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Issue #2 Volume #3

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Beauty is in the Toes of the Beholder
by Grady Calhoun, The Greater Cincinnati Herpetological Society.
Geckoes are arguably the most fascinating, beautiful, and diverse group of reptiles in existence. The range of these lizards includes nearly the entire earth, with diversehabitats ranging from lush, tropical rain forests to hot, arid deserts. One of the primary means of differentiating the many different genera of geckoes is by the shape of their toes. The term "dactylus," for which geckoes are named, refers to toes. The table below, from the book Geckoes, by Henkel and Schmidt, renders the LAtin-derived genus into an English translation.

  • Blaseodactylus=Spread-fingered
  • Carphodactylus=Thin-fingered
  • Chondrodactylus=Granular-fingered
  • Coleodactylus=Shield-fingered
  • Crendactylus=Notch-fingered
  • Cyrtodactylus=Curve-fingered
  • Diplodactylus=Double-fingered
  • Gymnodactylus=Naked-fingered
  • Hemidactylus=Semi-fingered
  • Hemiphyllodactylus=
    Semi-leaf-fingered
  • Holodactylus=Scale-fingered
  • Lygodactylus=Twig-fingered
  • Pachydactylus=Thick-fingered
  • Phyllodactylus=Leaf-fingered
  • Pseudothecadactylus=
    False-fan-fingered
  • Ptydactylus=Split-fingered
  • Rhacodactylus=Web-fingered
  • Saurodactylus=Lizard-fingered
  • Sphaerodactylus=Ball-fingered
  • Thecadactylus=Fan-fingered

The prefixes of many of these names are used in naming a great many other animals. For example, Pachydactylus means thick-fingered; the elephant is known as a Pachyderm, or thick-skinned. There is actually a method to the madness of classifying many of our herpetological interests, and if studied a bit, these systems make some sense. Some of the common names of animals are derived from the scientific name. Can anyone guess the common name for the reptile whose Latin name is Iguanaiguana?

Sources:
Henkel and Schmidt. Geckoes. Malabar, FL: Krieger, 1995.

Should your cat go outdoors ?


by Lynne Thomas

A man called to inquire about adopting/purchasing a kitten from me. He and his entire family were grieving over their beloved pet cat who had been recently been killed by a car in front of their house. When I asked him why the cat was outside, he replied " well, we have a big back yard." Obviously, these people would not qualify to have one of my kittens unless the untimely and avoidable death of their cat had taught them a lesson. If they would commit to keep any new cat safely indoors for its entire life, and sign my contract which makes this demand, then I would consider them as prospective buyers ( as long as they met all my other criteria).

Here are my reasons for my stand on this issue:

  • Cats that go outside have a three to five year life expectancy. You can expect your indoor cat to live an average of thirteen to sixteen years.

  • If your cats have your house as their territory, they are more bonded to you and make better, more loving pets.

  • Cats frequently get stolen and many are sold to laboratories for experimental use. A person once told me that she found a lovely Siamese cat on the street and she liked the cat and so she just took her home ( and kept her inside, I might add).

  • Cats get hit by cars, injured by other animals, tortured by sickos, lost, poisoned, locked in sheds or garages.

  • Your cat might get bitten by another cat with feline leukemia (felv.), Feline infectious peritonitis (f.i.p.) or feline immuno-deficiency virus (f.i.v.). If this happens, you will likely loose your kitty to a horrible viral disease even if you have had her vaccinated.

  • Your cat will probably bring home fleas. Cats get tapeworm from fleas. Once your home is infested with these pests, their eggs can take up to two years to hatch.

  • Your cat can get many other parasites and illnesses from contact with outdoor animals, including ringworm which is a fungal skin infection that humans can get.

You don't let your children play on the highway. Why should you send your cats outside to face all of these perils?

If you take your cat out on a harness and leash, you are not protecting her and not doing her a favor. I have never met a cat who could not wriggle out of one of these contraptions and... Bye bye kitty.

Also, someday someone will come to your door and inadvertently let the cat out, not realizing that it's not allowed out unescorted and... Bye bye kitty. This happened to a man who called me after his precious abysinnian bolted out and into the road and into the path of an oncoming car. He described his horror as he watched his 'best buddy' die in an instant. The distraught gentleman is sure that if he had not allowed the cat out on a leash, the cat would not have run outside.

Truthfully, my cats have never gone out and they never even try. I have sold many kittens over the years to be strictly kept indoors and I can only think of two who have been front door bolters ( one of them belongs to my vet ). This is only one of many cat-related issues that I am fanatical about. Please keep your beloved cat safe and inside and on your lap.

The Use of the Airline Crate in Housebreaking a Puppy


by Susan Thorpe-Vargas

By taking advantage of two canine behavior traits, the job of housebreaking a puppy can become much easier. The first of these behaviors may be inherited, and stems from the fact that Canids are considered denning animals. They prefer to sleep, whelp, and raise their pups in a confined area. The second of these behaviors is learned from the mother. Once the weaning process has started, the mother patiently instructs the puppies not to defecate or urinate in the 'den'. Prior to this time, she kept the area clean by eating the feces and licking the puppies to keep them groomed.

Thus the airline crate, becomes a pseudo-den for the dog, and the perfect solution to the problem of housebreaking a puppy. No matter what good intentions one might have, it is unreasonable to expect that one could watch a puppy every minute that it is inside the house. We get distracted, and that is exactly when "accidents" happen. Unfortunately, it is useless to discipline a dog after the fact. The most effective training occurs while the dog is 'thinking' about performing a certain act. One of the behavior clues that indicate defecation or urination is about to take place is that the dog tends to sniff the ground and move in a circular manner. By confining the puppy to its" den", it is not necessary to be constantly alert to these behaviors. Not only does the puppy have the security of his own place, but the owner can then choose when and where the animal will eliminate as the puppy will not want to foul its own nest. One must be careful about not confining puppies for too long as their ability to defer elimination is limited by their immaturity. One can expect a seven-week puppy to go know longer than two hours during the day without a chance to relieve itself. Longer periods during the night can be expected, but it should be remembered that this is a baby, and so expect to get up at least once during the night to take the puppy out. The puppy should also be allowed a chance to eliminate after it has had food or water, after waking from a nap, or after playing.

When taking the puppy out of the crate, be sure to carry it outside before placing it on the ground so that no accidents happen in the home. It is a good idea. also, to announce to the dog that "Its time to go potty" or what ever you choose to use. When the dog does relieve itself in the designated area, praise it profusely in a happy tone of voice and pet it. If the puppy has been named, use the name...the sooner the dog associates its name with pleasant events, the easier further training will become. The dog will link the word you use for elimination to the act, and this will come in handy when traveling and stopping at rest stops. When on the road, using the crate in the car is an excellent idea, as it takes the place of a safety belt. I have a horror of getting into an accident, the doors popping open, and my dog getting loose on the freeway. Also, motels are more likely to allow your pet if you tell them the animal is crated.

Clearly, the crate is a valuable tool for housebreaking a puppy. It provides a safe place for the puppy to spend a good portion of its time in a situation that reinforces the canine's own inherent need to den. It prevents accidents from happening in the house so that inappropriate behaviors are not reinforced. Finally, it helps the dog and owner to establish a line of communication and understanding as the dog associates the spoken language of the owner with specific commands, praise and disciplinary words.


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