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IGUANA  •  VOLUME 11, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2004 247REPTILE QUARANTINE

The “animals are in quarantine” is a term often used by vet-
erinarians — but what is the purpose of quarantine? Why

is it important to herpetologists? What are the important com-
ponents of an effective quarantine protocol?

Quarantine can serve as a time for animals new to a popu-
lation to adjust to a new environment and diet and to recover
from the stresses of translocation. However, more importantly,
quarantine isolates a sick animal from healthy ones and serves to
prevent the introduction of an infectious disease into one rep-
tile population from another. The introduction could be from
one private or public collection to another, pet shop to a private

collector, one zoo to another, wild caught animals to a captive
population, or captive animals being reintroduced into the wild.
Many infectious diseases pose a risk to reptiles. Because effective
therapy does not exist for many of these disease organisms, pre-
venting their introduction into a population is very important.
Diseases or infectious agents of concern include ticks, mites, coc-
cidiosis, cryptosporidiosis, amoebiasis, roundworms, herpesvirus,
paramyxovirus, mycoplasma, and inclusion body disease.

Reptiles from different regions of the world (e.g., Western
versus Eastern hemispheres) should not be placed in the same
enclosure. Their gastrointestinal tracts may support a different

H U S B A N D R Y

Drawing blood for a complete blood count, chemistries, and serolog-
ical tests should be part of any pre-shipment, post-shipment, and
release from quarantine protocol. Here blood is drawn from a vein on
the underside of the tail of a Mona Island Iguana.

Reptile Quarantine
Tim Reichard, MS, DVM

Animal Health and Nutrition Department, Toledo Zoological Gardens, Toledo, Ohio 43614

Photographs by the author.

Weighing a Mona Island Iguana; body weight is a crude but accurate
indicator of condition. Low weight may indicate poor prior care of a
health problem that must be identified and treated.



flora or suite of organisms, and their immune systems may be
naïve toward each other’s disease organisms.

Quarantined animals must be physically isolated from any
other populations at risk. Ideally, housing is in a separate build-
ing or outside pen. If not in a separate building, animals are suf-
ficiently isolated in order to prevent physical contact, aerosol or
drainage contamination, and transmission of disease-producing
agents via bedding, tools, or other inanimate objects. When fea-
sible, animals should be housed individually. The area should be
self-contained and easy to clean and disinfect. The animal care-
taker should not be in daily contact with the rest of the reptile
collection. If designating a separate caretaker is not feasible, care
for quarantined animals should be scheduled at the end of the
day, after all others are serviced. A separate set of feeding and
cleaning utensils are used only in the quarantine area. Protective
clothing such as disposable gloves, coveralls, and boot covers are
worn at the quarantine location.

When possible, animals should be examined by a veteri-
narian before translocation to quarantine. Shipment and adjust-
ment to new environments stress animals in many ways. Only
healthy animals should be shipped, but this precaution is not
always enforced. Prior to shipping, each animal should be iden-
tified, given a complete physical examination, weighed, feces
checked for parasites, and blood drawn for a complete blood
count, chemistries, and serological tests. Any disease concerns
are addressed before animals are shipped, preferably with a med-
ical history documenting any problems and all treatments.

Upon arrival at the quarantine facility, every animal should
again be examined, weighed, and have its medical history
reviewed. Any transport materials such as crates, cloth bags, and
packing materials are disinfected immediately or discarded. Each
animal is provided a proper thermal and light environment,
shelter, hiding spots, basking locations, appropriate climbing
structures, and enrichment items as appropriate. Introduction

248 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 11, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2004 REICHARD

Corneal lesions, such as on this Mona Island Iguana (Cyclura cornuta
stejnegeri), can be symptomatic of several different health problems that
should be diagnosed and treated during quarantine.

Conducting an ophthalmic examination on a Mona Island Iguana.



IGUANA  •  VOLUME 11, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2004 249REPTILE QUARANTINE

to the diet is done gradually by replacing food items from the
previous diet with new ones.

A quarantine period of at least 90 days is recommended.
This is usually enough time for clinical signs of disease to be
manifested. Ninety days also allows time for seroconversion
(development of antibodies in response to natural infection or
to the administration of a vaccine) in those animals where a sero-
logical test is available to determine if exposure to a disease has
occurred. For example, blood is routinely drawn from snakes
twice during the quarantine period to check for the presence of
antibodies to paramyxovirus. The best program is also one in
which all new animals come into the facility at the same time
and leave at the same time.

During the quarantine period, at least two additional fecal
samples should be evaluated. After animals have adjusted to their
new surroundings, medical tests not completed during the pre-
shipment exam are performed or, in some instances, repeated.
Medical records are updated. Daily observations are recorded for

food consumption, fecal characteristics, abnormal behaviors, and
body condition. An animal that dies in quarantine should be sub-
mitted for a necropsy, including the submission of tissues from
various organs for histopathology evaluation, in order to identify
the cause so that steps can be taken to prevent reoccurrence.

At the end of the quarantine period, animals are weighed
and given another physical examination. Only healthy animals
leave quarantine. If needed, the quarantine period may be
extended until all disease concerns are addressed.

References
Dutton, C. J. 2003. Lizard Pre-Shipment/Quarantine/Preventative Medicine

Guidelines. Personal communication, August 2003.

Jacobson, E. R., P. Morris, T. M. Norton, and K. Wright. 2001. Quarantine.
Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery 11:24–30.

Mader, D. R., 1996. Reptile Medicine and Surgery. W. B. Saunders Company,
Philadelphia.

Reichard, T. A. 2001. Toledo Zoological Society Animal Quarantine
Procedures. Unpublished materials, Toledo Zoo.

Conducting an oral examination on a Mona Island Iguana.




