Zoo, Wild and Lab Animal Management DVM 2023 PDF

Zoo, Wild and Lab Animal Management (Practical Note Book) DVM 201 Final Examination 2023 Course: Zoo, Wild and Lab Animal Management Course code: ZAM-201 Submitted by: Submitted to: Roll No: ………………………...

Zoo, Wild and Lab Animal Management (Practical Note Book) DVM 201 Final Examination 2023 Course: Zoo, Wild and Lab Animal Management Course code: ZAM-201 Submitted by: Submitted to: Roll No: ……………………… Department of Animal Science and Nutrition Registration No: …………........... Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Session: ………………………………… Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Khulshi, Chattogram - 4225.  Table of contents S.L Date Contents Pages Initials 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16  Study No. 02 Study on housing of zoo animals Date Enclosure: Any accommodation provided for animals in zoo and aquaria. Types of enclosures – outdoor enclosure and a night shelter/ indoor enclosure. There are two types of barriers in zoo animal housing: Enclosure barrier: A barrier to contain the animal within the enclosure. Stand-off barrier: A barrier set back from the outer edge of an enclosure barrier to prevent public contact with the animals. Types of enclosure barrier 1. Wet and dry moat 2. Vertical walls 3. Vertical metallic rods 4. Wire mesh fencing 5. Glass and plastic panels 6. Electrically charged wire Any combination can be constructed depending on biological capabilities (jumping, climbing, swimming etc.). One sided wet moat Double sided dry moat Principles of enclosure design 1. Adequate floor space and height. 2. Adequate provision of ventilation sunlight. 3. Animals having burrowing habits (Rabbits, mongoose etc.) the floor must be concrete. 4. Separate enclosure for advance pregnant and young with their lactating mother. 5. There should have isolation shed quarantine shed in proximity with veterinary hospital of the zoo. 6. Provision of bedding materials; feeder and drinkers, nesting boxes etc.as per requirement. 7. Facilities for biological requirement (grooming, climbing, burrowing, jumping, wallowing, camouflage etc.) 8. Provision to have a safe buffer zone between the visitor and the animal. 9. Enclosure should have provision for easy viewing by the visitor. 10. Free from hazards - broken glasses, nails, toxic fruits, sharp corners or any similar objects or poison. 11. At least one enclosure should not have access to visitors. Special guideline for enclosure design for carnivores 1. The boundary of a carnivore enclosure must be made secure against escape. 2. A carnivore enclosure must contain a bathing pond/container. 3. For ursids, felids and viverrids must include scratching posts or logs and climbing structures. 1 4. Carnivores must have access to an area where they can bask in the sun. 5. For otters – a water body suitable for swimming must be provided. 6. Provide straw for bears for nesting. Bears also need tree branches, vegetables for chewing. 7. Felids are to be housed in any one of the following ways: a) Alone (except lions) or as a female with her sub-adult offspring. b) As a compatible pair, with or without sub-adult offspring. c) As a single sex group (only in the case of lions and cheetahs). d) As a juvenile group while all animals remain under breeding age. 8. Canids are to be housed in one of the following ways: a) As a pack (Group). b) As alone female with her sub-adult offspring. c) As a compatible pair, with or without sub-adult offspring; or d) As a single sex group. Special guideline for enclosure design herbivores 1. The fences of ungulates enclosure should not make with narrow wire mesh, which may not visual to them due to lack of binocular vision and thus they may injure themselves. 2. Elephant and rhino rub their body on tree trunk and have beneficial effect for skin. 3. Provision for tree leaves for deer is preferable. Special guideline for enclosure design for nocturnal animals 1. Nocturnal animals require poorly light areas - special nocturnal houses should be designed. Guideline for enclosure design for primates 1. Mixed sex grouping is preferable (more social). In mixed sex grouping, the bigger the cage the better. 2. When building your primate enclosure, keep safety in mind. Monkeys are very curious animals. 3. Many monkeys show signs of boredom – provide toys, puzzle, obstacle, climbing pole etc. Special guideline for enclosure design for reptiles 1. Crocodiles must be provided with enough space for comfortable movement on both land and in water. 2. Reptiles are heat sensitive - surroundings should have provision to keep the temperature in moderation. 3. Wild crocodiles warm up by basking in direct sunlight on land, and then cool down by moving into a shaded area, or back into the water. Conversely, at night crocodiles stay warm in the water as temperatures on the land drop. So, they should provision for both water and basking area. 4. Estuarine crocodiles may fight, particularly adult males so larger area should be provided to avoid fighting. Special guideline for enclosure design for birds 1. The enclosure should be covered from the top to avoid escape. 2 2. The waterfowl should be able to enter or leave the water without difficulty (slopping edges). 3. Should provide suitable resting point (pole or bar) and nest. Dimensions of enclosure for different animals Family Name of species Enclosure size (L × W × H) in meters Felidae Tiger and lion 2.75 × 1.8 × 3 Leopard and cheetah 2 × 1.5 × 2 Elephantidae Elephant 8 × 6 × 5.5 Rhinocerotidae Rhinoceros 5 × 3 × 2.5 Cervidae Deer 3 × 2 × 2.5 Bovidae Gaur, Nilgai, Antelope 3 × 2 × 2.5 Ursidae All Indian bears 2.5 × 1.8 × 2 Canidae Jackal, Wolf, wild dog 2 × 1.5 × 1.5 Primates Monkey and langur 2 × 1 × 1.5 Your Task 1: What is the concept of a buffer zone, and how is it typically maintained within a zoo setting? Your Task 2: Please provide examples of how Chattogram Zoo enhances animal and bird enclosures to meet their biological needs. Your Task 3: Write anything you want to share which is not mentioned in this study. 3  Study No. 03 Study on commonly found primates in zoo Date ORDER: PRIMATES Family: Lemuridae (Ghost like appearance) (Not monkey/ Ape); Most of them are nocturnal, African countries, small tail Family: Lorisidae (Slow moving primates; small tail/ no tail): Bengal slow loris Family: Cercopithecidae (Monkey; having tail) A. Macaque 1. Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) 2. Northern pig-tailed macaque (Macaca leonina) B. Langur 1. Northern plain gray langur/ hanuman langur (Semnopithecus entellus) 2. Capped langur 3. Phayre's langur/ Spectacled langur Family: Hyalobatidae (Lesser apes): Brachial movement (long hands) Family: Pongidae (Greater apes) Your task: Attach the pictures of the following animals above each title. Rhesus macaque Northern pig-tailed macaque Capped langur Northern plain gray langur Hoolock gibbon Bengal slow loris Chimpanzee Orangutan Gorilla 4  Differential description among Rhesus Macaque, Northern pig-tailed macaque and capped langur POINTS RHESUS MACAQUE NORTHERN PIG- CAPPED LANGUR TAILED MACAQUE S/N Macaca mulatta Macaca leonina Trachypithecus pileatus Distribution Asian countries. Bd: Asian countries. Sylhet Asian countries. Madhupur Dhaka, Mymensingh, and CHT. forest, Jamalpur Mymensingh Sylhet and CHT. Description Name derived from Gray color Golden-yellow color the mythological king Has crown: Back face “Rhesus of Thrace” Triangular area of Black hair cap Karl Landsteiner greyish brown fur Ear, palm, sole is black 1937, discovered the on top of head. Tail is longer than the Rh factor. Pig-like tail- short body (balance, more Coat color: gray curved shape, arboreal) Face and buttock similar to the tail of Tail form S or inverse U (adult): Pink. a pig. sahped loop Has buttock pad/ Not pink color in End of the tail-tuft of hair ischial callosities buttock and face No cheek pouches (thickened skin) Others are same as Male: 14 Kg Has cheek pouches Rhesus Macaque Female: 12 kg (collection of large Infant: 500 gm amounts of food in short time) Tail: Shorter than body. Male: 7-8 kg Female: 5-6 kg Infant: 500 gm Behavior Diurnal & Terrestrial Troop size: Max Diurnal & Arboreal Living in groups 150. Living in groups (troops). (troops). Size: 20- Swimming is not Size: Up to 25 200; male: female- common individuals. 1:4. Central subgroup Others: Same as One male group: Male, (leading): 2-3 males, Rhesus macaque several female & dominant female and offspring offspring Multiple male: Males and Swimming is females of different ages common Male group: different Social grooming ages. Threatening: Single Multi-male, multi- loud call: shrill-bark females and offspring Food Omnivores Same as Rhesus Herbivores Wild: Fruits, grains, macaque Wild: Fruits, seeds and buds, flower, roots and grains, leaves, buds, tubers, vegetables, flower, roots and tubers, insects and small vegetables vertebrates (birds, lizard, In zoo: rodents). Fruits: 1.5 Kg In zoo: Vegetables: 100 gm Fruits: 500 gm Egg/ meat: 250 gm/ day Vegetables: 100 gm Egg/ meat: 100 gm/ day 5  Reproduction Polygamous Sexual swelling Polygamous Age of sexual and reddening Age of sexual maturity: 6 maturity: 4 years observed in the years Non-seasonal anogenital area Non-seasonal polyestrous during estrous polyestrous Estrus cycle: 28 days cycle in female. Preferable: September to During the GP: Around 180 January periovulatory period, days Estrus cycle: 28 days which usually lasts Others; Same as GP: 200 days for a few days (day Rhesus Macaque Weaning: 1 year 10-14), the female Infant weight: 500 gm exhibits signs of sexual receptivity, such as presenting her hindquarters to males, vocalizations, and increased proximity to males. 