Unusual Pets – The Antlion

The Antlion is a member of the family Myrmeleontoidea. Interestingly, the term Antlion only applies to the larval form of this insect (see picture one.) Although the adult version has different names in different countries, there is no English name for them. Some people call them Antlion Lacewings, but most just refer to them by the larval name of Antlion. To prevent confusion, quite a few people in North America refer to the larval form as “Doodlebugs” because they leave a doodle like trail in the sand when they move from place to place. The Antlion is spread throughout the world and can usually be found in arid sandy areas that have ant colonies nearby.

The adult Antlions look a bit like Damselflies and Dragonflies, but they have different antennae than these more well known insects. Antlions have “clubbed” antennae (look like golf clubs) which are about as long as the head and thorax combined.

Antlion adults are poor fliers and only venture out near dusk when they flutter about looking for a mate. Those found in true desert areas are quite active and will bite if they land on you.

Although the adult Antlion is fairly attractive, the larval stage is quite ferocious looking. It has a robust fusiform body (spindle like body form that tapers at each end), a thorax with three sets of legs and a plump abdomen. The neck, or pro-thorax is quite slender and the head is large and appears to resemble a slightly flattened square. The head has large sickle-like jaws with several sharp hollow projections. The jaws are formed by the mandibles (lower jawbones), and the maxillae (located below the mandibles they manipulate food during chewing.) Each pincer, made up of a mandible and maxilla, encloses a canal which allows the larva to inject venom into its prey.

Another unusual feature of Antlion larva is that it lacks an anus. All of its waste generated during the larval stage is stored and then released as meconium (earliest stool) by the adult while it is still in the cocoon.

The larva makes a globular cocoon of sand stuck together by a fine silk which is spun from a slender spinneret on the back end of the body. The cocoon, which is buried in the ground, can be anywhere from just under the surface to several centimetres down in the sand. It remains there for about a month going from the larval stage to the pupal stage which is very quiescent (inactive) and then to the sexually mature adult stage, which digs its way up to the surface, leaving the pupal integument behind. Once it reaches the surface, it rests for about 20 minutes while its wings open and then it flies off looking for a mate. The cycle from egg to adult Antlion can take up to two to three years, depending on the availability of the food supply in the area where the insect is located. Another interesting feature of this insect is that the adult stage is very much larger than the larval stage.

The Antlion probably got its name from the fact that its primary prey is ants. The suffix “lion” means eater, so Antlion literally means “ant eater.”

The larva digs a pit in the sand and lurks in a hole in the bottom of the pit which is constructed with sides that are on the verge of collapse. When another insect, usually an ant, steps over the side of the pit, they slide down to the larva which grabs the ant and sucks the fluid out of it then the larva flicks the carcass out of the pit. As the larva grows larger, it builds larger pits and catches larger prey.

If you would like to have Antlions as pets, you will have to keep them in a terrarium with three to four inches of sand in the bottom. You can buy Antlions at some pet shops that specialize in exotic pets. Make sure that the top of your terrarium has a mesh fine enough to prevent the ant food supply from escaping.

An Antlion pet is not one you would handle, they are the type of pet you just spend time watching.

Until next time,

Teia

Unusual Pets: Sugar Gliders

Sugar gliders are marsupials belonging to Indonesia, Australia and New Guinea. They are small gliding possums and weigh from three to five ounces. They have silky fur usually pearl grey in colour with patches of cream and black. The black colour is usually on their ears and end of their tail. They are named sugar gliders because they eat sweet sap, pollen and nectar and are able to glide because of the skin membrane (called the patagium) which connects the first toe of the hind foot with the fifth finger of the forelimb, on either side. They expand them to create an aerodynamic plane to glide from one tree to another. Apparently they can glide up to 50 meters (approximately 162.5 feet).

