Toucans,Toucanets and Aracaris (General Info)
Modified: 30-11--0001 00:00:00
Toucans are members of the family Ramphastidae and are found exclusively in the neotropical regions of Latin America. They are forest dwellers, and range from the coastal rainforests of Brazil to the high altitude cloud forests of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru at elevations as high as 2700 metres(almost 9,000 feet) They are found in every country from Mexico to Argentina, except Chile.
Toucans are intelligent, curious, and entertaining. While they are not able to mimic human speech, they are playful, enjoy exploring their surroundings, will sit on your shoulder or a perch, and may be taught to perform tricks including playing catch.
Toucanets and aracaris are smaller versions of the large toucans. Though the varieties differ in size and cost, they are very similar in personality The smaller toucenets and aracaris are much more affordable than the large toucans.
TOUCANS AS PETS
Toucans make great pets. They are friendly, cuddly, playful, intelligent and curious about their surroundings. They like to play with toys and with their owners and will give you hours of wonderful companionship. They will sit on your shoulder, cuddle in your lap, and when contented will purr like a kitten(True!)
They won?t talk like a parrot, but they lack all the negative traits of parrots too. They don?t bite with the crushing power of a beak made to eat seed and nuts. They don?t scream. They don?t chew things like the new couch, and they are less allergenic, as they don?t have feather dander.
BUYING A TOUCAN
If a pet quality bird is desired, a handfed youngster is the best way to go. Toucans make great pets. They are intelligent, alert, and curious. They can be taught tricks, including rolling over, playing catch with a small ball, free flying and taking objects from one person to another, etc. They are as trainable as a parrot and only your imagination will determine the limits of their capabilities. Pet toucans also will gladly ride around on your shoulder. They love to be scratched on the back of the head and neck, and will enjoy cuddling just like a cockatoo.
If breeding toucans is the desired goal, then wild or parent reared birds are preferable, since handreared birds may have become imprinted on humans, making them less successful as breeders. It is possible to turn pet birds into breeders at a later date, however males tend to be aggressive toward the young, which may then have to be removed from the nest for handrearing.
HOUSING
Toucans, can be housed indoors or out. A large cage or flight is essential for their helath and happiness, we recommend at the bare minimum the same size cage indoor asused for a cockatoo, bigger if possible. If kept outside, an aviary should be at least 8? x 12? x 6? for all types, toucanets and toucans.
Toucans are much better of if nto wing clipped as they lack the powerfull beak of a parrot to assist with climbing. If you must clip, ensure they have lots of easily negotiable perches so their mobility in the cage is not limited.
Toucans, toucanets, and occasionally the aracaris may be a little intolerant of other species in their family and with smaller birds, and therefore should not be housed with different birds unless the aviary is suitably large that they can avoid close company.
Aracaris are docile compared to the larger toucans, and can more readily be housed with small birds in a planted aviary, though again not with finch sized birds.
When birds are introduced to each other for the first time, it is imperative to keep an eye on them for several hours to insure the birds are compatible. It will be immediately apparent if they are not. They. Will. Bight
Toucans are reasonably weather tolerant but like any animal, need shelter if its freezing or sweltering. Provide shade and shelter in their cage.
DIET
Think fruit. Lots of it. In the wild they consume fruits from as many as 100 species of plants and trees. They also consume a variety of insects for protein, especially during their nesting cycle.
While it is impossible to even approximate their wild diet, they can easily be properly fed. Fruit will make up the bulk of their diet. have evolved a specialized digestive system to process fruit, and they get most of their moisture from fruit, not from drinking water. For that reason, toucans must be fed fresh fruit EVERY DAY! Seeds, on the other hand, MUST NOT be fed.
Papayas are perfect as the primary fruit, bananas, grapes, and blue berries are a good addition. Go for a mix of 70% papaya, 20% banana, and the rest in grapes and berries. Rockmelon can be substituted for papaya
Most fruits are good for Toucans, but the above fruits are good as they are available all year round, and you need not wait for your toucan to accamplitise to a new diet when new fruits are introduced. Best to stay away from citrus, and can be too acid and the acid may have an effect on the iron) they absorb(they absorp too much causing health problems. Pet stores usually also sell softbill feeds and supplements.
Toucans can get sick if they absorb too much iron so no grains at any time should be fed. Low iron, high fruit diets is what these birds need
Fresh water should be provided at all times, though you toucan will tend to play with it, rather than drink it, fruit providing the majority of their fluids.
HEALTH PROBLEMS
Toucans, toucanets, and aracaris are fairly hardy birds. They have a life span of approximately 20 years, and the record is 26. If obtained free of serious disease they should have peace and long life.
They are susceptible to certain diseases when exposed and when under stress. Most commonly, they can contract E. coli, salmonella, and yersinia-- all bacterial infections which are easily treated.
Toucans are also susceptible to internal parasites such as roundworms, proventricular worms, and capillaria worms--all of which can cause death.
These worms damage the gastrointestinal tract. Fortunately, they lay eggs almost constantly, which can be identified during a fecal exam. The worms are easily eradicated with a dewormer. Worms are initially acquired when the bird eats contaminated food, or insects which serve as the intermediate host for a particular parasite.
As mentioned under diet, iron storage disease is a dietary disease involving the accumulation of iron. it is difficult to both disagnose or treat, so best practice is to prevent it
The only other health concern of import is the possibility of gout, which is a nutritionally related problem resulting from overingesfion of minerals, primarily calcium.
Ariel Toucan
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