1 female mate with 4 males. GP: Around 165 days Litter size: 1 Weaning age: Around 1 year Life span Around 25 years Around 25 years Around 25 years Conservation BD: Vulnerable BD: Endangered BD: Endangered status Globally: Least Concern Globally: Vulnerable Globally: Vulnerable HANUMAN LANGUR All are same as capped langur except the following parameters: S/N: Semnopithecus entellus Distribution: Asian countries. In Bangladesh Jessore and Kushtia.; Description: Color gray with back face and ear; Conservation status: BD: Endangered, globally: Vulnerable HOOLOCK GIBBON Taxonomy Distribution: Asian countries. In Bangladesh, they are found in Sylhet Family: Hylobatidae and Chittagong division. Genus: Hoolock Description: Weight 8 kg. Male: Back fur with white brows. Female: Species: H. hoolock Grey brown. Fore legs are longer than hind legs (Brachiation adaptation). Behavior: They are diurnal and arboreal. Locomotion: brachial, they live together in monogamous pairs. Food: Primarily herbivore (Omnivore). Their diet consists mainly of fruits, insects and leaves. In zoo: Same as Rhesus macaque. Reproduction: Monogamous. Non-seasonal polyestrous. Age of sexual maturity: 8 years. Litter size: 1, Castration period: 210 days. Infant weight: 500 gm. Life span: 25 years; Conservation status: BD: Critically endangered; Globally: Endangered. 6  BENGAL SLOW LORIS Slow lorises are a group of several species of nocturnal primates, which make up the genus Nycticebus (Means night monkey). They are found in Bangladesh, India, Philippines and China. The Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis) is a member of ‘lorisidae’ family. In Bangladesh Bengal slow loris are found in Dhaka, Sylhet and Chittagong hill tracts. In Bengali it is called ‘Lojjabati Banor’. Slow lorises have a round head, narrow snout and large eyes. Slow lorises have a toxic bite, a trait rare among mammals and unique to lorisid primates. The toxin is obtained by licking a gland on their arm, and the secretion is activated by mixing with saliva. Their toxic bite is a deterrent to predators, and the toxin is also applied to the fur during grooming as a form of protection for their infants. Slow lorises move slowly and deliberately, making little or no noise, and when threatened, they stop moving and remain motionless. They are omnivores, eating small animals, fruit, tree gum, and other vegetation. Your Task: Write down morphological differences among Chimpanzee, orangutan and gorilla. Your task: Fill-out the following comparative table. Points Rhesus Pig-tailed Capped Hanuman Hoolock macaque macaque langur langur gibbon Scientific name Distribution in Bangladesh Coat color Mature weight (Kg) Gestation period (Days) Feed requirement in zoo Conservation status 7  Study No. 04 Study on commonly found carnivores in zoo Date ORDER: CARNIVORA Sub-order: Caniformia (Dog like animals) Sub-order: Feliformia (Cat like animals) Family Animals Family Animals Canidae Dogs, foxes, Jackal, wolves Felidae Cat, Lion, Tiger Mustelidae Otter, ferrets, minks Herpestidae Mongooses Ursidae Bears, panda Hyenidae Hyaena BEAR Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniformia, or doglike carnivorans. They have large bodies with short legs, long snouts and shaggy hair. Bears are omnivores except polar bear, which is carnivorous, and the giant panda (Panda bear) herbivores (Feeds almost entirely on bamboo). In the wild, most species occupy their dens during the winter for a long period (up to 100 days) of sleep similar to hibernation. Grizzly bears (Brown bear) hibernate during the winter for 5 – 8 months and usually dig their dens. A polar bear's sense of smell is acute, polar bear can most likely smell a seal from more than 1 km away and 1 m under the snow. Difference among the Asiatic black bear, Malayan sun bear and sloth bear Your Task 1: Paste pictures of them and write down the difference in the blanks Asiatic black bear Malayan sun bear Sloth bear 8  ASIATIC BLACK BEAR Family: Ursidae Genus: Ursus Species: U. thibetanus (Paste a picture) Distribution: South Asia, Korea, China, Japan. Description Coat color black and have a light brown muzzle. They have a V- shaped white patch on the chest. Adult males weigh 60–200 kg and females weigh 40–125 kg. Asian black bears have powerful upper bodies for climbing trees, and relatively weak hind legs. They are the most bipedal of all bears, and have been known to walk upright for over a quarter mile. Although their power of senses are acute, but their eyesight is poor. Behavior Asian black bears are diurnal. Usually solitary animal. They may live in family groups consisting of two adults and two successive litters of young. They are good climbers. Half of their life is spent in trees. Asian black bears break branches and twigs to place under themselves when feeding on trees, thus causing many trees in their home ranges to have nest-like structures on their tops. Asian black bears do not hibernate over most of their range. They may hibernate in their colder, northern ranges. Nearly all pregnant sows hibernate. Black bears prepare their dens for hibernation from November to March. Their dens can either be dug out hollow trees (sixty feet above ground), caves or holes in the ground. Home range 1–2 sq km. Hunting and diet Omnivorous, and will feed on insects, beetle larvae, invertebrates, termites, bees, eggs, garbage, mushrooms, grasses, fruits, nuts, seeds, honey, herbs, cherries and grain. On rare occasions they will eat dead fish. They kill ungulates with some regularity, including domestic livestock, deer, takin, wild boar ctc. which they kill by breaking their necks. Food in Zoo: Cucumber 1.83 kg, banana 1.33 kg, cow milk 600 ml, honey, orange 220 gm, bread 600 gm, apple 220gm, carrot 500 gm, rice 300 gm, egg 1 pc, seasonal fruit 800 gm. 9 Breeding and reproduction Age of maturity 3 years. Seasonal breeder. The breeding season June to August. Sows usually give birth in caves or hollow trees after a gestation period of 200–240 days. Cubs weigh 370 gm at birth, and open their eyes three days later. Litters size: 1–4 cubs. Black bear cubs become independent at 2 years. Life span: 25 years. Conservation status: Critically endangered. GIANT PANDA The giant panda also known as panda bear or simply panda, is a bear native to China. It is easily recognized by the large, distinctive black patches around its eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Though (paste picture) it belongs to the order Carnivora, the giant panda's diet is over 99% bamboo. A panda's daily diet consists almost entirely of the leaves, stems and shoots of various bamboo species. Giant pandas in the wild will occasionally eat other grasses or even meat in the form of birds or rodents. TIGER There are nine recognized subspecies of tiger, five of which are living (Bengal, Amur (Siberian), Indo Chinese, Sumatran and South China tigers). ROYAL BENGAL TIGER/ BENGAL TIGER/ INDIAN TIGER Taxonomy Family: Felidae Genus: Panthera (Paste picture) Species: Panthera tigris Introduction It is the national animal of both India and Bangladesh. It is the largest cat. Hindi name: Sher. Distribution Asian countries. In Bangladesh it is found in Sundarbans only. According to tiger census 2015, there are only 106 tigers remained in Bangladesh. Description The Bengal tiger has reddish-orange colored fur with dark brown-black vertical stripes. The adult weight:180-280 kg. Body length: 9 fts. Male is comparatively larger than female. The hind legs of the tiger are longer than their front legs. This characteristic enables them to leap forward distances up to 10 meters (32.5 ft). The long tail (3fts) of use for balance when making sharp turns in pursuit of prey. 10 Tigers have distinctive white circular spots on the backside of their ears. They function as "false eyes"; making the tiger seem watchful to a potential predator attacking from the rear. Behavior Tigers are territorial and usually solitary in nature. They interact briefly only for mating purposes and occasionally to share their kills. The home range is: 150-1200 km2. An adult male's territory will usually overlap several females' territories. Tigers, unlike many other cat species, readily enter water to cool themselves and in the pursuit of prey. They are powerful swimmers and capable of traversing lakes and rivers. Hunting and diets They are ambush hunter. They kill the prey with a bite to the neck. Prey weighing about 20 kg or larger such as deer species, pigs, cows, horses, buffalos and goats, tapirs, elephant, rhinoceros’ calves, bear species, leopards and wild dogs. Tigers may consume up to 40 kg of meat at one time. In Zoo: Beef- 10 kg/day, chicken 1 kg/week and liver 500 gm/week. Follow the skip a day feeding in a week Breeding and reproduction Age of sexual maturity; males: 4 to 5 years and females: 3 to 4 years. Duration of estrous up to 6 days. Females advertise their readiness to mate. During estrus, the female may frequently vocalize throughout the day to attract a male. Copulation is brief and repeated frequently for five or six days. Female tigers are induced ovulatory, which means the act of mating causes the female to release an egg for fertilization. Several days of mating interactions may be required to stimulate ovulation. The tiger's gestation period is about 105 days. The tigress spends the last few days of her pregnancy in a safe birthing place. Litter size: 3. Tiger cubs are born blind. Eyes open within 15 days. The tigress is solely responsible for the protection and care of her young. Weaning age: 6 months. Young tiger become independent at the age of 2 years. Life span: 15-20 years. Conservation status: BD: Critically endangered; Global: Endangered LION Taxonomy Family: Felidae Genus: Panthera Paste picture Species: Panthera leo Distribution: India, Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Africa. 