Amphibian & Reptile
Management
Dr. N. Matthew Ellinwood, D.V.M., Ph.D.
March 21, 2012
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES
General Considerations:
Some relevant to Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fish
• Domestic Animals?
– Green iguana is kept as a food animal
– Crocodile; $17 million impact (Louisiana)
– Others?
• Companion animal management requires more closely
replicating wild environments
• Habitat
• Food
• Regulation
Feeding Amphibians
• Tadpoles
– Carnivorous/herbivorous/omnivorous
• Adults
– Visually oriented on prey (may require live
insects)
– Carnivorous
• Insects (supplements)
• Fish
• Commercial diet (aquatic fish)
Vivarium
• soil or peat
• water – think fish
– dechlorinate
– filter
– temperature
• shelter
Food
• Infusoria – babies
– Purchased or maintained cultures
• Earthworms
• Blood worms
– Both a fish and amphibian commercial food
• Drosophila
• Crickets
• Mice
Breeding Behavior and Development
• Pseudocopulation
– Amplexus
• Latin for embrace
• Fertilization can occur
internally or externally
– Internal fertilization
accomplished by
females taking up
spermatophores
– (Usually) water
dependent development
and with metamorphsis
Cites
• Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora
• http://www.cites.org/
• ~5000 animal species
• ~28,000 plant species
Threatened And Endangered
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Sentinel species
Chytridiomycosis
50% of Salamander and Newts at risk
10% extinction of some classes
– Rhacophoridae "moss, bush, tree, or flying frogs"
Amphibians
• Smooth, moist, glandular skin
– most species absorb water through skin
– some species breath through skin
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Must spend part of life in water
Metamorphosis
Eggs adapted to water environment
world – 6,260 species
U. S. – 230 species
Evolutionary Concerns
• Derived from Coelocanth/lungfish type
forebearer
• Developed in Devonian period
– ~400 million years ago
• Top predators
– Permian Triassic extinctions
– 250 million years ago
Amphibians
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Frogs
Toads
Newts
Salamanders
Caecilians (clade Apoda)
Frogs
• Spend most or all of life in water
– green frog
– Rana clamitans
FROGS
• American green tree frog – Hyla cinerea
Toads
• Develop in water
• Spend later life on land
American toad – Bufo americanus americanus
Newts
• Spend (most of) life in water or marshy areas
• Regenerative abilities (see salamanders)
• Toxins: “She turned me into a Newt . . . . I got
better”
red spotted newt – Eastern newt
Notophthalmus viridescens – easy to keep
Salamanders
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Approximately 320 species
2 to 70 inches in length
Autotomy
Limb regeneration etc (limbs, eyes, spinal
cords, hearts, intestines)
Fire salamander – easy to keep
European and long lived
Axolotl – albino
Failure of metamorphosis
axolotl - gold
Axotltl
• Related to Tiger salamanders
• Research focus
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Metamorphosis failure
Gilled and aquatic
Large embryo
Ease of production
Regenerative
• Named for lake under Mexico City
• Tiger salamander
• “terrestrial”
• Easy to keep
• Carriers of Chytrodiomycosis
Caecilians
• Tropical
• Live underground
• 1 inch to 1.5 meters
• Seen in (aquarium)
pet trade
• Sicilian eel
• Typhlonectes from
South America (fully
aquatic)
Fire Bellied Toad
• Small
• South Asia
• Toxins
– Children
• Diurnal
• Can tame up
• 10-15 years
Poison Dart Frog
• Name
• South America
– Rainforests
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Up to 1.5 inches
Ants
Diurnal
3-5 years
African Clawed Frogs
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African
Fully aquatic
6 inches
15 years
Pet trade
Research
Carnivorous
Good starter
Tree frogs
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Americas, Asia, Europe
~640 Spp
Small
Brightly colored
Nocturnal
– Special lights
– Special cycles
• Hyla cinerea
– Mississippi Valley