Context Reptiles partition their activity among their microhabitats for thermoregulatory,
predatory, and refuge opportunities. We investigated whether a habitat specialist, the …

Zoos and aquariums are culturally and historically important places where families enjoy
their leisure time and scientists study exotic animals. Many contain buildings of great …

Loss of adipose tissue in vertebrate wildlife species is indicative of decreased nutritional and
health status and is linked to environmental stress and diseases. Body condition indices …

Capital breeders are animals that breed with the stored energy they have gathered prior to
the reproductive event. The amount of energy stored by a given individual can be quantified …

The discovery of the fungal pathogen Ophidiomyces ophidiicola (Oo), the aetiologic agent of
Snake Fungal Disease (SFD), has raised a growing interest in the North American and …

Ophidiomycosis (snake fungal disease) is caused by the fungal pathogen Ophidiomyces
ophidiicola, which causes dermal lesions, occasional systemic infections, and in some …

Clinical assessment of body condition is crucial in captive and free-ranging reptiles, since a
large percentage of diseases result from inadequate nutrition. However, preventive health …

The world of exotic companion animals is great and ever expanding. It includes a large
variety of families, genera, and species, all of which have very different dietary requirements …

Background Environmental nontuberculous mycobacteria species that are not members of
the M. tuberculosis complex, are ordinary inhabitants of a wide variety of environmental …

Obesity is common in captive reptiles, and reptiles are increasingly popular as companion
animals and in physiological research. Obesity may present a challenge during surgical …