11 Description Mature weight 180-220 kg. Male is larger than female. Male have mane but female do not have. Length is 9 feet from the head to tip of the tail. Male and female both have hairy tuft at end of the tail. Behavior Lions spend much of their time resting for about 20 hours per day. They spend an average of two hours a day walking and 50 minutes eating. Lions are the most social animals of all wild felids. Have two types of social organization. Residents living: Group living, is called a pride. Pride consists of five or six females, their cubs of both sexes, and one or two males. Male cubs are excluded from their maternal pride when they reach sexual maturity. Lionesses do most of the hunting for their pride. The males associated with a pride tend to stay on the fringes, patrolling their territory and watches over young cubs until the lionesses return from the hunt. Smaller prey is eaten at the location of the hunt, thereby being shared among the hunters; when the kill is larger it often is dragged to the pride area. Males have a tendency to dominate the kill once the lionesses have succeeded. They are more likely to share this with the cubs than with the lionesses, but males rarely share food they have killed by themselves. Nomadic living: Live either singularly or in pairs. Pairs are more frequent among related males who have been excluded from their birth pride. They most often roar at night; the sound, which can be heard from a distance of 8 kilometers. Lions have the loudest roar of any big cat. Hunting and diets Lion collect 50% of food from scavenging. In fact, most dead prey on which lions feed upon are killed by the hyenas. Lions have learned to recognize the feeding calls of hyenas after a recent kill. Lions usually hunt in coordinated groups. They kill the prey by constriction of a body part to cut off the flow of blood. They run fast in short bursts, and need to be close to their prey before starting the attack. The prey includes wildebeest, zebras, buffalo, nilgai, wild boar, deer etc. An adult lioness requires an average of about 5 kg of meat per day, a male about 7 kg. In zoo: Beef, Mutton, Chicken etc. Usually they are given beef 8-12kg daily in zoo. Breeding and reproduction Age of sexual maturity 4 years. Non-seasonally polyestrous. Induced ovulatory. The gestation period is around 110 days. Litter size: 1-4. Female give birth in den (a secured place usually away from the rest of the pride). The cubs themselves are born blind – their eyes do not open until roughly a week after birth. Birth weight: 1.2–2.0 kg. The lioness moves her cubs to a new den site several times a month, to avoiding the attention of predators. Weaning age: 6 months. The lion usually kills all of the existing cubs who are less than 2 years old. As a result, as many as 80% of the cubs will die before the age of 2. Life span: 15-20 Years Conservation status: Vulnerable 12  LEOPARD Taxonomy Family: Felidae Genus: Panthera (Paste Picture) Species: Panthera pardus Bengali name: Chita Bagh Distribution Africa and Asia. In Bangladesh, it may be found in Chittagong hill tracts, Sherpur and Rangpur. Description The smallest of the four ‘big cats’ in the genus ‘Panthera’. The other three are the Tiger, Lion and Jaguar. Their coat color is yellow with black rosette spots in entire body. Males: 40–90 kg, females: 30–60 kg. Behavior Leopards are solitary and largely nocturnal. Leopards are known for their ability in climbing, and have been observed resting on tree branches during the day, dragging their kills up trees. They are powerful swimmers. They can run at over 58 kilometers per hour, and jump up to 9.8 ft. Vertically. Home ranges of male leopards are 30-km2 -78 km2, which is overlapping several females home range. Hunting and diets Leopards are opportunistic hunters. Their diet consists of ungulates, primates (monkeys, chimpanzees and gorillas), rodents, reptiles, amphibians, insects, birds, fish and sometimes smaller predators (such as foxes, jackals). Average daily consumption rates were estimated as 3.5 kg. In search of safety, leopards often stash their recent kills high up in a tree. Captive condition: They take beef, mutton and chicken. Usual supply in zoo: 3-4kg beef per day. Breeding and Reproduction Non-seasonal polyestrous. Length of estrous cycle = 46 days and the duration of estrous is 6–7 days. Gestation period: 105 days. Litter size: 2–4 cubs. Females give birth in a cave, hollow tree, or a den. In search of safety, leopards often stash their young high up in a tree. Cubs are born with closed eyes, which open approximately one week. Their weaning age is 4 months. At one year of age, leopard young can in depended hunter. Life span: 12-17 years. Conservation status: BD: Critically Endangered, Global: Not threatened. 13  Differences among the leopard, cheetah and jaguar (Task 1: Fill in the blanks) Points Leopard Cheetah Jaguar Picture (Paste picture) (Paste picture) (paste picture) Body coat ………….. ………………………. ……………….. Head Comparatively larger Comparatively smaller Comparatively larger Face Have no tear mark Have tear mark Have no tear mark Others similar animals (paste picture) (paste picture) Leopard cat (Chita Biral): The leopard cat is a small wild Clouded leopard (Megh Bagh) cat native to South and East Asia. HYENA There four species of hyena: spotted, striped, brown and Aardwolf. The spotted hyena has rounded ears, less prominent mane in comparison with stripped hyena, which have erected ear, and prominent mane. (Paste picture of stripped hyena) (Paste picture of spotted hyena) SPOTTED HYENA Spotted hyena is native to Asia and Africa. The fur color is yellowish-grey with rounded black spots. The spotted hyena has a strong and well-developed forequarter. The forelimbs are longer than the hind legs. Spotted hyenas are social animals which live in large communities (referred to as "clans") which can consist of at most 80 individuals. The spotted hyena is non-seasonal polyestrous. Copulation in spotted hyenas is a relatively short affair, lasting 4–12 minutes, and typically only occurs at night with 14 no other hyenas present. The mating process is complicated, as the male's penis enters and exits the female's reproductive tract through her pseudo-penis rather than directly through the vagina. These unusual traits make mating more laborious for the male than in other mammals, while also ensuring that rape is physically impossible. Giving birth is difficult for female hyenas, as the females give birth through their narrow clitoris. During parturition, the clitoris ruptures. Spotted hyenas born with their eyes open. Cubs will attack each other shortly after birth. This is particularly apparent in same sexed litters, and can result in the death of the weaker cub. Dens are used mostly by several females at once, and it is not uncommon to see up to 20 cubs at a single site. Conservation status: Global: Least concern. The striped hyena extinct from Bangladesh. FISHING CAT The fishing cat is a medium-sized wild cat of Asia. Taxonomy Family: Felidae Genus: Prionailurus (Paste a picture) Species: P. viverrinus Distribution and habitat Fishing cats are distributed in Asian countries like-India and Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Fishing cats live in the vicinity of wetlands, along rivers, streams, lakes, in swamps and mangroves. Description They are about twice the size of a domestic cat and have a stocky, muscular build with medium to short legs. The coarse fur is grey with dark spots arranged in horizontal streaks running along the length of the body. They weigh from 5–16 kg. Six to eight dark stripes run from behind the eyes to the nape. Behavior They are nocturnal. Adult males and females without dependent young are solitary animals. They can swim long distances, even under water. Home range of males: 16 to 22 km2. They mark their territory using cheek-rubbing, head rubbing, chin rubbing, neck rubbing and urine-spraying to leave scent marks. Hunting and diets As the name implies, fish are their main prey. The fishing cat’s diet includes fish, birds, small mammals, snakes and snails. The cat attracts fish by lightly tapping the water's surface with its paw, mimicking insect movements. Then, it dives into the water to catch the fish. It can also use its partially webbed paws to scoop fish, frogs, and other prey out of the water or swim underwater to prey on ducks and other aquatic birds. It is powerful enough to take large prey, such as calves and dogs. Food in zoo: Fish = 1 kg/day and Meat = 700 gm/day. 15 Breeding and reproduction Although little is really known about their breeding or social behavior in the wild, mating is thought to take place in January and February (Seasonal breeder). Age of sexual maturity 9 months. Gestation period: 60-70 days. Litter size: 1-4 kittens. Birth weight: 150 g. Born blind and open their eyes just over two weeks old. Weaning age 2.5 months. Just the female who rears her young in the wild. Life span: 10-12 years Conservation status: Endangered (Global and Bangladesh). CIVET A civet is a small nocturnal mammal native to Asia and Africa belongs to the order carnivora and family Viverridae. In Bengali it is called ‘gondhogukul’. Civets are also called "toddycats". In Bangladesh and in Bangla speaking areas of India this animal is known as "khatash". Civets (Picture: Asian Palm Civet) are omnivorous, feeding on small plants, fruits, coffee cherries, mammals, birds, fish, earthworms and insects. They also feed on palm flower sap, which when fermented becomes toddy, sweet liquor. Because of this habit, they are called the toddy cat. Perfumery civet Both male and female civet produces a musk (also called civet; a strong-smelling secretion) highly valued as a fragrance and stabilizing agent for perfume from their perineal glands. Chemically it contains different types of natural ketones. It is harvested by either killing the animal and removing the glands, or by scraping the secretions from the glands of a live animal. From the views of animal welfare concern and availability of synthetic substitutes, the practice of raising civets for musk is dying out. Kopi Luwak Kopi Luwak is coffee that is prepared using coffee cherries that have been eaten and partially digested and fermented by the Asian palm civet, then harvested from its fecal matter. The civets digest the flesh of the coffee cherries but pass the beans inside, leaving their stomach enzymes to go to work on the beans, which adds to the coffee's prized aroma and flavor. Evidence suggests that the SARS virus crossed over to humans from Asian palm civets which raised concerns over the safety of civet coffee. BINTURONG The binturong, also known as bearcat, is a civet of family (Picture) viverridae native to Asia. It is called “bashballok” or “gaso ballok” in Bangladesh. They also have musk glands in either side of anus. 16 Your task: Write a summary on what you have learned from Chattogram zoo about housing, feeding and management of carnivores. Your task: Write an interesting think you would like to share about wild carnivore which is not mentioned in this notebook. 