Alphaxalone/alphadolone anaesthesia in reptiles.

The use of alphaxalone/alphadolone in 40 reptiles of 13 species is described. In lizards and chelonians the effect of the drug combination varied from sedation to deep anaesthesia, depending on the dose. For other reasons, the effect in snakes varied, from none at all to deep anaesthesia. No fatalities occurred and there were no apparent clinical side effects in healthy reptiles. The results are discussed and attention is drawn to the apparently equivocal results in snakes.