FASCINATING FACT

Bearded Dragons and Atadenovirus

Agamid Atadenovirus-1 (BDAdV-1) is often discussed as a life-threatening and very serious disease. It is a type of Adenovirus and causes diarrhoea, lethargy and weight loss in many species and has been attributed to the death of a whole range of captive reptiles. In the latter stages, it presents in the form of physical stretching of the head upwards (stargazing) and can cause animals to flip onto their backs, possibly due to neurological damage. Veterinarians have been concerned with this illness for some time, but emerging research is beginning to de-bunk the causes of this disease in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps).

Similar observations have been made of Iridovirus in wild bearded dragons, with many individuals living happily with the disease. Male specimens that tested positive actually presented as ‘healthier’ than the others based on their robustness and weight. This suggests that the symptoms we observe in captivity could arise from subpar husbandry as opposed to a new wave of lizard pandemics. Naturally, veterinarians will be exposed solely to captive animals and screen only those that show signs of ill-health. It is therefore vitally important that keepers practise good biosecurity and prevent issues with correct care.

on waterfowl. So far, of the turtles we have assessed, we have not noticed any signs of aggression towards birds or their eggs. In the case of grebes (Podiceps cristatus), it is possible that when a turtle pulls itself onto a basking site, it might cause the mother to leave the nest, but we need to understand more about this with further research.”

“Terrapins such as red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta) are invasive globally. Their main impact is on native turtles, which is not an issue in the UK. The European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) was native in the UK some 9000 years ago, but since its extinction there are currently no native turtles in the UK.”

Members of the public should record the following details before submitting the vital observation record to www. turtletally.co.uk Date, time, location (what3words, grid reference or address with description) and number of turtles seen. It is important to send a photo if possible, to aid identification.

Although it is likely that non-native turtles have a reasonably low ecological impact, the welfare of these released animals is paramount. Citizens who report their sightings will be helping to protect local ecosystems as well as the general wellbeing of these much-loved turtles. As such, Exotics Keeper Magazine will be running a competition throughout the year to encourage citizens to get on board with the Turtle Tally.

As most sightings tend to halt in October, those who report a sighting to turtletallyuk@gmail.com (www. turtletally.co.uk) and share proof (via screenshot, or sighting details) to hello@exoticskeeper.com between now and October will be entered into a draw to win a prize bundle tailored specifically for their pets or interests, worth over £100. Entries will be collated through summer and a winner will be announced later in the year.

Firstly, it is important to note that this disease is extremely contagious and thus any instance of Adenovirus within a captive collection should be treated with the utmost severity. It is spread through faecal matter and the impact of the disease in other species is unknown. However, field research conducted on over 100 Central bearded dragons in New South Wales found that Atadenovirus is widespread and presents no ill effects in wild dragons. Furthermore, the disease is also widespread in wild Gila monsters (Heloderma suspectum) suggesting that both genera have evolved to live with this strain of Adenovirus since their ancestral split millions of years ago.

If an animal is already showing symptoms of poor health, it is important to take them to an exotics vet immediately.

Provision of calcium

Enrichment is the pinnacle of good animal welfare. It converts husbandry goals from “keeping an animal alive”, to “allowing the animal to thrive”. Enrichment is a broad term and a multi-faceted approach is key. Enrichment doesn’t just benefit the animal but gives us keepers new and exciting ways to interact or observe our animals. In this new monthly feature, EK discusses some of the best enrichment ideas that are being used today. Please submit your own ideas to thomas@exoticskeeper.com.

As we have discussed previously in Exotics Keeper, enrichment is now an important cornerstone in the foundation of captive herpetoculture. It allows animals to thrive and not just survive, going above and beyond the bare requirements to keep an animal just physically healthy. Many forms of enrichment are inspired by their natural lifestyles, since replicating ‘life history’ as best as we can with the knowledge and equipment have is the obvious route to bringing out the innate behaviours in our animals.

We know that calcium is important in the diet of reptiles and amphibians for bone, reproductive, immune and nerve health (to scratch just the surface). Many keepers of reptiles such as insectivorous lizards will opt to provide 24/7 access to calcium in a small dish or bottle cap. While this is absolutely fine, a creative and perhaps more ‘nature-inspired’ way to do this is to use a small rock (sterilised if taken from outside), dipping it in water, and coating one side. Many wild animals will lick rocks that have mineral deposits to get additional calcium. Plus, this way, you can change a small amount of fresh calcium each week by just washing and re-coating, rather than wasting a lot of calcium in a bowl (which some lizards will inevitably dig in and make a mess of).

• Remember to use only calcium for this purpose, without any added D3, since D3 supplementation should be monitored to avoid toxicity – especially when there is access to UVB.

• Consider as well that calcium is also naturally obtained through the diet, and because the plants and livefoods we use haven’t absorbed as big a nutrient content as wild-growing counterparts, it is still beneficial and recommended to both gut load and dust food with calcium and additional vitamins where appropriate.

For tortoises, providing calcium blocks is a great way to play to their natural instincts. Most will relish a good munch on a block of calcium, and this keeps their beaks filed down and healthy too. You should still provide supplementation with food as well, but presenting both options can help work around fussy individuals that may turn their nose up at certain foods, especially if they are dusted. A work around is to try adding something palatable like a flower or fruit they love, or even bee pollen.

A monthly treat of a sugary piece of fruit can help the medicine go down, as they say, if it means getting a good multivitamin into their diet, as well as giving them dietary enrichment.

• Do snakes need additional calcium? There isn’t a solid consensus on this. Logically speaking, many snakes on a rodent or avian diet will obtain plenty of calcium as they eat vertebrates, but there are arguments that younger prey have a much lower calcium content. We really can’t know for sure what the mineral and vitamin content of snake food items are, though there are papers that have been written that can give you a base idea on each type. Treat every situation contextually. There is no harm in adding a light sprinkle of calcium and/or a multivitamin intermittently to snake food items, so you could give that a try.