17  Study No. 05 Study on commonly found ruminants in zoo Date DEER Deer (singular and plural) are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. All male deer have antlers. Sometimes a female has a small stub. Antlers grow as highly vascular spongy tissue covered in a skin called velvet. Antlers are shed during breeding season and regrow each year. Description They lack upper incisors, instead having a dental pad. The muntjac has enlarged upper canine teeth forming sharp tusks, while other species often lack upper canines altogether. The dental 0 0−1 3 3 formula for deer is: 3 + 1 + 3 + 3. Behavior Group living animals. Deer herd compost of females and two successive offspring. Male usually live alone. Female leaves the herd during parturition. Male female come together during breeding season. Deer are also excellent jumpers and swimmers. The facial gland, located in front of each eye, secretes a strongly scented pheromone, used to mark its home range by marking on trees, grasses and bushes. Urine-marking is also observed. All deer have a sufficiently good night vision. Their presence of interesting relationship between spotted deer and monkey. Spotted deer have power of smell that can detect predator animals from far away and provide alarming to the monkey and deer benefited from monkey by dropped food. Diet and eating habit Ruminants. Deer graze and browse. Their fiber digestion capacity is lower than cattle and sheep thus they consume easily digestible shoots, young leaves, fresh grasses, soft twigs, fruit, fungi, and lichens. Breeding and reproduction Seasonal breeder. Litter size: 1-2. Most fawns born with white spot on the coat and disappear gradually in most species except spotted deer. Weaning age: 1 year. Only mother rear the fawn. 18  Comparative description of three common deer of Bangladesh Name Spotted dear/ chital Barking deer/ Indian muntjak/ Sambar deer/ Philippine common muntjak/ red muntjac deer Image and Bangla Chitra horin Chagol horin Sambar horin Order: Artiodactyla Order: Artiodactyla Order: Artiodactyla Taxonomy Family: Cervidae Family: Cervidae Family: Cervidae Genus: Axis Genus: Muntiacus Genus: Rusa Species: Axis axis Sp: Muntiacus muntjak Species: Rusa unicolor Asian countries. In Asian countries. In Bangladesh Asian countries. In Distribution Bangladesh- Sundarbans and it found in different forest and Bangladesh it is found in hill some Eco-parks around the Sundarban. forests of Sylhet and Bay of Bengal. Chittagong. Has reddish brown coat with Coat color is dark brown to The coat color is brown to Description numerous white spots. golden. Average weight 15-16 grey. Have short mane with is Males: 30–75 kg; Females: kg. Males also have slightly prominent in male. Weight 25–45 kg. The antlers, three- elongated upper canines about varies from 100 to 350 kg. pronged, are nearly 3 ft. an inch long that curve slightly Adult males and pregnant or long. outward from the lips. lactating females possess an unusual hairless, blood-red spot located on throats. This sometimes oozes a white liquid, and is apparently glandular in nature. As common description As common description + As common description Diet In zoo: In zoo: In zoo: Grass leaves and vegetables: Grass leaves and vegetables: 3- Grass leaves and vegetables: 5-8 kg 5 kg 8-10 kg Fruits: 2 kg Fruits: 1 kg Fruits: 2-3 kg 19  (As common description). Diurnal and nocturnal (both). Nocturnal or crepuscular. Behavior Diurnal animal. The Indian muntjac is called "barking deer" due to the bark-like sound that it makes as an alarm when danger is present. Age of maturity 2 years. Seasonal breeder (March to Seasonal breeder (March to Breeding and reproduction Seasonal breeder (January to May). Age of maturity: 2 years. May). Age of maturity 2 July). Length of oestrus Length of oestrus cycles: 21 years. A stag (male deer) will cycles: 21 days. Gestation days. The gestation period is mark himself by spraying period around 7 months. around 7 months. Litter size: 1- urine on his own face during Birth weight about 3 kg. 2. Bith weight 500-700 gm. breeding season. Litter size:1-2. Oestrus cycle around 21 days. Gestation period is 7 months. Litter size: 1-2. Birth weight 5-8 kg. Life span: 15-20 years Life span: 15-20 years Life span: 25-30 years Conservation status: Least Conservation status: EN (bd), Conservation status: CR concern (global and Bd.) Least concern (Global) (bd.); Vulnerable (global) INDIAN HOG DEER Also called para horin in Bangla. The Indian hog deer is a small deer found in Asian countries including Bangladesh. It gets its name from the hog-like manner in which it runs through the forests with its head hung low so that it can duck under obstacles instead of leaping over them like most other deer. It is a rare and critically endangered species in Bangladesh; EN (global). GIRAFFE Taxonomy Picture Order: Artiodactyla Family: Giraffidae Genus: Giraffa Species: G. camelopardalis The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. At an average height of around 16-18 ft. Characterized by its long legs, long neck, horn-like ossicones, and distinctive spotted pattern. Along the animal's neck is a mane made of short, erect hairs. The average weight is 1200 kg for an adult male and 800 kg for an adult female. 20 Their primary food source is acacia leaves, which they browse at heights most other herbivores cannot reach. Their long tongues are helpful in eating because they help pull leaves from the trees. Giraffe consumes over 45 kg of leaves and twigs a day. Giraffe are gregarious and may gather in large aggregations. Males establish social hierarchies. Dominant males gain mating access to females. Giraffe gestation lasts 400–460 days. Litter size: 1-2. A newborn giraffe is about 6 feet tall at birth and weighs about 70 kg. Globally it is vulnerable. GAYAL It is a subspecies of Gaur (Indian bison). The semi-domesticated form of Guar is gayal. The gayal (Bos frontalis), also known as mithun, is a large semi-domesticated bovine distributed in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and China. It is believed that this might be a hybrid between the gaur (Bos gaurus) and the domestic cattle or closely related to the gaur whose ancestor gone extinct. Taxonomy: Picture Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae Genus: Bos Species: B. frontalis The cow of gayal is much smaller than the bull, and has scarcely any dewlap on the throat. The skin colour is blackish-brown in both sexes. Weight: 700-1000 kg; male 20-25% larger than female. They are ruminant. In zoo they eat concentrated feed 2.5 kg, green grass 20 kg and vegetables 1.5 kg. Age of sexual maturity is 24 months. Their gestation period is 270-280 days. In Bangladesh, the tribal rear gayal in Thanchi and Ruma upazila of Bandarban district. Average milk production 3-4 liter. Life span: 15-16 years. NILGAI The nilgai or blue bull is the largest Asian antelope. It is endemic to the Indian subcontinent: It is extinct in Bangladesh. The coat color of male Nilgai is grayish- (Picture here) blue and female Nilgai is brown. Nilgai has erectable mane, and ‘hair pennant’ in throat. Only males possess horns, though a few females may be horned as well. 21  WILDEBEEST The wildebeests are antelopes. Wild beast includes two species, both native to Africa: the black wildebeest, and the blue wildebeest. Both species of wildebeest are even-toed, horned, greyish-brown ungulates resembling cattle. Males are larger than females and both Picture here have heavy forequarters compared to their hindquarters. They have shaggy manes. Conservation status: Least concern. Your Task: List the wild ruminants available at Chattogram zoo. Your Task: What is facial glad and its function in deer? Your task: Share some interesting facts on wild ruminants which is not written in this manual. 22  Study No. 06 Study on commonly found non-ruminant herbivores in zoo Date ELEPHANT Two species are traditionally recognized, the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), Male African elephants are the largest extant terrestrial animals and can reach a height of 13 ft and average weigh of male is 6000 kg. In Bangladesh, only isolated populations survive in the Chittagong Hills. Taxonomy (Asian elephant) Order: Proboscidea Family: Elephantidae (Picture here) Genus: Elephas Species: Elephas maximus Description African elephant: Male- 6000 kg, female is 5000 kg. Asian male elephant- 4500 kg and female - 3600 kg. Elephants can move both forwards and backwards, but cannot trot, jump, or gallop. Unique anatomy and physiology Respiratory systems (Your Task): Explain the uniqueness of respiratory system of elephant with drawing. Trunk The elephant trunk is a vital organ. The tip of the trunk is an extremely delicate prehensile organ. A tiny peanut may be grasped with ease. The trunk also places food into the mouth. Water is drawn up into the tip of the trunk and blown into the mouth. Seventy percent of the airflow into the lungs is via the nares in the trunk. At the approximate location where the nares enter the bony skull, there is a sigmoid flexure and a sphincter arrangement that allows the elephant to pull water and dirt up into the nares but prevents inhalation into the lungs. 