Post #14001

Can a reptile become obese? Look at this red tegu and his cute chubby cheeks. You look at him, and it’s as if you don’t need to read the article further - and it’s clear that fat reptiles are already among us. Only you have fallen into a trap. This tegu has normal weight and normal proportions for its species; the same animals can be found in the wild. Another example is leopard geckos with their amazingly thick tails. Just imagine - the thickness of the tail of an average gecko is approaching the thickness of the entire body! It’s as if a cat, instead of an elegant fluffy tail, had a huge sausage hanging from it, outweighing the animal itself! And yet the animal is completely healthy and feels great - there is no sign of obesity here. However, no one has canceled the law of conservation of matter (namely matter!). If a lizard consumes more calories than it can expend, then the excess simply has to be deposited somewhere. And if there are more of them than the body is able to support, then this results in obesity with all the ensuing problems. But it can be very difficult for a person to distinguish an overfed animal from a normal one. After all, reptiles are a very ancient and diverse group of animals, whose representatives have learned to store fat in a variety of places in their bodies. Unlike mammals, which store reserves in the abdomen and on the sides in the vast majority of cases. I'll tell you even more - many reptiles are much more vulnerable to obesity than mammals. Since their metabolism can be 20-30 times lower than that of a human, such animals allow themselves the unprecedented luxury of eating 1-2 times a month. Needless to say that, when in overly caring hands, such pets naturally burst from obesity and overeating? And the most unpleasant thing is that mantras like “the animal itself feels how much it needs” do not work at all. In the wild, every organism is obliged to take the maximum, because after a moment of abundance there may come long weeks of hunger. Therefore, protect your pets from overeating, no matter whether they wear wool, sport bright feathers or are covered with scales. Author: Yaroslav Ilyin 🏀 Hit the hoop and get an NFT gift — https://t.me/BasketbolX_bot