Sugar gliders have the habit of nibbling on each other. This shouldn’t be confused with biting. They nibble to do many things, like testing food, to show affection, to exhibit force, to groom, etc. Babies initially are taught by biting. When sugar gliders are angered, they get aggressive and bite really hard. So, new owners should be alert until the pets become familiar with them and stop biting. Care should be taken that this biting shouldn’t turn into a habit. If it turns into a regular behaviour, you should hold the animal firmly when it bites so that it cannot move. It doesn’t care for this. Although it could take quite a while, the pet will eventually get over its natural instinct. It should also be released very slowly; otherwise it will bite again and flee. Also, they can be fed with some tasty food to reward them for learning that they are not to bite. They can become very affectionate with their owners if they are shown a lot of attention. Usually female sugar gliders are difficult to tame, especially those which come directly from the wild.

Sugar gliders come from a very wild and exotic environment. Therefore, they should be provided with a rich environment so that they don’t become emotionally upset. The cage should be quite large so that they can leap freely. Small cages hinder the health of the animal. They are also very active and need exercise. Their cage should be equipped with toys like exercise wheels with a diameter of eleven inches. They are also very inquisitive animals, so new things like cardboard boxes, should be introduced into their cage from time to time to prevent boredom. Their food can also be placed in different places to keep them entertained. Food can also be hidden in branch holes, so that they can dig it out. Their favourite food is the sweet sap of certain types of acacia, gum and eucalyptus trees, although they also eat insects and small vertebrates.

The cage of sugar gliders should be cleaned every week to ensure that it remains hygienic. The urine should be spot cleaned as the ammonia in it can be very harmful to the respiratory system of sugar gilders. Also, the moisture can encourage the growth of harmful fungus. If the cage isn’t cleaned for a long time, not only will the occupants become sick, but the house in which the cage is located will also be filled with a strong odour. While cleaning the cage it should be sprayed with disinfectant, so that all germs and bacteria are killed. When doing this, the sugar gliders, their toys, dishes etc. should be removed from the cage. Once the disinfectant has been wiped off, the animals can be returned to their cage. Then each toy and other item removed from the cage should be disinfected, wiped clean and then returned to the cage. Make sure that the disinfectant is thoroughly cleaned off everything so that the chemicals don’t harm your pets.

Sugar gliders are used to living in groups. Because of this, they should never be kept alone as pets, as this will adversely affect their health. They also require attention from their owners so that they bond and become tame and affectionate to all the humans in the home.

They cling onto each other when they sleep, so that they can keep warm. They communicate with each other by squeaking, chirping and barking. They have a good memory and will retain a grudge against anyone who has hurt them, even if it was caused by accident.

Females have the ability to beget offspring every seven to ten months. They give birth to one or sometimes two baby sugar gliders, which usually weigh only 0.2 grams, after sixteen days of pregnancy. After the birth, the baby shifts to the mother’s pouch, where it stays for seventy days and feeds on milk from the nipples. Both the mother and father have equal participation in bringing up their offspring. Captive sugar gliders can live up to fifteen years, whereas in the wild, most newly independent offspring die before they reach the age of one year.

Because of their popularity as pets, a number of breeding farms have surfaced in the United States. These farms, many similar to puppy breeding mills, supply the pet trade in North America. Australia has strict laws on the exporting of all species of native animals, birds, lizards, reptiles, flora and fauna. Wild species of this animal can be obtained from other countries where they are one of the native species. As noted above, the wild born animals, particularly the females, are much more difficult to tame.

Before considering the purchase of sugar gliders as pets, check with your local and national authorities to make sure that they are legal to have where you live. Having exotic pets is very closely monitored and regulated in most countries because if they get loose, they could cause major damage to the local ecology. Just ask the Australians, who have major problems with the rabbits that well meaning British visitors released there many years ago. Or you can ask anyone living on southern Vancouver Island about the Ontario bull frogs that an ex-Ontario resident brought to his back yard pond. These bull frogs, which have no natural predators on Vancouver Island have expanded like wild fire. Everywhere they go, they kill the small native frogs and overwhelm the ponds and swamps. So, if you are an exotic pet owner or want to become one, please be a responsible owner. Or, check with the authorities in Florida where careless owners of Burmese Pythons released them causing a state disaster. It is now estimated that there are over one hundred thousand of these snakes in the state wiping out many of the native species of wildlife and posing a severe threat to people and their pets. No one wants an ecological disaster caused by carelessness.