23  Figure: The morphological difference between Asian and African Elephant Teeth and Tusk 1 0 3 3 The dental formula of elephant is: + + + X 2 = 26. The chewing teeth are replaced six times in a 0 0 3 3 typical elephant's lifetime. The tusks of the elephant are modified incisor teeth. Tusk starting to develop at the age of 6–12 months. The tusks continue to grow throughout life. Tusks are present in both male and female in African elephants. In the Asian elephant the female may either lack tusks or have small, underdeveloped tusks. A fully-grown tusk may reach up to 3 feet length and 45 kg in weight. Ear Elephants have highly vascularized ears, which are an organ of heat regulation. An elephant customarily stands flapping its ears on a warm day. Skin Elephants have thick skin (2.5 cm) thus similar with rhinoceros (5 cm) and hippopotamus (5 cm). The thickness of the skin is primarily a result of thickened dermis. The epidermal layer is approximately the same thickness as that of horses or cattle and is extremely sensitive. Insects such as flies or mosquitoes can suck blood by piercing the epidermis. The epidermal surface of the elephant is also susceptible rope burn. Elephants typically have grey skin. An elephant uses mud as a sunscreen to protecting its skin from ultraviolet light, insect bites, and moisture loss. After bathing, the elephant will usually use its trunk to blow dust onto its body (mud bath) and this dries into a protective crust. Behavior Female elephants spend their entire lives in matriarchal family groups made up of more than ten members, led by the eldest female. In the dry season, elephant families may cluster together and form another level of social organization known as the clan. There are typically nine groups in a clan. The adult females of the group start to show aggression towards the male, which encourages him to permanently leave the group when they are 14-15 years of age. Adult male elephants spend much of 24 their time alone or in single-sex groups. The bull groups consisting of over 10-144 individuals led by the eldest bulls. Adult males and females come together for breeding. Assessment the mood of elephant Mock charge: The elephant runs toward another elephant or a person with ears extended, head and tusks held high. The charging elephant stops before reaching the target. Real charge: The trunk is tucked under the head; the head is up and attempts to contact the target. The ears are usually close to the head. Diet and eating habits Elephants are non-ruminants (hindgut fermenter). Elephants are capable of consuming vegetation that is too fibrous and protein-deficient for ruminants to consume. Elephants eat 150 -170 kg of vegetation daily. Nearly 80% of an elephant’s day is spent in eating. Elephants consume grasses, small plants, bushes, fruit, twigs, tree bark, and roots. Tree bark is a favorite food source for elephants. Elephants require about 70 to 100 L of water daily. Elephant also consume soil to fulfill the mineral requirement. In zoo: Green grass 80 kg, banana tree 150 kg, vegetables 2 kg, chick-pea 5 kg and banana 5 kg. Breeding and reproduction Age of sexual maturity: male- 14-15 years and female 9 years. Adult males enter a state of increased testosterone known as musth. The main characteristic of a bull's musth is an oily fluid secreted that runs down the side of his face from the temporal gland/musth gland. The musth gland located just beneath the skin's surface halfway between the eye and ear on each side of their head. Annually, musth glands secrete a dark, oily, musky substance and become inflamed. During musth, he may urinate to spray urine on his hind legs. Behaviors associated with musth include walking with the head held high and swinging, picking at the ground with the tusks and waving only one ear at a time. This can last from a day to four months. Males become extremely aggressive during musth. Musth is not always related to breeding, successful breeding may take place outside the musth period. Elephants are polygynous (having more than one wife at a time) breeders. and copulations are most frequent during the wet season. A cow in oestrus releases chemical signals (pheromones) in her urine and vaginal secretions to signal her readiness to mate. The estrous cycle of an elephant cow lasts 14–16 weeks. Castration period; 610 days. Birthweight 90 kg in Asian and 100 kg in African elephant. Litter size one. Adults and most of the other young will gather around the newborn, touching and caressing it with their trunks. Weaning age:1 year. Life span: 60–70 years. Conservation status: African elephants were listed as critically endangered and endangered (Global). Asian elephant is globally endangered and critically endangered in Bangladesh. 25  HIPPOPOTAMUS The common hippopotamus or hippo, is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal. The name comes from the ancient Greek for "river horse". After the elephant and rhinoceros, the common hippopotamus is the third-largest type of land mammal. Taxonomy Order: Artiodactyla Family: Hippopotamidae (paste hippo) hippo Mouth Genus: Hippopotamus Species: H. amphibius Distribution Hippos are semi-aquatic and are found in the rivers, lakes and mangrove swamps of Africa. Description The skin is 5 cm thick. The animal body color is gray to blue-black. They have barrel-shaped nearly hairless body, wide-opening mouths, large canine tusks and short legs. Average adult male weight 1,500 kg and female weight 1,300 kg. The eyes, ears, and nostrils of hippos are placed high on the roof of their skulls, this allows these organs to remain above the surface while the rest of the body submerges. The testes of the males descend only partially and a scrotum is not present. In addition, the penis retracts into the body when not erect. The jaw hinge is located far back enough to allow the animal to open its mouth at almost 180°. The lower canines and lower incisors are enlarged, especially in males, and grow continuously. Canines (tusk) reach up to 50 cm. The canines and incisors are used for combat and play, no role in feeding. Hippos lack scent and sweat glands. Instead, mucous glands secrete a thick oily layer of red-pigmented fluid. For years this fluid was thought to be a mixture of blood and sweat, giving it the nickname “blood sweat.” It is now known that this fluid is a combination of hipposudoric acid and norhipposudoric acid. These compounds create a sunscreen effect by absorbing ultra violet rays from the sun and prevent the growth of disease-causing bacteria. This secretion is initially colorless eventually becoming brown (due to polymerization). Their skin is very sensitive to both drying and sunburn, so the secretion acts like an automatic skin ointment. Behavior Hippos are not social animals; they do not form social bonds except between mothers and young. Grazing is a solitary activity. It is capable of running 30 km/h over short distances. The hippopotamus is a highly aggressive. Adult hippo is not a good swimmer. It is rarely found in deep water; when it is, the animal moves by porpoise-like leaps from the bottom. During the day, they remain cool by staying in the water or mud. They emerge at dusk to graze on grasses. 26 They typically resurface to breathe every three to five minutes. A hippo sleeping underwater rises and breathes without awaking. Diet and eating habits The hippo is considered to be a pseudo-ruminant. Hippos leave the water at dusk and travel inland, to graze on short grasses, their main source of food. They spend four to five hours grazing and can consume 68 kg of grass each night. Their diet in nature consists almost entirely of grass, with only minimal consumption of aquatic plants. In zoo: Green grass 40 kg, vegetables 30 kg, concentrate mixture7 kg. Breeding and reproduction Age of maturity of male: around 7 years and female: 5 years. Gestation period is around 8 months. Mating and childbirth both occur in water. Litter size: 01. Baby hippos are born underwater at a weight around 50 kg and must swim to the surface to take their first breaths. The young often rest on their mothers' backs when the water is too deep for them, and they swim under water to suckle. They also suckle on land when the mother leaves the water. Weaning age 8 months. Life span: around 50 years. Conservation status: Vulnerable. RHINOCEROS A rhinoceros (meaning "nose horn"), often abbreviated to rhino is an herbivorous characterized by heavy size (second largest terrestrial animal), a thick protective skin, around 5 cm thick, relatively small brains (around 500 g); and a large horn. There are five species of rhinos, two African and three Asian. The African species are the white and black rhinoceroses, and both species have two horns. Asian rhinos include the Indian (or great one-horned rhinoceros) and the Javan, each with one horn, and the Sumatran, which has two. INDIAN RHINOCEROS Taxonomy Order: Perissodactyla Family: Rhinocerotidae Genus: Rhinoceros (Picture of rhino) Species: R. unicornis Distribution Indian rhinos once inhabited many areas of Asia. However, because of human influence, they now only exist in several protected areas of India and Nepal, plus a few pairs in in Pakistan. 