CARE OF CAPTIVE ANIMALS — WALKER 335 



In general, only a single animal should be placed in a shipping 

 crate or compartment in a crate. Often animals that would get 

 along nicely together in large quarters under normal quiet sur- 

 roundings will fight and injure each other when placed in close 

 quarters and subjected to the irritations and excitement of transpor- 

 tation. Many entirely unnecessary losses occur by crowding animals 

 together under such conditions. If two animals are accustomed to 

 being together and they are especially fond of each other, it is some- 

 times safe to send them in this manner. A safer way, however, of 

 permitting them to have the benefit of companionship and at the 

 same time not take risks on their fighting, is to place them in the same 

 crate with a partition between. The partition should be of such 

 small mesh that the animals cannot get their toes, tails, or ears into 

 the adjoining compartment where they might be injured. 



The size of the crate for shipping animals is subject to great 

 variation, depending upon the kind of animal and the length of the 

 trip. In all cases, however, the crate should be large enough so 

 that the animal can take its normal position without being crowded. 

 Under no circumstances should the crate be so small that the animal 

 must be shoved into it and compelled to hold itself in a strained 

 position. It should be unnecessary to mention such a subject, but 

 occasionally it is found that animals have actually been shipped 

 under such conditions. The larger animals, such as horses, cattle, 

 and large antelope, are most often shipped in crates that are slightly 

 more than the length of the animals, and suflSciently high so that the 

 animal does not injure its head against the top, and but little wider 

 than the body so that the animal cannot turn around in it. However, 

 if the animal is to go on a long trip, it is desirable that the crate be 

 large enough so that it can move about freely. In some instances, 

 animals in narrow crates have thrown themselves over backwards, 

 landed on their back and been unable to get up. 



Most of the small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and some birds 

 regularly take shelter if they have the opportunity to do so. It is 

 therefore an excellent plan to provide in the shipping crate a small 

 box with appropriate nest material so that the animal can go into it 

 and feel secure and sheltered. This greatly facilitates cleaning the 

 cage, for the animal will soon learn to stay in the box while the cage 

 is being cleaned, or if it does not do this, it is an easy matter to close 

 the entrance to the box while such work is being done. Pains should 

 be taken to make certain that animals can keep themselves clean and 

 dry. This is sometimes accomplished by providing a shelf slightly 

 above the floor, on which the animal can repose much of the time, or 

 by furnishing a wire-mesh bottom to the cage. Occasionally such 

 animals as beavers and other semi aquatic creatures are shipped with 