Until next time,

Teia

Metabolic Bone Diseases in Exotic Animals

Other than diseases which result from bacteria and viruses, diseases can also be caused by an inadequate supply of proper nutrients in the diet. Metabolic bone disease is caused when there is a deficiency of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus. The condition is especially aggravated when the problem is not treated for a long period of time. The major cause of this disease is improper care in the dietary needs of animals. According to some veterinarians, the disease can also be caused by a very high consumption of proteins.

Metabolic bone disease is also known by other names, such as osteoporosis, cage paralysis, nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism, rickets and paper bone disease. If the ratio between calcium and phosphorous is disturbed, the disease is impending. A well balanced diet and close monitoring can result in the proper absorption and retention of calcium in the bones.

As long as a young animal is totally dependant on its mother’s milk, it has a very rare chance of developing this disease. But, once it starts eating other food and completely stops drinking its mother’s milk, it can face the risk of catching this disease. Also, animals which live in the wild have a lower chance of developing metabolic bone disease. These animals are able to eat their prey as a whole and the meat is combined with skin, fat, fur, bones, feathers, intestines, etc. Different parts of the prey provide different nutrients and the animal feeding on it gets a balanced diet by eating it.

The major cause of this disease is the unbalancing of calcium. Chunks of muscle meat which are provided to animals in captivity contain minute traces of calcium and high levels of phosphorous. This high level of phosphorous decreases the capacity of the body to absorb the available calcium. Calcium deficiency can also occur when the animal is not fed fully grown animals and only gets neonatal prey. The actual ratio of calcium and phosphorous that has to be consumed is 20:1. And this ratio is reversed when only meat is given to the captive pet, which results in nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism. Even worse, captive animals which are frequently fed only organs such as heart, kidney and liver will have calcium and phosphorus in the ratio of 1:44 which is not only alarming, but will usually result in premature death.

When vitamin A is taken in excess, it suppresses the absorption capacity of vitamin D and even of calcium. The rate of vitamin A consumption increases when liver is fed in large quantities. When the required quantity of vitamin D is not available, it causes rickets disease. In this disease, the bone density is reduced at joints and they become weak and brittle. The bones become more prone to pathological fractures. In addition, neuromuscular abnormalities and poor motor reflexes can also result from lack of adequate quantities of vitamin D.

Calcium is not only required for proper bone growth but also for the proper functioning of muscles. It also enables blood clotting and activation of enzymes. Another function of vitamin D is to maintain the proper ratio of calcium and phosphorous in the blood stream.

The diet should be well balanced. Twice a week, the animal should be given raw bones which have scanty meat on them like ribs, necks, thigh bones, etc. A more simple way is to give the animal a whole prey to feed on. Commercially designed diets already have the required composition of nutrients, but they can be quite expensive. So, if you have an exotic pet, find out the proper type of food that should be provided for it so that it will not suffer nutritional deficiencies, illness and premature death.

Until next time,

Teia

Unusual Pets: Hermit Crabs

Hermit crabs are not related in any way to the marine crabs you see crawling across the beaches of the world. Hermit crabs belong to the super family Paguroidea. They are called Hermit crabs because they like to occupy abandoned seashells. They do this to protect their delicate abdomen from predators. There are nearly 500 species of Hermit crabs in the world and most of them live in water. Wild Hermit crabs traditionally live in large colonies of 100 or more occupants.

When a Hermit crab outgrows its current shell, it abandons the shell and moves into a larger one. While it is searching for a larger shell, a Hermit crab is easy prey for predators. Hermit crabs with well fitting shells grow faster than ones that have tight fitting shells. Ones with tight shells cannot withdraw into the shell as easily or quickly as those with well fitting shells, so they are more vulnerable to predators which flip over the shell and attack the Hermit crab's soft abdomen. Because the availability of abandoned shells depends on the population of gastropods in the area, there is frequently a shortage of shells. This usually leads to Hermit crabs fighting with each other for shells. Very rarely do Hermit crabs voluntarily trade shells with each other. When a Hermit crab selects a new shell, it is usually at least one-third larger than their current shell.