27 Description The Indian rhinoceros has a thick grey-brown skin. Its upper legs and shoulders are covered in wart- like bumps. It has very little body hair. Males have huge neck folds. The rhino's single horn is present in both males and females, but not on newborn young. The horn starts to show after about six years. In most adults, the horn reaches a length of about 25 cm in length. The male, averaging about 2,200 kg is heavier than the female, at an average of about 1,600 kg. Behavior Rhinos are mostly solitary creatures, with the exception of mothers and calves and breeding pairs. They are active at night and early morning. They have home ranges, of being usually 2 to 8 km2. Dominant males tolerate males passing through their territories except when they are in mating season, when dangerous fights break out. They spend the middle of the day wallowing in lakes, rivers and ponds to cool down. They can run at speeds of up to 55 km/h for short periods and are excellent swimmers. They have excellent senses of hearing and smell, but relatively poor eyesight. Diet and eating habits They are herbivores and hindgut fermenter. Indian rhinoceros are grazers. Their diets consist almost entirely of grasses, but they also eat leaves, branches of shrubs and trees, fruits, and submerged and floating aquatic plants. They feed in the mornings and evenings. In zoo: Concentrate mixture 4 kg, green grass 58 kg, vegetables 24 kg, chick-pea 4 kg, banana 10 kg, apple-2 kg. Reproduction Age of sexual maturity in captive condition is 8 years and 6 years respectively for male and female. Males and females frequently fight during courtship. After mating, the pair go their separate ways. Gestation period: 15 to 16 months. Weaning age: 1 year. Life span: 40-50 years Conservation status: Indian rhinoceros is extinct from Bangladesh. Globally endangered. Your Task: Discuss the potential threats of rhinos for their survival 28  ZEBRA Zebras are belonging to horse family Equidae and order Perissodactyla. The plains zebra (Equus quagga) is the most common. Closely related to horses and donkeys, the zebra is best known for its black and white striped body. These stripes are believed to be camouflage devices that help zebras hide well in the grass. Mature body weight is up to 350 kg. Zebras as very social animals and live in large groups. They sleep standing up. Non-seasonal breeder. Age of sexual maturity: Male 2 years, female 1.6 years. Gestation period: 1 year. Litter size: 1 foal. Zebra foals are born with brown and white stripes as opposed to black and white stripes. Zebras are herbivorous and primarily eat a variety of grasses. They are also known to eat shrubs, herbs, twigs, leaves and bark. In zoo: Concentrate mixture 2 kg, green grass 10 kg, vegetables 6 kg, chick-pea 1 kg. Life span 30 Years. Your task: What do you mean by musth in elephant? Your Task: Write down the differential parameters among the cow’s horn, rhino’s horn, antler and occicone in a tabular form. Your task: Share some interesting facts not mentioned in this notebook regarding the elephant and a hippo 29  Study No. 07 Study on commonly found marsupials in zoo Date KANGAROO The kangaroo is a marsupial. Kangaroos are endemic to Australia. Kangaroos have large, powerful hind legs, large feet adapted for leaping, a long muscular tail for balance, and a small head. The female (Picture of kangaroo) kangaroos have a pouch called a marsupium in which joeys complete postnatal development. Kangaroos are the only large animals to use hopping as a means of locomotion. The comfortable hopping speed for a red kangaroo is about 20–25 km/h. Kangaroos are adept swimmers. Kangaroos have chambered stomachs similar to those of cattle and sheep. They regurgitate the vegetation they have eaten, chew it as cud, and then swallow it again for final digestion. All are strict herbivores. Many species are nocturnal, and crepuscular. Gestation period is 33 days. Usually, only one young is born at a time. It is blind, hairless, and only a few centimeters long. It climbs its way through the thick fur on its mother's abdomen into the pouch within 3-5 minutes. Once in the pouch, it fastens onto one of the four teats and starts to feed. After about 235 days, it leaves the pouch for the last time. The lifespan of kangaroo’s around 20 years. Your task: List 4 marsupial animals and write down the morphological differences among them in a tabular form. 30  Study No. 08 Study on commonly found reptiles in zoo Date CROCODILE The word "crocodile" comes from the Greek crocodilos, "lizard", used in the phrase "the lizard of the river". There are 13 living species of crocodile. Among the living species, one is marsh crocodile, or Indian crocodile and another is Saltwater crocodile or estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). MUGGER CROCODILE/ INDIAN MARSH CROCODILE The mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), also called the Indian, marsh crocodile or simply mugger. The name "mugger" means mythical water monster. Taxonomy Order: Crocodilia Family: Crocodylidae (picture) Genus: Crocodylus Species: C. palustris Distribution It is found throughout the Indian subcontinent and the surrounding countries. The mugger crocodile is a freshwater species found in lakes, rivers and marshes. Description Males of the species to grow up to 4–5 m. Weight is up to 900 kg. Mugger crocodiles have 72-80 teeth and able to replace each of their 80 teeth up to 50 times in lifetime. The armoured skin has scales. They are still able to absorb heat through these scales, as a network of small capillaries allows blood through the scales to absorb heat. Unlike other reptiles, a crocodile has a four-chambered heart. Behavior Mostly nocturnal. Muggers are fairly social species and tolerate their other crocodiles during basking and feeding but aggressive during breeding season. They often sleep with their mouths open and may pant like a dog. Crocodiles have acute senses. The eyes, ears and nostrils are located on top of the head, allowing the crocodile to lie low in the water, almost totally submerged and hidden from prey. Crocodiles are also the most vocal of all reptiles, producing a wide variety of sounds. They are also known to dig burrows as shelters during the dry seasons. Diet and hunting They are ambush hunters and wait for their prey to come close. They mostly prey on fish, reptiles, birds, mammals (monkey, squirrels, chital and otters), occasionally cannibalize smaller crocodiles. It can 31 chase prey on land in night for short distances. As cold-blooded predators, they have a very slow metabolism, so they can survive long periods without food. Breeding and reproduction Seasonal breeder. Age of sexual maturity 6-7 years. Reproduction takes place in winter months. Females lay eggs (total 25-35) in nests that are holes dug in the sand. Egg weight 90 gm. The average incubation period is around 80 days. Temperature during incubation is the determinant of sex in the young. At 32.5 °C incubation temperature produces all males. At 28-31°C temperature produce all female. Any variations from these temperatures produce more female and less male. Digestion Crocodilians have a very low metabolic rate and consequently, low energy requirements. This allows them to survive for many months on a single large meal, digesting the food slowly. They can withstand extended fasting, living on stored fat between meals. Even recently hatched crocodiles are able to survive 58 days without food. An adult crocodile needs between a tenth and a fifth of the amount of food necessary for a lion. Thermoregulation Crocodilians are ectotherms, producing relatively little heat internally and relying on external sources to raise their body temperatures. The sun's heat is the main means of warming. They regulate temperature by basking in the sun on land. At night it remains submerged, and its temperature slowly falls. The basking period is extended in winter and reduced in summer. The temperature range of crocodilians is usually maintained between 25 and 35 °C. Life span: 20-40 years. Conservation status: Globally vulnerable. In Bangladesh extinct in the wild. Your Task: Write down the morphological differences among crocodiles, alligators and gharials. INDIAN PYTHON It is also known as black-tailed python or Indian rock python. In Bengali it is called “Ajagar”. Taxonomy Order: Squamata Family: Pythonidae (Picture here) Genus: Python Species: P. molurus 32 Distribution The species is limited to Southern Asia. Occurs in a wide range of habitats, including grasslands, swamps, marshes, rocky foothills, woodlands, "open" jungle and river valleys. Description Color: whitish or yellowish with shades of dark brown. Length: 12 ft (Max. 21 ft). Behavior Nonvenomous python species. Lethargic and slow moving, they exhibit timidity and rarely try to attack even when attacked. They are excellent swimmers and can climb trees when needed. They can be wholly submerged in water for many minutes if necessary, but usually prefer to remain near the bank. Diet and hunting Like all snakes, they are strict carnivores and feed on mammals (prefer), birds and reptiles. During hunting, advance lunge with open mouth. Live prey is constricted and killed. The prey, unable to breathe, succumbs and is subsequently swallowed head first. After a heavy meal, an individual may fast for weeks. It can swallow prey bigger than its diameter because the jaw bones are not connected. The prey cannot escape from its mouth because of the arrangement of the teeth (which are reverse saw-like). Reproduction Oviparous, up to 100 eggs are laid each of about 200 gm, which are protected and incubated by the female. Incubation period is 2-3 months. The hatchlings are 18–24 inches in length and grow quickly. Lifespan: 20-30 years. Conservation status: Bangladesh: DD; Global: Least concern. Your Task: Write down the differences between turtle and tortoise (Tabular form) Your Task: How would you diffeentiate venomous and non-venomous snake Your Task: List 5 common venomous and 5 common non-vanomus snake of Bangladesh 33  Study No. 09 Study on commonly found birds in zoo Date INDIAN FEAFOWL The Indian peafowl or blue peafowl is a large and brightly colored bird. Taxonomy Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae (Picture here) Genus: Pavo Species: P. cristatus Distribution The Indian peafowl is a resident breeder across the Indian subcontinent, it also found in Sri-Lanka. Description Blue is the dominant coat color. Mature male weight: 4–6 kg and mature female weight: 3–4 kg. Both male and female peafowl grow crests on top of their head – blue in males, green and brown in females. The males have “train” which is made up of elongated upper tail coverts (more than 200 feathers) and nearly all of these feathers end with an elaborate eye-spot. Train may be up to 6 ft. long. These ‘train’ is raised into a fan and quivered in a display during courtship. Males may display even in the absence of females. The long train feathers (and tarsal spurs) of the male develop only after the second year of life. Fully developed trains are found in birds older than four years. Females lack the train. The male has a spur on the leg above the hind toe. Young males look like the females but the wings are chestnut colored. Behavior The Indian peafowl lives mainly on the ground in open forest or on land under cultivation. Peafowl forage on the ground in small groups, that usually have a cock and 3 to 5 hens (in breeding season). After the breeding season, the flocks tend to be made up only of females and young. They are found in the open early in the mornings and tend to stay in cover during the heat of the day. They are fond of dust-bathing and at dusk. When disturbed, they usually escape by running and rarely take to flight. Peafowl roost in groups during the night on tall trees. They loud call especially in the breeding season. Breeding Peacocks are polygamous. Breeding season April - September. Sexual maturity: 2-3 years. The ‘train’ is raised into a fan and quivered in a display during courtship. When a male is displaying, females do not appear to show any interest and usually continue their foraging. The clutch consists of 4–8 eggs which are incubated only by hen. Egg size: 170 gm. Incubation period 28 days. Downy young may sometimes climb on their mothers' back and the hen may carry them in flight to a safe tree branch. 