Snake husbandry quiz

WIKIQUIZ

1

What forms the principal diet of a free-living Royal python? Amphibians Birds Fish Mammals Snakes Please select an option Incorrect Many juvenile snake species will feed on amphibians and lizards and move on to larger prey items, for example Cottonmouth snakes and Rat snakes WikiVet Article: Snake Diet. Incorrect Although Royal pythons are known to feed on birds, this is not considered their primary diet. WikiVet Article: Snake Feeding and Digestion. Incorrect Royal pythons are a terrestrial species. Aquatic species prefer fish and amphibians. WikiVet Article: Snake Feeding and Digestion. Correct! Royal pythons primarily hunt and constrict grassland rodents. In captivity these snakes are often offered albino or fancy coloured mice rather than appropriately coloured prey, and therefore do not receive the visual cues to eat. WikiVet Article: Snake Feeding and Digestion. Incorrect Very few snake species are cannibals, an example of which is the King cobra. WikiVet Article: Snake Feeding and Digestion.

2

Which of the following is not recommended as a heat source when housing snakes? Central heating Heating pads Hot rocks Hot tapes Radiant heat Please select an option Incorrect This heat source is considered suitable. Monitoring of both maximum and minimum temperatures is essential and thermometers should be positioned in the cooler area and the basking area. WikiVet Article: Snake Housing. Incorrect Heating pads are considered to provide adequate warmth for a secondary 'hotspot' area but not as a primary heat source due to their localised nature. WikiVet Article: Snake Housing. Correct! Hot rocks are not recommended as a heat source for snakes. Thick, keratinised snake skin is without cutaneous sensation, leaving captive reptiles at risk of thermal burns. WikiVet Article: Snake Housing. Incorrect! This heat source is considered suitable. Monitoring of both maximum and minimum temperatures is essential and thermometers should be positioned in the cooler area and the basking area. WikiVet Article: Snake Housing. Incorrect! Radiant heat is considered appropriate for snake housing. Monitoring of both maximum and minimum temperatures is essential and thermometers should be positioned in the cooler area and the basking area. WikiVet Article: Snake Housing.

3

Which of the following substrates is considered the most appropriate for snake housing? Cedar shavings Corn cob bedding Gravel Peat Newspaper Please select an option Incorrect Shavings of woods such as cedar, which are high in aromatic compounds, should be avoided because they are toxic. WikiVet Article: Snake Housing. Incorrect Items that can be ingested e.g. small stones, gravel or corn cob bedding, should be avoided. WikiVet Article: Snake Housing. Incorrect Items that can be ingested e.g. small stones, gravel or corn cob bedding, should be avoided. WikiVet Article: Snake Housing. Incorrect Peat and gravel look attractive but hide urates and faeces. Gravel may also be ingested. WikiVet Article: Snake Housing. Correct! Newspaper is the best substrate as it is disposable, cheap and can be used for the majority of species. Other commonly used substrates include carpet, Astroturf, pine and ash wood shavings. WikiVet Article: Snake Housing.

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Which is the most common zoonosis associated with reptiles? Aeromonas Candida Enterobacter Mycobacterium Salmonellosis Please select an option Incorrect Reptiles can also harbour several different opportunistic Gram-negative bacterial pathogens that can infect humans. This includes aeromonas, however it is not the major zoonoosis associated with reptiles. WikiVet Article: Lizard and Snake Zoonoses. Incorrect Reptiles can also harbour several different opportunistic Gram-negative bacterial pathogens that can infect humans. This includes enterobacter, however it is not the major zoonoosis associated with reptiles. WikiVet Article: Lizard and Snake Zoonoses. Incorrect Reptiles can also harbour several different opportunistic Gram-negative bacterial pathogens that can infect humans. This includes candida, however it is not the major zoonoosis associated with reptiles. WikiVet Article: Lizard and Snake Zoonoses. Incorrect Reptiles can also harbour several different opportunistic Gram-negative bacterial pathogens that can infect humans. This includes mycobacterium, however it is not the major zoonoosis associated with reptiles. WikiVet Article: Lizard and Snake Zoonoses. Correct! Subclinical infections of reptiles are common and the Salmonella spp. can often be isolated from faeces. However, most reptiles naturally carry these bacteria as a component of their indigenous gut flora, and they are rarely a cause of primary disease. Shedding of salmonella organisms can be intermittent and therefore all reptiles should be considered positive and managed appropriately, regardless of fecal culture results. WikiVet Article: Lizard and Snake Zoonoses.