Hermit crabs have a tough exoskeleton which covers most of their body, except for their soft abdomen. Therefore, to grow, the Hermit crab has to shed its exoskeleton and grow another one. This process is known as molting. During the molting process, which lasts approximately two weeks, the Hermit crab buries itself in gravel and becomes inactive. Small Hermit crabs molt about once a month and larger ones about once every eighteen months.

Hermit crabs are now being kept as exotic pets because as well as being interesting, they require the least amount of maintenance of all the exotic pets. They seldom grow bigger than a large peach, so they can be kept in a normal aquarium. In the last number of years, many species of Hermit crabs have become part of the marine aquarium trade. Blue legged Hermit crabs, Zebra Hermit crabs, red reef Hermit crabs, common Hermit crabs and red tip Hermit crabs are some of the types which are kept as pets. The most desirable Hermit crab for a pet is the red reef Hermit crab or as it is sometimes called, the scarlet Hermit crab. It is very strikingly coloured, with a bright red body and yellow eye stalks.

Aquatic Hermit crabs live in salt water with salinity ranging from 1.023 to 1.025. The water temperature should be between 75 degrees Fahrenheit and 80 degrees Fahrenheit for species that come from tropical waters, and cooler for ones that come from temperate waters. The gravel bed of the aquarium where they are housed should be fairly deep, full of algae and it should be covered with many different sized and shaped seashells. If Hermit crabs have a large number of shells to choose from, they will change shells frequently. This is very interesting to watch. Other activities such as climbing and digging are also interesting to watch.

Hermit crabs should be fed daily. Their food dishes should be fairly low and flat so that the Hermit crab can easily climb in and out of the dish. Some species of Hermit crabs are herbivorous and some are omnivorous. When you buy your Hermit crab(s) make sure that the seller tells you what kind you have purchased so that when you buy commercial food, you get the kind designed for the crabs you have. You can also add fresh vegetables and fruit to you crab's diet, however, you must ensure that you never leave this fresh produce in your tank for more than 24 hours as it will begin to decay and will contaminate the water, endangering your pet. Should you choose a land Hermit crab, in addition to its daily food, it needs to be sprinkled with lukewarm water for several minutes. The gravel in your tank should be removed and your tank should be washed about once every month or two. While removing the gravel look at it carefully to ensure uneaten commercial food is removed before it becomes toxic from decay. When removing the water, ensure that you save at least half of it for refilling the tank. This ensures that your crab(s) are not stressed by a drastic change in the water. (Note, do not use soap to wash your tank as the residue left behind could be fatal to your crab(s). Use either plain water or water with a few drops of white vinegar in it to wash your tank. If using a water-vinegar wash water, be sure to rinse the tank thoroughly with plain water and dry it out before putting water back into the tank. If the old water looks “grubby” pour it back into the tank through a paper coffee filter to remove the solids).

You can train your Hermit crab(s) to climb onto your hand by holding your open hand, palm up, in front of your pet. If you keep your hand motionless, in a few minutes, your Hermit crab will climb on. It may pinch your palm, but it will usually let go if you stir the water near it with your other hand. If your pet is a land Hermit crab, run your hand with the crab on it, under lukewarm water and it will immediately let go.

Until next time,

Teia

Bottle-feeding Exotic Cubs and Kittens

Cubs and kittens should stay with their mother for at least six weeks and preferably for eight weeks, after which they can be separated. When cubs and kittens are separated from their mothers, they still need to be supplied with a calcium enriched diet to ensure the healthy growth of bones, teeth, gums and joints. Bottle-feeding is also done as a means of developing a strong bond between you and your new exotic animal. Experts suggest that guests and strangers who visit your house frequently should also bottle feed the animal. This will help the animal overcome initial hesitation and fear of newcomers.