34 Diet and eating habits Peafowl are omnivorous and eat seeds, insects, fruits, small mammals and reptiles. They feed on small snakes but keep their distance from larger ones. Life span: 20-25 years. Conservation status: BD: Extinct in the wild and Global: Least Concern. OSTRICH Ostriches are large, flightless birds. They are in the same order as cassowaries, emus, kiwis and rheas. Taxonomy Order: Struthioniformes (Picture here) Family: Struthionidae Genus: Struthio Species: Struthio camelus Distribution Ostriches are native to Africa. It is also found in some part of Asia, Australia, Israel and Mexico. Description Ostriches usually weigh from 63 to 145 kg. The feathers of adult males are mostly black, with white primaries and a white tail. Females and young males are greyish-brown and white. The head and neck of both male and female ostriches is nearly bare, with a thin layer of down. The head and bill are relatively small. The bird has just two toes on each foot. Ostrich has no crop and it lacks a gallbladder. Unlike all other living birds, the ostrich secretes urine separately from feces. Behavior Ostriches are diurnal. Ostriches normally spend the winter months in pairs or alone. During breeding season and sometimes during extreme rainless period’s ostriches live in nomadic groups of 5 to 100 birds (led by a top hen) and often travel together with other grazing animals, such as zebras. Ostriches can run at a speed over 70 km/h. With their acute eyesight and hearing, ostriches can sense predators such as lions from far away. They can cause serious injury and death of human with kicks from their powerful legs. Their legs can only kick forward. Feeding They mainly feed on seeds, shrubs, grass, fruit and flowers, occasionally they also eat insects. Ostriches can go without drinking for several days, using metabolic water and moisture in ingested plants, but they enjoy water and frequently take baths where it is available. 35 Breeding and reproduction Ostriches become sexually mature when they are 2 to 4 years old. The mating season begins in March to September. The successful male may mate with several females. The hen drops to the ground and cock mount for copulation. The female ostrich lays her eggs in a single nest, a simple pit, scraped in the ground by the male. Ostrich eggs are the largest of all eggs weight about 1.4 kg. They are glossy cream-coloured, with thick shells marked by small pits. The eggs are incubated by the females by day and by the males by night. The incubation period is 35 to 45 days. Life span: 40–45 years. Conservation status: Least concern. Your task: List the birds of Chattogram Zoo with their families Your Task: List flightless birds. Differentiate ostrich from emu in tabular form. Your task: Write interesting or important things about zoo birds you like to share which is not written in this notebook. 36  Study No. 10 Study on restraining and handling of zoo and wild animals Date Restraining means control of movements of animals. Different methods of restraining of zoo animals There are usually three methods for restraining in zoo animals and birds. These are- 1. Psychological method 2. Physical method 3. Chemical method Psychological method It has very limited application in the zoo animals and birds. It is applicable for docile animals. Voice is an important tool in this method. It is done by an animal caretaker or attendant by friendly talking, offering food, gentle approaching etc. This method is commonly applied in monkey, deer, elephant etc. Physical method In this method, the following techniques are used. i) Diminishing senses: Blindfolding (ostrich) ii) Confinement: Transfer cage, shipping crate, squeeze cage, plastic tube for reptiles etc. iii) Extension of the handler's arms- Ropes, snare, hooks, nets etc. iv) Physical barriers- Plastic shield, wooden shield, metallic shield, blanket etc. v) Physical force: Grasping (use thick gloves prevent biting and scraping). Chemical method Most common and the safes for wild animals. Types: sedation or immobilization (Ferocious animals). Chemical drugs delivery systems Oral: It is possible for only for few species: Direct squirting into the mouth or by impregnating into a suitable food like- banana, meat, bread and fruit juice for non- human primates. Disadvantage: lack of acceptance by many species and having a minimal efficacy. Usual use: mostly use for premedication of animals or sedate animals before immobilization. Hand-held syringe: This method is use to rapid intramuscular injection before animal attempts to react. Large bore needle and large syringe for quick delivery are advisable. Stick syringe/pole syringe: It is possible to inject maintaining from a distance of ferocious animals that are usually enclosed into a cage. Various commercial stick syringes or pole syringes are available. Projected dart: Dart is a special syringe for delivering drugs into animals’ muscle from wide distance by projecting toward animal’s target site. Dart does not require manual force to inject drugs, but it uses pre-stored air force for drug delivery. It has a special type of needle with lateral eye which is closed by 37 a sealing sleeve before applying air force, after projecting the sleeve is displaced and drugs are injected. Following are the means how dart is projected to animal body: A. Blowgun or blowpipe: It is a plastic cylindrical tube (1-2 m long) used to projecting a dart to a short distance animal. Max. range 12.7 meters. B. Palmer projector/ Tranquilizing gun The palmer projectors are 3 types: Short range (powered by compressed air): max. range: 13.7 meters Long range (powered by compressed CO2): max. range: 32 meters Extra-long range (powered by gun powder): max. range: 73 meters Suitable darting sites: Any large muscle mass is suitable. The muscle mass of shoulder, neck, rump and upper hind leg must be used as injection sites. Shooting should be at 90-degree angle to the surface of the muscle. Suitable darting site of a deer Suitable darting site of carnivore Suitable darting site of primates and small carnivores Characteristics of an ideal restraint drug: Should have high therapeutic index Should not irritate muscle tissue Should have short induction period Should have available antagonist/ reversal drugs Concentration should be high enough to use low volume in darting Your task: Draw and label different parts of a dirt syringe. 38 Task 2: Write down some (at least three for each) techniques of restraining that you have learned from books for following animals: Non-human primates Elephant Crocodiles Snake Birds Ostrich Your task: Answer the following questions Blood collection site of elephant? Intramuscular injection site of snake? Blood collection site of turtle? Blood collection site of birds? Your task: How would you capture a wild elephant entering to locality for rescue and re-introduction to wild? 39  Study No. 11 Study on transportation zoo and wild animals Date Transportation: Transportation is the movement of animals from one location to another. Translocation: Translocation is a technical term meaning to move an animal to an entirely new area, usually a considerable distance away. Mode of transport: by air/road/sea/ foot for short distance. General considerations Only animals that are in good health should be transported. Avoid transport pregnant and infant animals Sedation is inadvisable, as in a lethargic state animal are very vulnerable to injury. Animals of different species should not be housed in the same container during transport. Arrangements for adequate feeding and watering during long distance transport. Reptiles and amphibians: Withhold food for 24 hours before shipment Human contact with animals should be avoided. Transport crates should be secured kept in a horizontal position. Avoid transportation during extreme weather condition. Transport container or crate design Materials: Timber, bamboo, cardboard, hardboard, plastics, polystyrene (reptiles) and metal The inner surfaces - free from projections, nails, screws etc. Sidewalls and roof- solid with ventilation holes. Floor- slatted with a leak proof tray or solid with bedding materials. Front- should be of mesh, or of metal bars. A burlap – for darkness and insulation when necessary. Animals with gnawing or clawing habits- walls, metal sheet or mesh. Size of the crate: Should match with the size of the animal. Special considerations for different groups of animals Wild herbivores Females may be transported in a group but males a separate container. Training before actual transport. When necessary – use chemical immobilization Container: a slatted floor is desirable with a solid liquid collecting tray beneath the floor. For porcupine and rodents, the suitable floor type is mesh. For marsupials, the underside of roof should be padded with adequate thickness of soft materials. 