Some Additional Considerations for the Care and
Use of Amphibians and Reptiles in Research
Reptiles -- Special handling considerations
- Salmonella
- Aggressive/defensive behaviors
- biting (all)
- clawing (turtles, lizards)
- fecal spraying (snakes)
Housing Reptiles:
Adults and juveniles: moisture, basking sites, density, feeding schedules
Eggs: substrate moisture, temp., positioning to avoid membrane damage
Euthanasia - Reptiles
• Intravenous injection of barbituates
- problem – barbituates are scheduled drugs (controlled substances)
thus difficult to obtain
- possible solution – intracoelomic injection of MS-222 (Conroy et al
2009).
Inhalation of anesthetics prior to decapitation
-- very effective – typical anesthetics employed are isoflurane and
halothane
Decapitation followed by immediate pithing
Unacceptable methods –
-- freezing – ice crystals may form prior to death
Amphibians -- Special handling considerations:
- Salmonella, but recent research suggests that handling frogs
with latex gloves may lead to mortality
- Toxic dermal secretions (toads, some salamanders)
(note – latex gloves may be toxic to amphibians!!)
Housing Amphibians:
Adults: substrate moisture, hiding substrates, light spectrum, temperature
Embryos: aeration, water pH 6 to 7.5 generally ideal, dissolved oxygen
Larvae: aeration, pH (as with embryos), feeding (know your species),
densities
Euthanasia - amphibians
• Generally similar to reptiles.
• Also acceptable - dermal application of benzocaine followed by
decapitation, pithing, or cervical dislocation.
• Also acceptable – submersion in buffered MS-222 followed by
decapitation, pithing, or cervical dislocation
Field collecting
• A major threat to amphibians today is infectious disease
– fungal, bacterial, viral
• It is very important that field collectors do not serve as
vectors for these diseases
• Between sampling sites, clean (bleach rinse) all boots, nets,
other instruments.
• Be aware of prevalence of amphibian diseases in your
study areas.
As with any other animal study, if you have
ANY questions, please contact the committee
and we will guide you to the proper resources.
GUIDELINES FOR USE OF LIVE AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES
IN FIELD RESEARCH, Compiled by American Society of
Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH), The Herpetologists'
League (HL), Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
(SSAR) http://199.245.200.110/pubs/herpcoll.html
Numerous other publications dealing with care and use of
amphibians and reptiles are linked from the IACUC website