Presented by "Parham Soufizadeh"

1. Behavior of
Exotic Pets

3. Chapter 1 Psittacines
Lynn M. Seibert and Wailani Sung
Chapter 2 Passerines
Wailani Sung
Chapter 3 Snakes
Heather Mohan-Gibbons and Paul Raiti
Chapter 4 Turtles, tortoises, and terrapins
Heather Mohan-Gibbons and Terry Norton
Chapter 5 Lizards
Paul M. Gibbons and Heather Mohan-Gibbons
Chapter 6 Ferrets
Megan J. Bulloch and Valarie V. Tynes
Chapter 7 Rabbits
Sharon L. Crowell-Davis
Chapter 8 Guinea pigs
YeunShin Lee
Chapter 9 The mouse
Naomi Latham
Chapter 10 Rats
Anne Fullerton Hanson and Manuel Berdoy

4. Chapter 11 Gerbils
A. Dawn Faircloth Parker and Valarie V. Tynes
Chapter 12 Hamsters
Julia Albright and Ricardo de Matos
Chapter 13 Chinchillas
Jennifer L. Sobie
Chapter 14 Prairie dogs
Debra M. Shier
Chapter 15 South American camelids
Marcelo Alfredo Aba, Carolina Bianchi, and Verónica Cavilla
Chapter 16 Hedgehogs
Valarie V. Tynes
Chapter 17 Sugar gliders
Jennifer L. Sobie
Chapter 18 From parrots to pigs to pythons: Universal
principles and procedures of learning
Susan G. Friedman and Lore I. Haug
Chapter 19 Behavioral pharmacology in exotic pets
Lynne M. Seibert
Chapter 20 Welfare of exotic animals in captivity
Paul E. Honess and Sarah E. Wolfensohn

5. SnakesChapter 3

6. History
2500 species of snakes
distributed in almost all
ecosystems.
Ireland, the Antarctic,
and Hawaii
12% of all snakes are
highly venomous to
man.

7. yellow-bellied sea snake is the most
widely distributed reptile.

8. Colubrid Most common type of snakes kept in captivity
Rat snake King snake
Milk snake
Garter snake Gopher snake

9. Boid Most common type of snakes kept in captivity
Boa
Python

10. HUSBANDRY

11. Husbandry
“Five Freedoms”
freedom from thirst, hunger, or malnutrition;
freedom from discomfort;
freedom from pain, injury, and disease;
freedom to express normal behavior;
freedom from fear and distress.

12. Substrate
Non-toxic
Easy to clean
Easy to replace
Non-irritant

13. Selection of substrate
should attempt to
replicate the niche that
the snake occupies in its
natural setting.

14. Fossorial snakes
Fine grade sand which provides security, allows
ambush predation, and prevents buildup of
excessive humidity

15. Water snakes
Gravel above shallow water

20. Heat sources
Snakes are ectothermic.
meaning that body temperature is
dependent upon heat obtained from
the environment;

21. Temperature affects growth,
development, gestation time,
survival rate of neonates,
metabolism, digestion, ecydysis, the
immune system, behavior,
locomotion, tongue flicking, prey
capture, defensive behavior, and
regional heterothermy.

22. Thermal sources
located outside the enclosure to
avoid burns.

23. Heating stones
high morbidity and even death
Heat from beneath
no more than 30–50% of the
bottom should be covered to
allow the snake to move to a
cooler area

24. Separate thermometer placed in the
hottest area
to measure true temperature
Thermostat
to prevent overheating

25. Light
Visible light is essential for
snakes to maintain normal
circadian rhythms.
The number of daylight hours is dependent on
where the snake’s native habitat is found.

26. Water
Humidity and ventilation

27. Housing Habitat selection in the wild:
 Thermal preferences
 Availability of prey
 Protection from predators
 Suitable nesting areas
 Hibernaculum for overwintering
These aspects should
be kept in mind when
selecting an enclosure
for a snake.

28. Handling

29. Handling

30. Handling

31. Handling

32. Handling

33. Behavior
 Behavioral problems
Ingestive behavior
 Social behavior
Reproductive and
maternal behavior

34. Social behavior
Current research shows that snakes are
social during certain times of the year.
Non-social
animals
During breeding season
In overwintering hibernaculum

35. House snakes individually
except for breeding
Social behavior
This prevents injuries such as multiple
snakes attempting to swallow the
same prey item or each other.

36. Certain types of social
behavior have also been
shown to inhibit breeding.

37. o Male snakes that lost a combat
o Females are bred continually, or
frequently exposed to males showing
aggressive displays.

38. Some snakes can have
individual social preferences.
Female may prefer a particular
male for copulation from year to
year while consistently rejecting
other males.

39. Behavioral problems
Most behavioral problems of snakes are
associated with stressors secondary
to inappropriate captive management.

40. Nose rubbing
Abscessation in rostral abrasions
Maxillary osteomyelitis

41. Behavioral problems
Anorexia is a non-specific sign that can
be normal, but can also be caused by
poor husbandry or disease.

42. I. Provision of three of the four sides of the
enclosure with a visual barrier.
II. Placement of the enclosure in a low traffic
area of the home.
III. Addition of more hide boxes and climbing
areas.

43. THANKS