There are many compositions which can be used to make a perfect bottle-feed. A cup of unflavoured pedialyte or distilled water can be mixed with a quarter cup of zoologic milk powder and one millilitre of "poli vi sol" liquid baby vitamins. A teaspoon of calcium powder can also be added, along with half a teaspoon of taurine powder. Half a cup of fat-free plain yogurt can also be added to make the formula more concentrated. The bacterium found in yogurt also helps the immature animal to digest the food properly. Do not use sugar because it can lead to diarrhoea which can be devastating to a young animal. After a few weeks, a very small amount of plain puree chicken baby food can be added to the formula and this can be increased over time. All the ingredients can be mixed in a blender and then fed via a baby bottle to the young animal. Leftover mixture should be refrigerated and used within a day. If not used within twenty-four hours it should be discarded, because it will spoil. Before feeding the mixture, it should be warmed. If the mixture was stored in the refrigerator and then warmed, any leftovers should be discarded. Young animals are very susceptible to illnesses caused by milk formula that isn’t fresh.

Care must also be taken while heating the formula. It should never be heated in a microwave. Instead boil some water and place the hot water in a bowl containing the bottle for about five to seven minutes. The formula temperature should be checked by shaking a drop from the bottle onto the underside of your wrist. It should be warm, but not hot enough to feel uncomfortable. If the formula is too warm, it can hurt the animal internally. Also remember that baby animals have a habit of drinking the formula very fast, so if hot milk is supplied, it will be too late to prevent injury once the bottle is given to the baby. The bottle should have a special nipple called the vet nipple, which is small and not round at the end. The baby animal SHOULD NOT be laid on its back like a human baby, as that would make the formula enter its lungs and cause pneumonia. The baby animal should be fed while sitting in an upright position or while lying on the stomach.

When introducing the baby animal to a new formula, give him time to adjust to it. Start by giving a diluted mixture and then increase the concentration gradually. If the animal suffers from diarrhoea, decrease the concentration immediately. It could take weeks for the animal to start feeding on actual concentrated formula. A log can be maintained about the concentration of the formula, the status of stool and the baby’s weight. This diary will help to determine the cause of diarrhoea and also will help to improve the diet of the animal. If the diarrhoea isn’t treated promptly, the baby animal could die of dehydration very quickly. Also if the animal is taking less formula and is also losing weight, this could be an indication of some disease, so consult your exotic animal veterinarian immediately.

Baby animals should be fed meals which are about 5 percent of their body weight until they become mature. This principle must always be kept in mind, as there is a chance of over feeding. Instead of giving a few large doses of formula, give frequent small doses. Also, the animal should be encouraged to go to the bathroom before the mealtime, when you have had it for more than four weeks. Baby animals pass a lot of urine and you should be ready for that. If your baby animal refuses to feed at regular intervals, it might be because its bladder is full. However, if the animal refuses to have anything for twenty-four hours, it should be taken to an exotic animal veterinarian immediately. The one exception to this rule is when the baby animal is first separated from its mother, as it may take up to forty-eight to successfully start bottle-feeding.

Always remember when dealing with exotic animals, your exotic animal veterinarian is a treasure trove of valuable information that should be consulted frequently.

Until next time,

Teia

Unusual Pets: Chameleons

Chameleons are members of the lizard family. The name “Chameleon” came from the Greek words “chamai” and “leon,” meaning earth lion. The size of Chameleons varies from one inch to thirty-one inches in length. Chameleons are kept as exotic pets because people are fascinated by their colour changing ability. They change colours to camouflage themselves, to communicate with each other and to regulate their body temperature.

Chameleons do not have the ability to change colours from birth. They are either brown or grey in colour when they are born. As they age, they start by changing to one or two colours and when they reach five months of age, they gain total control of the colour changing ability and are able to change to many colours like green, black, turquoise and blue green. Various colours show emotions such as stress, sense of temperature change and excitement while other colours are used to communicate with other Chameleons. Brighter colours exhibit a good mood; darker colours such as black, grey and brown depict stress. When a Chameleon starts to change from one colour to another, frequently they will momentarily exhibit a few other colours.

