I have some ideas, and I'm currious what everyone else thinks. If nothing else, this should make for an interesting exchange of ideas.
I know that we are learning all the time about the nessecity of bacteria in reptile digestive systems, such as the presence of salmonela in iguanas. But what has been learned about this subject concerning Indigos? Have any serious studies been done on the bacterial inhabitants in the digestive systems of wild Indigos, i.e, what kinds of bacteria are present? What levels? And how, and if these bacterial levels change as the animal grows? Which ones are good and which are bad?
The reason I pose these questions, is that I have a theory regarding this issue. Since it has been determined that certain levels of certain types of bacteria are needed in other reptiles, it stands to reason that the same could be said about Indigos as well. It seems to me, it would be benificial to both wild and captive bred animals, to learn as much as possible about these levels. In order to better understand the needs, in particular, dietary/digestive needs of these animals. I hope someone will take a closer look at these levels in wild animals first, to draw a base line. Then seperate out which bacteria are helpful, and which are not. We could use this information to bolster the health of the entire community by manipulating internal bacterial levels to insure proper digestion. Perhaps we could even learn to use this information to do the same in wild populations, O.K.,...now I'm reaching ,I know, but this information could be very useful. I think.
Well there it is guys. What can you tell us about this one?
Tony.
