What is an animal substrate?

Are particulate substrates safe for lizards?

Particulate substrates, even when made from “natural” or “biodegradable” products such as plant fibers, should not be used for any lizard who smells with its tongue. Particles become stuck to the tongue and are swallowed. Over time, they may build up in the gut causing a serious, even fatal, impaction.

Why is particulate a problem for snakes and lizards?

Particulate substrates can be problematic for both snakes and lizards as it can become stuck to their hemipenes or everted cloacal tissues when they are defecating, being taken up into the cloaca when the tissue or hemipenes are retracted. This can cause injury and/or infection.

Can lizards use bark chips as substrate?

Bark chips could be an acceptable substrate for some reptiles, such as snakes that are tong-fed or placed in a separate enclosure to feed. Avoid housing your lizards on bark chips, as they are very likely to ingest substrate as part of their food-finding routine of tongue-flicking and tasting.

What happens if a snake defecates on a particulate substrate?

Particulate substrates can be problematic for both snakes and lizards as it can become stuck to their hemipenes or everted cloacal tissues when they are defecating, being taken up into the cloaca when the tissue or hemipenes are retracted. This can cause injury and/or infection.

What is the biochemistry of a lizard?

Find out more about lizard and snake biochemistry. Anaerobic metabolism – Reptiles can function to a large extent with anaerobic metabolism. They are able to survive with increased lactate due to their buffering system. Compensatory factors may conceal respiratory disease until it is advanced.

What happens if a snake eats a particle substrate?

Particulate substrates can be problematic for both snakes and lizards as it can become stuck to their hemipenes or everted cloacal tissues when they are defecating, being taken up into the cloaca when the tissue or hemipenes are retracted. This can cause injury and/or infection.

How long does it take for a snake to defecate?

Arboreal snakes and other relatively slender snakes, such as tree pythons and bush vipers take around 3 to 7 days after eating to defecate. In heavy-bodied henophidian snakes, such as boas and pythons, feces can remain in the hindgut for months before it is released.

What is the reproduction cycle of a lizard?

The reproductive cycle of a lizard is similar to many other animals and controlled by external factors such as temperature, food supply, rainfall, and day length. Lizards belong to an order of reptiles known as the Squamata, which also includes snakes. Within the lizard group, there are four infraorders:

What is a high potassium level in reptiles?

High potassium levels generally carry a poor prognosis. Sodium; the sodium level of normal reptiles generally varies between 120 and 170 mmol/l and varies between species. Potassium; Potassium is generally in the range of 2 to 8 mmol/l. Chloride; Chloride varies in the range of 100 to 150mmol/l.

Why is my snake not pooping water?

Another major cause of dehydration is not providing enough water. This can also cause a lack of colon movement. The longer the feces stays inside the colon, the drier it gets as their body draws more water from it to make up for the lack of water consumed by the snake.

Why do pythons have stored feces?

Stored feces are an easily-changeable element that can add to a snake’s body mass. Unlike muscle, this inert mass requires little-to-no energy to maintain as long as it doesn’t have to be dragged around much. Pythons are sedentary reptiles that ambush their prey, instead of chasing them, so they don’t mind the added weight.

What is the scientific name for a lizard?

Lizards belong to an order of reptiles known as the Squamata, which also includes snakes. Within the lizard group, there are four infraorders: Iguania – separated into a number of families.

What are the characteristics of a lizards?

Lizards are a group of reptiles that includes all scaly reptiles other than snakes. They usually have four legs, long bodies, tails, eyelids and external ears. Lizards are the most diverse group of reptiles and include many well-known animals such as iguanas, geckos and skinks.

Why do snakes regurgitate their food?

Therefore, the food item has not had time to be thoroughly digested and can be recognized as a prey animal. In regurgitation, mild waves of contraction move backwards up the body of the snake. Vomiting usually occurs after the snake has partially digested its meal.

How to tell if snakes are constipated?

Snakes have regular bowel movements. If your snake hasn’t passed feces for several weeks, you’ll need to determine if your snake is constipated. Blocked bowels are a common occurrence in snakes that are fed frozen-thawed food or ingest their substrate (bedding). Frozen food has less water present which can result in dehydration and dried feces.

How do snakes excrete?

When a snake excretes its waste, it is actually expelling a mixture of these two substances, the uric acid along with fecal matter. And yes, it all comes out of something called a cloaca.

What happens when a snake swallows its prey?

When a snake puts its flexible jaw around a large prey animal, the result can be near complete blockage of the air pathway. After all, many species of snakes swallow prey larger than their own body, and they do not chew. When a snake fills its mouth with food, the tracheal lung helps it to breathe.

Do lizards get fat in their tails?

Healthy lizards typically have enough fat in their tails to be nearly the width of the rest of their bodies. Very thin lizards also may lose the fat stored from behind their eyes, causing their eyeballs to sink further back into their eye sockets.

Is your snakes constipated?

Snakes have a regular routine for their bowel movements. If your snake hasn’t passed feces for several weeks, you will need to find out if your snake is constipated. Blocked bowels are a common occurrence in snakes that are fed thawed frozen food. Frozen food has less water present which can result in dehydration and drier feces in snakes.

How long does it take for a snake to digest a meal?

It takes a snake 4 days to fully digest a meal, such as a rabbit. Larger prey, such as a deer, would take 10 days. Snakes only need to feed on prey once or twice per week, depending on their size.

How long do snakes hold their poop?

However, the most fascinating species are heavy-bodied snakes like Boas and Pythons, whose poop can stay inside for months and even longer than a year. Researchers have shown in field tests that a Blood Python held its poop for 386 days, while a Gaboon Viper didn’t poop for 420 days.

How long does it take for a Python to poop?

The maximum recorded time taken by a Burmese python to poop is 126 days, 386 days for a blood python, and 76 days for an emerald tree boa. Part of the reason some snakes take as long as several months to poop is that they let their digestive systems’ atrophy between feedings.

How long do you leave a snake alone to digest its food?

If so, I’ll just leave it alone for about 3 days while it digests the meal. If the rodent is still there, you have to take it out and throw it away. Do not save it for another feeding, don’t refreeze it; just throw it out. The first feeding is often the hardest with a new snake. This is particularly true if the snake has never been fed before.

What is the reproductive cycle of the giant girdled lizard?

Hormones and reproductive cycles have been studied to some extent in the giant girdled lizard ( Cordylus giganteus) and the Karoo girdled lizard ( Cordylus polyzonus ). C. giganteus give birth in late summer to one to three young, but individual females only reproduce biennially or possibly triennially (van Wyk, 1994).

Why don’t reptiles show up on blood tests?

As reptiles don’t have the nice big, relatively easy-to-visualize blood vessels and veins that dogs and cats do, it can take longer to actually find the blood in reptiles, let alone get enough of it for testing.

Do Snakes get constipated?

Just like humans and most other animals, snakes can get constipated. This most often happens due to dehydration or low humidity. Sometimes, it also happens due to low temperatures and large meals. Constipation is not an emergency, but it does need resolution.

Why is my snake resting in his water bowl?

If your snake IS basking in their warm spot, they are likely still digesting their last meal. If they are resting in their water bowl, they may be trying to help themselves pass the stool. If they are hanging out on the cool side but not moving around more, they may not be feeling well, or their winter instincts may be kicking in.