Hi, everyone!
This week has been just awsome!! We had this optional course of the anatomy of wildlife and exotic pets. We studied the anatomy of all kinds of exotic pets a small animal vet can get in touch with and also some more exotic wild animals a vet usually doesn't get to do with. Though I like the idea of an elephant or a giraffe in my clinic <3
Did you know a rabbit has a huge colon? It fermentates their food a bit like a horse...
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Kuva: nlabies.nl |
The picture above isn't so good... Beneath is the abdomen of a rabbit. G is the colon, E is the stomach, I suppose and D stands for the liver. With the others I'm not sure...
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It has been a long time since I have been in the dissection room so I was really eager to work with the scalpel :) We opened a wide range of different animals.
After seeing rats and gerbiles opened I don't wonder anymore, why many veterinarians refuse to treat little animals. The inner life of a rat is so tiny that the risk of an operation are quite big...
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Oh and we get to dissect an hedgehog too! A skinned hedgehog resembles a bit a squirrel :) It has a funny muscle going around itself. With help of this muscle it can roll itself to a ball when it is scared.
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eol.org |
I did not find a better picture than that:
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The greatest and most special animal though was the seal. You can only imagine my enthusiasm when we carefully opened the animal studying every detail of it. Even the teacher was walking around with his camera taking pictures of this special event. You don't get the opportunity to open a baby-seal every day. Yes, it was a young seal found dead at the beach. It even had some of it's fetal blood vessels left!
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http://www.kauaimonkseal.com/AboutTheSeals.html |
Yesterday it was the bird day. We opened owls, parrots and some other wild living birds. These are amazing creatures, how they are desined for flying. Their bones are hollow in the middle, whitch makes the bird very light. It's lungs end up in air sacs, whitch are very special. Actually the whole respiration-system of birds is very genious.
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It was hard to find a good dissection picture of a bird, here is something I found. The thing marked with C is the air sac...
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instruction.cvhs.okstate.edu |
In the picture we have an owl, like the one my group opened.
I did my presentation of giraffes. These are the most amazing creatures, you have to believe me! Unfortunately we didn't get the opportunity to dissect a giraffe though, haha. Did you know that the blood pressure of a giraffe can be as high as 350 mmHg? Anyway artherosclerosis is extremely seldom, so the vessels of giraffes are really unique.
An interesting fact is, that a giraffe's neck can weight up to 270 kg. Anyway, it doesn't take any energy to hold the neck up, because it has an extremely powerful nucheal ligament. It pulls the neck of a giraffe upwards, so it does not have to use any muscles if it raises it's head after drinking for example.
I found an interesting video about dissecting a giraffe. I like especially 5.33 where they try out how strong the nucheal ligament is.
And a giraffes tongue can stretch as much as 46 cm and a giraffe can eat leaves from six meters high!
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Hey, and do you know why a giraffe has spots?
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Kuva: V. Kaspari, S. Hilsberg: Warum hat die Giraffe Flecken, 2005, Zoo Frankfurt |
Some people made some research and made a photo of the spots with an thermal Imaging camera. In the picture you can see clearly, that the center of the spot is warmer than the areas with light fur. The spots of a giraffe help the animal to regulate body temperature.
Look what I found while googling pictures! Wanna some of these! I think I have to dig for my hook and wool! <3
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Well, that's it for now. It's getting dark and my dog is hyperenergetic, once again :P Also do I have to study for my exam on monday - general bacteriology, second efford 'cos I failed it the last time :( I just can't remember these damn antibiotics, I can't even spell their name let alone remember what kills what kind of bacteria and whitch drugs are antagonists with each other.
Aaaaaah, it's gonna be a loooooong weekend :P :P
I remember when my brother was still a student he always scared me using his staff and now he is licensed exotic animal veterinarian now I can say I'm so proud of him and even he so bully, he make sure that he will be successful vet. in our town.
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