The main things that the different Chameleon species have in common are their foot structure, their eyes, their lack of ears and their tongue. Chameleons have a very long tongue so that they can catch flying prey. They have the ability to stretch their tongue up to one and half times the length of their body. The tongue whips out faster than we can see, travelling at 26 body lengths per second. The tongue hits the prey in about 30 thousandths of a second —— one tenth of a human eye blink. A Chameleon's tongue has a sticky tip on the end, which allows them to catch prey that they would otherwise never be able to reach because of their lack of physical speed. The tongue's tip is a bulbous ball of muscle and as it contacts prey, it rapidly forms a small suction cup. Once the tongue sticks to prey, it is drawn quickly back into the mouth, where the Chameleon's strong jaws crush the prey and then consume it. Even a small Chameleon is capable of eating a large locust or praying mantis.

On each foot the Chameleon has five toes that are fused into a group of two and a group of three, giving the foot the appearance of a set of tongs. These specialized feet allow Chameleons to tightly grip narrow branches. Since they spend a lot of their life in the tree tops, this is a necessity. Each toe is equipped with a sharp claw to gain traction on surfaces such as bark when climbing. The claws make it easy to see how many toes are fused into each part of the foot: two toes on the outside of each front foot and three on the inside and the reverse pattern on each hind foot.

Their eyes are more distinctive than the eyes of other reptiles. The upper and lower eyelids are joined, leaving only a pinhole large enough for the pupil to see through. Each eye can rotate and focus separately, allowing a Chameleon to observe two different objects simultaneously. In effect, it gives them a full 360-degree arc of vision. When prey is located, both eyes can be focused in the same direction, giving Chameleons sharp stereoscopic vision and depth perception. The eyes are used to watch out for enemies as well as to hunt for food. Along with insects and slugs Chameleons also eat plants.

Chameleons, like snakes, don't have an outer or a middle ear. This suggests that Chameleons might be deaf. However, some or maybe all Chameleons, can communicate via vibrations that travel through solid material like branches.

Chameleons should not be the first pet that a person obtains. Although Chameleons aren’t the toughest of all exotic pets to look after, they are also not the easiest to handle. Their requirements are very comprehensive and owners frequently get tired of them because of this. But, if you have made up your mind that you want a Chameleon as a pet and you are committed to all the work needed to keep one, then you should certainly consider getting a Chameleon. Make sure that you purchase one that has been brought up in captivity and is trained. The ones that come directly from the wild are quite dangerous, they have a possibility of being infected and it is very difficult for them to adjust to a captive environment. They will also be severely stressed, which will be a big hindrance in training and it could lead to illness or death. You must also remember that many countries have laws prohibiting the exporting of Chameleons, however, that does not stop poachers from doing so. As a result you could be buying an illegal pet and contributing to the continuation of wildlife poaching.

When selecting your pet, check its health, which can be determined by close observation. The Chameleon should be able to change colours and also should be active. It should be brightly coloured and the skin of the body should be smooth and not scaly. Males are easier to maintain because their nutritional requirements are less critical.

Numerous species of Chameleon are available in the exotic pet trade. Jackson's Chameleon, the Panther Chameleon and the Veiled Chameleon are by far the most common in captivity. Most species of Chameleons are listed on CITES and therefore are either banned from exportation from their native countries or have strict quotas placed on the numbers exported. However, lack of enforcement in what are mostly poor countries reduces the effectiveness of this listing.

Chameleons are solitary animals and their camouflaging ability explains it very clearly. They don’t like to be handled, so few will allow you to pet them. Basically, they should be put in a cage with lots of foliage, which caters to their need of climbing trees, as well giving them their desired privacy. They shouldn’t be kept with other pets and it is a really bad idea to keep two male Chameleons together as they will fight and injure each other.

Until next time,

Teia