40 Carnivores Preferably only one animal per crate. Females may be transported in group. Nocturnal carnivores: Should not be exposed to direct sunlight Both solid and slatted floor can be used. Primates Maximum 4 animals may be transported in a single crate. For larger primates one animal may be transported per crate. Birds Storks (egret), cranes, ratites and raptors should be transported individually. Parakeet may be transported in pairs in individual boxes. Flock transportation: Galliformes, Anseriformes, perching birds and Galliformes. Bird with perching habit: suitable perches should be fitted Birds travel more satisfactorily in semi-darkness so burlap would be beneficial. Reptiles Crocodiles should be transported singly always. Reptiles should be packed into a suitable bag with sufficient quantities of foam chippings. The containers completely cover but there should adequate ventilation holes. Turtles & Tortoise: Large size may be transported single, small size may be in groups. The size of the box should be shallow to prevent shell injury. Cannibal snakes always individually. Snake boxes - locks and signage DANGER– VENOMOUS SNAKE. Reptiles are very susceptible to dehydration and may require watering during transportation. Amphibians- aquatic form: Aquatic form: ¼ th of the container should fill water Animals should be off fed before 24 hour to avoid water pollution. Can also be transported without water by packed with water-soaked sponge. Amphibian- terrestrial form: Transportation guideline similar to reptiles. 41  Burlap Mesh Transport crate for tiger: Solid walls with Transport crate for zebra: Upper half of front ventilation holes, slatted floor, wire mesh front side side is open with burlap Transport crate for seal (marine mammal) Transport crate for rodents Perch Transport crate for water birds and large bird of Transport crate for birds of perching habit: non-perching habit With suitable perch 42  Study No. 12 Study on restraining and sexing of common laboratory animals Date Restraining of rabbit: Danger potential and behavior: Laboratory rabbits are generally docile Have large incisor teeth adapted for gnawing All are capable of inflicting significant bite wound Rabbit may scratch a handler with hind feet Sexing of rabbit Buck Doe Young rabbit The buck shows protrusion of The doe shows slightly bulging of genitalia with round opening after genitalia with slit like opening after application of pressure application of pressure Adult rabbit Presence of pair scrotum with testis Absence of scrotum and testis Absence of mammary gland and teats Have 3-4 pairs of mammary glands and teats Guinea pig Should approach slowly to prevent frantic movement and possible leg injury Laboratory guinea pig are generally docile Have large incisor teeth adapted for gnawing They will vocalize during restraining Usually not bite so gloves are not usually required 43 Retraining techniques Restraint using both hands; one In pregnant: Grasping the Wrapped in a towel hand support the upper body scruff of neck by one hand and other lower body holding the weight by other hand Sexing of guinea pig Male Female Young guinea pig Distance between genitalia and anus is Distance between genitalia and anus is more less Cylindrical shaped penis protruded after A slit like opening and vulva lips can be application of pressure on external seen after application of pressure on genitalia external genitalia Absence of such mark A characteristics Y-shaped marked seen around the vulva and anus Adult Scrotum and testis are visible in inguinal Absence guinea pig region Absence of teat Presence of one pair of teat 44 Rat and mouse Rats and mice seldom bite, so it is recommended to handle with gloves. Immature rat can be handled similar to mice, but remember that rat can easily climb up their own tail when suspended, so it is preferred to catch unfamiliar rats with gloved hand. Mice cannot climb up their own tail. Laboratory rats and mice are generally docile Have large incisor teeth adapted for gnawing Sexing of rat and mouse Young: The ano-genital distance of male is twice than the female Adult: In male, one pair of scrotum is present in either side at the base of the tail. The adult female have 5-6 pairs of teats. Your task: Write down the danger potentials and precautions for restraining rabbit, rat, mouse and guinea pig. Your task: Wire restraining techniques for rabbit and mouse (at least 5 for each) 45  Study No. 13 Study on taxonomy and biological data of laboratory animals Date Taxonomy Mouse Rat Guinea pig Rabbit Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Mammalia Order Rodentia Rodentia Rodentia Lagomorpha Family Muridae Muridae Caviidae Leporidae Genus Mus Rattus Cavia Oryctolagus Species M. musculus R. norvegicus C. porecellus O. Cuniculus Biological data Parameters Mouse Rat Guinea pig Rabbit Rectal temperature (˚F) 98-100 97-99.5 101-104 100-104 Hear rate (beat/min) 330-750 310-500 250-400 150-300 Respiratory rate/min 85-230 70-180 70-110 40-60 Birth weight (gm) 1-1.5 5-6 70-100 50-70 Adult body weight (gm) 30-40 250 800 1500-5500 Daily feed consumption (gm) 5-6 15-20 45-50 150-250 Age of sexual maturity (months) 1.5-2 2.5-3 3 6-7 Sex ratio (male: female) 1:3 1:5 1:6 1:1 Life span (years) 1.5-2.5 2-3 3-5 5-6 Gestation period (days) 20-21 21-22 65-67 31-32 Litter size 7-12 8-10 1-4 6-8 Weaning age (weeks) 3 3 3 7 Reproductive life (years) 1 1 2 3 Recoupe (rest) period for female 15 15 15 20 between two mating (days) No of pairs of mammary glands 5 5 1 3-4 Your task: Measure rectal temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate of supplied lab animals 46  Study No. 14 Study on housing of laboratory animals Date Laboratory animals can be housed on floor or in cage in groups in the house. Floor space requirement: The floor space requirement for different laboratory animals in different sizes can be calculated by following formula. (Task 1: write down the formula here): …………………………………………………. Floor space requirement for various laboratory animals Animal Area (cm2) Height of cage (cm) Mice 38 to 99 17.5 Rat 110 to 260 22.5 Hamster 64 to 125 22.5 Guinea pig 270 to 650 35 Rabbit 0.14 to 0.37 m2 35 Site of housing 1. Should be located at minimum noise site. 2. Should have minimum access to visitor. 3. Away from main biological/immunological production unit. 4. Should away from chemical storage area. Guideline for housing 1. The airflow should not directly enter. There should be 2-3 pre-entry points before actual entry. 2. The house should be prevented from direct cold drafts or sunlight entry. 3. The house must be vermin, insects and rodent proof. 4. The house should have 2 corridors: a. Clean corridor: Front of animal room. Used to bring- sterile food, cages, bedding materials etc. A foot-dip disinfectant solution should be provided at the entry of clean corridor. b. Dirty corridor: This is placed backside of the animal house. Used to remove the wastage- excreta, used bedding materials etc. 5. 12 hours light and 12 hours darkness for optimum breeding 6. Rat, mice and hamster can be housed both sex group (M+F; F+F; M+M). 7. Adult rabbit should be housed separately or female sex group. 47 Housing Requirements Floor: Adequate floor space. Floor must not be slippery. Ventilation and temperature: Adequate ventilation and exhaust fans should be used to regulate 6 to 8 air changes per hour. Optimum temp, in house is 20 to 30° C with 45 to 65% humidity. Cages: The cages are made of stainless steel, polypropylene or polycarbonate materials. Solids sides and bottoms with wire grid tops are preferable. Provision of water bottles and depression for feeder are present in the top lid. The large laboratory animals (rabbit and guinea pig) may also be housed in special multi-tire cage made of stainless-steel wire netting and slatted floor. In this case excreta collection trays are required in each floor. Racks: Laboratory animals kept in a cage on the racks with tiers. The lowest tier should be around 35 cm above ground level and the upper tier be at 150 cm height. Metal racks are preferred. Bedding material: Animals reared on floors, in boxes or in cages require bedding material like paddy husk, wood savings, saw dust or sugar cane bagasse. Bedding materials absorb moisture from urine as well as provide warmth to animals. The depth of materials required is 2 to 3 cm. The bedding materials should be changed in every alternative day. Feeders and drinkers: There must be arrangements of water bottles and feeder on the floor, with the wall or on the lid of cage. The feeder and drinkers should be detachable for easy cleaning and washing. Maternity box: Should provide maternity box with suitable soft bedding materials like cotton in advanced stage of pregnancy. In case of rabbit the size of maternity box is 18×18×12 inches. Layout of a lab animal house Screen bottom cage Racks for keeping cage A rat box Water bottle and rat box 48  Study No. 15 Study on ration formulation for rabbit Date Question 01: Formulate a balance ration for a growing rabbit having the requirements of: ME=2500 kcal/kg, CP= 16% and Ca= 0.9% and P = 0.4%. Compare the calculated value with the requirements and comments on it. 49 Question 02: Formulate a balance ration for a lactating/breeding rabbit having the requirements of: ME=2700 kcal/kg, CP= 18% and Ca= 1.5% and P = 0.5%. Compare the calculated value with the requirements and comments on it. 50  APPENDIX-1 Your task: Common name of male, female, offspring & group of different animals Species Male Female Baby Crocodile Antelope Ape Bear Bird Bovidae Elephant Cat Cheetah Chicken Deer Donkey Duck Giraffe Hyena Kangaroo Leopard Lion Monkey Ostrich Peafowl Rabbit Rat Rhinoceros Snake Tiger Turtle Zebra 51  APPENDIX-2 Species Order Family Scientific Male Female Age of Seasonal/non- Breeding Gestation/ Birth/ egg Lifespan name weight weight maturity seasonal breeder season incubation period weight Tiger Lion Leopard Bear Fishing cat Hyena Elephant Deer Hippo Rhino Giraffe Kangaroo Rhesus monkey Capped langur Hoolock gibbon Crocodile Indian python Indian peafowl Ostrich Use: M= months, D= days, Y= years, kg= kilogram, g= gram, Seasonal breeder= S, Non-seasonal = N, - = no information found 52