe on a female snake, what should you keep in mind?

Answer 58

Female snakes have a blind diverticulum

Question 59

What is a zoonotic bacteria from snakes/reptiles?

Answer 59

Salmonella

Question 60

What is vitellogenesis?

Answer 60

Production of the yolk

Question 61

What are chelonians?

Answer 61

Turtles and tortoises

Question 62

What is the carapace? How many bones does it contain?

Answer 62

Hard covering over the upper body | About 50

Question 63

What is the plastron? How many bones does it contain?

Answer 63

Hard covering over the lower body | 9

Question 64

What are scutes?

Answer 64

Individual plates over the chelonian shell

Question 65

What are 3 common pet turtles?

Answer 65

Red eared slider, map turtles, box turtles

Question 66

What is the diet of young and adult chelonians?

Answer 66

Young chelonians are more carnivorous, and most are herbivores as adults.

Question 67

What is a carnivore, herbivore and omnivore chelonian?

Answer 67

Carnivore: Snapping turtle Herbivore: tortoise Omnivore: Box turtle, sea turtle

Question 68

Which scute can venipuncture be done under?

Answer 68

Nuchal scute

Question 69

How can soft shelled turtles breath?

Answer 69

Through their skin

Question 70

What 3 reptiles have no diaphram?

Answer 70

Snake, birds and turtles

Question 71

What size is it illegal to sell turtles?

Answer 71

Under 4 inches

Question 72

What 2 animals have a 3 chambered heart?

Answer 72

Snakes and chelonians

Question 73

Which reptiles have a bladder?

Answer 73

Chelonians

Question 74

What are venipuncture sites of chelonians?

Answer 74

Jugular vein• Brachial vein• Subcarapacial vein• Ventral tail vein• Dorsal tail vein• Femoral vein• Occipital venous sinus• Heart

Question 75

What is shell rot?

Answer 75

Loss of scutes, wet form is from bacterial infection or hemorrhagic discharge, dry form is from fungal or bacterial infection

Question 76

Where is the primary site of microbial fermentation in chelonians?

Answer 76

Large intestine

Question 77

Which part of the reproductive system in chelonians hold eggs prior to laying?

Answer 77

Avary

Question 78

SCUD (Septicemic Cutaneous Ulcerative Disease) affects primarily who? What does it cause?

Answer 78

Aquatic turtles | Shell and skin lesions

Question 79

What causes gout in reptiles that produce lots of uric acid like birds and turtles?

Answer 79

Buildup of uric acid via damage to the kidneys

Question 80

What are 3 protozoan parasites?

Answer 80

Eimeria, Giardia, Coccidiosis