Abstract
Data on captive husbandry, medicine, and anesthesia of both aardvarks and pangolins in captivity are very limited. The aardvark (Orycteropus afer) is the only living representative of the order Tubulidentata. Their natural habitat is confined to Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. Aardvarks are extremely strong animals with an incredibly powerful kick. A variety of anesthetic agents have been used successfully in aardvarks. Combination of ketamine and medetomidine intramuscularly is currently one of the most widely used anesthetic protocols. Dental disease is by far the most common medical problem reported in captive aardvarks. Occasionally, females are extremely restless and do not allow their infants to nurse sufficiently or injure them inadvertently. Animals belonging to the order pholidota include one genus (Manus) and seven species, and are often referred to as scaly anteaters. Pangolins attain a weight of 4-27 kg, with males being larger than females.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Zoo Animal and Wildlife Immobilization and Anesthesia |
| Subtitle of host publication | Second Edition |
| Publisher | Wiley-Blackwell |
| Pages | 539-542 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781118792919 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780813811833 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 15 2014 |
Keywords
- Aardvarks
- Pangolins
- Pholidota
- Tubulidentata
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Veterinary