Record Life Spans (years) of Amphibians and Reptiles

Longevity RecordsLife Spans of Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles, and Fish; James R. Carey and Debra S. Judge; Odense University Press, ISBN 87-7838-539-3 Amphibians and Reptiles Table 3. Record Life Spans (years) of Amphibians and Reptiles ClassOrder/Family Genus/Species/Sub-species Common Name Capt. M/F Reference Amphibia Ambystomatidae Ambystoma macrodactylum krausei Eastern long-toed salamander 5.1 x [2]   Ambystoma macrodactylum … Continue Reading

Avian Skeleton

Incubators

Incubators are a vital component in caring for neonatal mammals, hatchling birds, other orphaned wildlife, and eggs. Most very young animals need supplemental heat in order to survive. Fertile eggs also need constant heat (and humidity) in order to properly develop. The type of incubator to use is dependent on its intended purpose. Extremely young … Continue Reading

Competitive Exclusion

What the heck is competitive exclusion? Simply put, it is using “good” bacteria to control “bad” bacteria. It is a naturally occuring process in a bird’s body in which the microflora in a bird’s gut gives it some immunity from infection. The “good” bacteria basically blocks all the sites on the intestinal walls where infection … Continue Reading

Avian Digestion

A. Mouth   1. The Mouth consists of the upper maxilla and the lower mandible and is called the beak2. Lack of teeth may be an adaptation for flight, birds have lighter jaw bones and muscles. 3. The beak and tongue manipulate food. Lacking a soft palate, and the hard palate is divided by a … Continue Reading

Avian Nutrition

Unfortunately there is not a lot of information available regarding the nutritional requirements of wild birds. Most nutritional research has focused on species that are used as food by humans, with emphasis on chickens. Research has recently been branching out towards the nutritional needs of our companion birds. But it will be a long time … Continue Reading

Culturing House Fly Larvae (Maggots)

We go to great effort and expense in attempting to provide the appropriate diet to the variety of species in our care. Yet we actually have a self-renewing resource readily available to us. After extensive research by the medical community regarding the use of larvae in human wound management, the culturing of house fly larvae … Continue Reading

Wing Fractures

The ability to identify and address wing fractures is a necessity for all avian rehabilitators. Even if you are fortunate enough to have a veterinarian readily available to treat all your birds, you should still be familiar with wing wraps in order to stabilize fractures prior to treatment. An understanding of avian anatomy is critical. … Continue Reading

Beak Function

The beak of a bird is considered a lightweight, bony elongation of its skull. The structure of the beak is covered with keratin, the same material found in human fingernails and hair. On many birds, the keratin dries to form hard, glossy, outer covering. The keratin renews on the tip and edges of the beak … Continue Reading