Introduction to Herpetoculture
Herpetoculture
Pensacola
Jr College
Definitions
w Herpetoculture
= herpeton (“crawling things,” amphibians & reptiles)
+ culture (identification, care, maintenance, display, reproduction)
w Herpetology
= herpeton (cold blooded terrestrial vertebrates) + ology (study of)
w TWO
groups of organisms, other courses study only one
Areas of Study
w Anatomy
w Physiology
w Behavior
w Reproduction
w Origins
w Evolution
w Taxonomy
w Distribution
w Life
Histories
w Ecology
w Conservation
Classification
w Phylum
Chordata
w Subphylum Vertebrata
w Superclass Agnatha
w Superclass Gnathostomata
w Superclass Tetrapoda
w Class Amphibia
w Class Reptilia
Phylum Chordata
w Notochord
w Dorsal
hollow nerve cord
w gill slits
Subphylum Vertebrata
w Brain
w Cranium
w Vertebrae
w Sense
organs in head
Superclass
Agnatha
w No
jaws
w Cartilaginous
skeleton
w No
ventral fins
w Notochord
w The
“jawless fish” = lampreys and hagfish
Superclass
Gnathostomata
w Jaws
w Paired
ventral fins
w Notochord
or vertebrae
w Cartilaginous
or bony skeleton
w Includes:
•
Class Chondrichthyes
•
Class Osteichthyes
Class Chondrichthyes
w Cartilaginous
skeleton
w No
operculum
w No
swim bladder
w “Cartilaginous
fish” = sharks, skates, rays, and chimaeras
Class Osteichthyes
w Bony
skeleton
w Single
gill opening on each side covered by bony operculum
w Swim
bladder present
w “Bony
fish” = all other fish
Superclass
Tetrapoda
w Typically
limbs ending in 5 digits
w Terrestrial
adaptations:
•
cornified
skin
•
lungs
•
ossified/fused
skeleton & cranium
•
Sternum
w Herps,
birds, & mammals
Herps
vs. other tetrapods
w No
hair or feathers
w Have
sinus venosus in heart
w 3
chambered heart
w 5
pairs of pharyngeal pouches in embryo
w Depend
on external sources for temperature regulation
Approximate Species #:
w Fishlike
vertebrates = 17,000
w Amphibians
= 2400 species
w Reptiles
= 6,000 species
w Birds
= 8600 species
w Mammals
= 3500 species
Class Amphibia
w More
fish-like than other terrestrial vertebrates
w Go
through fish-like stage and metamorphosis to adult
w Moist
thin skin
Amphibian Species #
w Caecilians
= 158 species
w Salamanders
= 303 species
w Frogs
& toads = 1900 species
Class Reptilia
w More
adapted to life on land than amphibians
w Shell
and membranes protect egg from drying out
w Dry,
thick, horny skin, generally with scales
Reptile Species #:
w Turtles
= 320 species
w Tuatara
= 1 species
w Lizards
= 3140 species
w Snakes
= 2700 species
w Alligators
and crocodiles = 21 species
Classification within Amphibia and
Reptilia
w Orders
(all end in -a)
w Families (all end in -idae)
w Subfamilies (all end in
-inae)
w Genera
w Species
Species
w A
group of animals which can breed with each other and produce fertile offspring
w
Species: Rana pipiens
and Crotalus viridis
w
Subspecies: Crotalus viridis viridis
w Abbreviations
in writing
Herps
in Society
w Why
don’t people know about these animals?
w What
value do they have in human society?