Title: Considerations%20for%20the%20Care%20and%20Use%20of%20Amphibians%20and%20Reptiles%20in%20Research
1Considerations for the Care and Use of Amphibians
and Reptiles in Research
2Reptiles -- Special handling
considerations - Salmonella -
Aggressive/defensive behaviors - biting
(all) - clawing (turtles, lizards) - fecal
spraying (snakes) Housing ReptilesAdults and
juveniles moisture, basking sites, density,
feeding schedulesEggs substrate moisture,
temp., positioning to avoid membrane damage
3Euthanasia - 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 - Unacceptable methods
- -- decapitation without prior anesthesia brain
remains active for several minutes - -- freezing ice crystals may form prior to
death
4Amphibians -- 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, temperatureEmbryos
aeration, water pH 6 to 7.5 generally ideal,
dissolved oxygenLarvae aeration, pH (as with
embryos), feeding (know your species), densities
5Euthanasia - 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
6GUIDELINES 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.htmlNumero
us other publications dealing with care and use
of amphibians and reptiles are linked from the
IACUC website