Physiology of Adaptation and Reproduction of Exotic Animals Housed in Controlled Environment

The course aims to provide students with the main cognitive elements on the physiological mechanisms of adaptation and the management of wild mammals hosted in a controlled environment, paying particular attention to the factors that can threaten the maintenance of homeostasis and the methods to prevent or delete them. The course proposes theoretical and practical approaches, in the form of exercises in the classroom and in the field, for the management of wild animals in different contexts that characterize zoos and wildlife parks, also taking into consideration the methods of assessing the adaptation of the subjects. Students will acquire theoretical and operational skills to understand, analyze and evaluate the problems of the wild animals' hosted in a controlled environment and will be able to apply them to animal management with ethically acceptable and scientifically rigorous methods.

Knowledge and understanding: the student will have to demonstrate the knowledge of the physiological bases of wild mammals' homeostasis.
Knowledge and comprehension skills applied: the student must demonstrate to possess the essential concepts to establish connections between the various topics covered, and in particular the physiology, behavior, and animal welfare, in order to be able to apply this knowledge in the professional life.
Communication skills: the student must demonstrate to be able to use appropriate terminology, which allows him to express the acquired knowledge adequately.
Ability to learn: the student will have to demonstrate to be able, in autonomy, to increase the knowledge of the topics concerning the adaptation of wild animals in a controlled environment.