Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
1.21.4.15 - Rodents and Mammalian Wildlife - Coggle Diagram
1.21.4.15 - Rodents and Mammalian Wildlife
commonly treated mammalian wildlife
rabbits
rodents
hedgehog
squirrels
injuries e.g. cat or dog attacks, strimmer wounds, borken legs etc.
disease e.g. myxomatosis, endoparasites, respiratory infection etc.
kits and pups e.g. genuine or assumed abandonment
wildlife rehabilitation
treatment and temporary care of injured, diseased and displaced indigenous animas and the subsequent release of healthy animals to appropriate habitats in the wild
arguments against
death is a part of nature
wrong for humans to interfere
only focuses on individual wellbeing, doesn't consider wider ecosystem or population level perspecitve
arguments for
maintaining the food chain is crucial for ecosystem balance
individuals are important when supporting endangered or ulnerable wildlife
humans play a hue role in harming welfare and health of wild animals
less commonly treated mammalian wildlife
badgers
foxes
deer
disease e.g. renal disease, endoparasites, respiratory infection
injuries e.g. traps, RTA, fighting, dog attacks etc.
cubs e.g. genuine or assumed abandonment
safe handling
safety of the animal
safety of handler
zoonotic diseases
leptosporosis
giardia
ringworm
salmonella
TB
toxoplasma
rodents
latex gloves prevent zoonoses
same as handling pet/lab rodents but they are more likely to bite
squirrels
often freeze and breath hold or will act aggreively
caught using nets, wire cones or squeeze cages designed for cats
can but throguh thick gauntlet leather, metal containing gloves restrict grip too much
hedgehogs
latex gloves to protect from zoonoses e.g. ringworm
uncurling methods: stroke spines from the neck to rump or hold them with their head facing down just above a table
easy to catch, they ball up when scared/escaping
deer
care needed with horn/antlers
seek specialist adivce
cover eye and use cargo nets
requires proper equipment
approach recumbent deer with caution
rabbits
prevent them form jumping out your hands
unlikely to bite but may kick with hindlegs
similar hadling to pet rabbits
foxes and badgers
never hold by tail
conscious restraint kept to a minimum
caught by box/net
sedate to reduce stress
aggressive when trying to escape
scruff or muzzle
full barrier nursing PPE
triage
to differentiate between wildlife that have a good chance of survival and eventual release and those requiring immediate euthanasia
questions to ask honestly
good chance of success?
how long will recovery take?
do we have appropriate facilities/resources/money?
rehabilitation plan
treatment and rehabilitation period prior to release
euthanasia (immediate or after diagnostics/re-assessment)
treatment and immediate or next day release
death despite treatment
captive housing
in-practice setups
hides, shelters and fresh drinking water always available
hygiene: daily clean and disinfect
newspaper, towels, hay, straw
barier nursing
quiet, warm, secure, away from predators
rehabilitation setups
separate areas for different species
inside and outside housing
feeding method to avoid human interaction
secure paddocks for larger speices
CCTV monitoring
same as hospital setup with additions
captive diet
insectivores: earth worms, maggots or mealworms
use the most appropriate food you have available
herbirvores: weeds or bought salad/vegetables, seeds, grain
carnivores: road killed wildlife and earthworms or bought in chicks and mice
mimic natural diet as much as possible
captivity caused diseases
capture myopathy
wild deer that are manually restrained
natural mechanisms to hasten death and reduce pain
capture shock
endoparasites
however when they ill the worms burden can become unbalanced
all wild animals brought into captivity are routinely tested for worms/parasites
all wild animals naturally have some parasite burden
pre-release assessment
adapt to weather conditions?
reproduce?
find and defend territory?
hibernate?
hunt/forage for food?
migrate?
avoid predators?
legalitties
grey quirrels
muntjac deer
location
fighting
hunting
resources
staged release vs hard release
legalities
wildlife and countryside act
schedule 9
grey squirrels and muntjac deer are no longer releasable
common captive rodents
laboratory
wildlife and cosnervation
pets
children's pets & breeders
captive rodent behaviour
foraging
hide/scattering food
sandbathing
degus, chinchillas, gerbils
burrowing and nest building
deep substrate
nest building materials
nest boxes and hides
exercise
hamsters up to 10km each night
exercise wheels
gnawing
single pair of continuously growing incisors
cage design
dental issues
jumping/climbing
enrichments e.g.g ladders, mesh
foraging, predator avoidance
social interaction
species appropriate
compatible
thigmotaxis
new environments
hibernation/torpor
deep sleep <4º
room temp >15º
food carrying
excessive cheek pouches
daily husbandry
enclosure
multi-levles
solid floors with substrate
easy to clean
ventilation and humidity
gnaw-proof housing
lighting
enrichment
nest building materials
wheels
substrates
feeding methods
hides
ability to compartmentalise
try to encourage natural behaviours
captive rodent nutrition
not seed based or muesli diet
obesity
nutritional deficiencies
selective eating
small amount of treats e.g. nuts, seeds, fruit vegetables
pellet based diet
rodent health problems due to captivity
dental disease
incisors
gastrointestinal disease
rehoming
stress
overcrowding
poor husbandry
bumblefoot
surfaces
hygiene
obesity
respiratory disease
mixed infections
ventialtion and cleanlinesss
dust-free bedding
quarantine new arrivals
trauma
poor handling techniques
enclosure design/maintenance
fighting
hedgehog behaviour
warmer winters cause hedgehogs to wake up during foodless seasons
too small to hibernate - autumn juveniles
loss of habitat in gardens with fences
not able to escape
day activity is a sign of ill health or inability to find food
nocturnal
hibernate Jan-Mar