Gastrointestinal tracts of The distinct characteristics of the digestive system of several reptiles.

Acanthosaura crucigera Gehyra vorax

- Auto-enzymatic insectivore. - Auto-enzymatic omnivore. - Only eats live prey. - Diet consists of a wide variety - Gut-load prey 24h – 36h of insects, other , fruits, prior to feeding. vegetables and pollen. - Feed on dish to avoid - Gut-load prey items 24h prior lethal intestinal impaction. 1x1 cm to feeding. 1x1 cm - Chitinous insects should be the - Feed on dish, do not use substrate bulk of the diet, mix with soft that contains large chunks. insects to add variety and is prone to lethal intestinal provide enough nutrients and minerals. impaction. (see bowel obstruction on photo)

Pogona vitticeps Boa constrictor

- Auto-enzymatic omnivore. - Auto-enzymatic carnivore. - Diet at < 1 year old: - Digestion takes 4-6 days. 70% insects, 30% plants. - After eating it can take weeks - Diet at > 1 year old: or months before it eats again. 30% insects, 70% plants. - Feed in different container. - Gut-load prey insects 24h - Do not handle 24h after eating prior to feeding. or it might regurgitate. - Prey items should fit between - Prey should not be wider than 1x1 cm 5x5 cm the eyes. the boa’s midsection. Trachemys scripta Leiocephalus schreibersi

- Auto-enzymatic omnivore. - Auto-enzymatic omnivore. - Juveniles are mostly - Primarily insectivorous. carnivorous. - Prefers chitinous prey. 1x1 cm - Adults are mostly - Prey items should not be 1x1 cm herbivorous. bigger than half the width - Diet consists of a wide variety of the ’s head. of insects, plants, crustaceans, - Feed on a dish to avoid gastropods and also opportunistically substrate ingestion, species is fish, amphibians or aquatic snakes. susceptible to lethal intestinal - May also show necrophagous behaviour. impaction.

Sources: A. crucigera photo: aquaportail.com B. constrictor photo: piperbasenji.blogspot.nl Design & photos gut systems A. crucigera text: herptiles.consulnetjdm.dyndns.org B. constrictor text: animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu G. vorax photo: hippocampus-bildarchiv.de T. scripta photo: .memozee.com courtesy of Jonno Stelder G. vorax text: reptilescanada.com T. scripta text: issg.org & M.J. Dreslik (1999) University of Applied Sciences P. vitticeps photo: apistogramma.pl L. schreibersi photo: reptilia.nl Hogeschool VHL Leeuwarden P. vitticeps text: beardeddragoncaresheet.weebly.com L. schreibersi text: herptiles.consulnetjdm.dyndns.org The Netherlands