TY - JOUR
T1 - HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF SPOTTED (CLEMMYS GUTTATA) AND PAINTED (CHRYSEMYS PICTA) TURTLES IN CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A, WITH DETECTION OF A NOVEL ADENOVIRUS
AU - Vincent, Lauren M.
AU - Allender, Matthew C.
AU - Curtis, Annie E.
AU - Garrison, John C.
AU - Lance, Stacey
AU - McFall, Adam
AU - Simmons, Amber
AU - Moorhead, Kaitlin
AU - Adamovicz, Laura
PY - 2024/9/1
Y1 - 2024/9/1
N2 - Freshwater turtles face numerous anthropogenic threats worldwide. Health assessments are a key component of chelonian population assessment and monitoring but are under reported in many species. The purpose of this study was to characterize the health of spotted turtles (Clemmys guttata; n = 30) and painted turtles (Chrysemys picta; n = 24) at Camp Edwards, a military base in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, using physical examinations, hematology, plasma heavy metal analyses, and pathogen surveillance via PCR. Spotted turtles had a high prevalence of carapace (n = 27, 90%) and plastron (n = 14, 46.7%) lesions, and a previously undescribed adenovirus was detected in three animals (proposed as Clemmys adenovirus-1). Female painted turtles had lower plasma copper (p = 0.012) and higher strontium (p = 0.0003) than males, and appeared to be in a similar plane of health to previous reports. This initial health assessment effort provides useful baseline data for future comparison in these species. Conservation efforts on Camp Edwards should incorporate continued health surveillance of these populations to identify intervention opportunities and determine the conservation threats, if any, of the novel adenovirus.
AB - Freshwater turtles face numerous anthropogenic threats worldwide. Health assessments are a key component of chelonian population assessment and monitoring but are under reported in many species. The purpose of this study was to characterize the health of spotted turtles (Clemmys guttata; n = 30) and painted turtles (Chrysemys picta; n = 24) at Camp Edwards, a military base in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, using physical examinations, hematology, plasma heavy metal analyses, and pathogen surveillance via PCR. Spotted turtles had a high prevalence of carapace (n = 27, 90%) and plastron (n = 14, 46.7%) lesions, and a previously undescribed adenovirus was detected in three animals (proposed as Clemmys adenovirus-1). Female painted turtles had lower plasma copper (p = 0.012) and higher strontium (p = 0.0003) than males, and appeared to be in a similar plane of health to previous reports. This initial health assessment effort provides useful baseline data for future comparison in these species. Conservation efforts on Camp Edwards should incorporate continued health surveillance of these populations to identify intervention opportunities and determine the conservation threats, if any, of the novel adenovirus.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85203969809&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85203969809&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1638/2023-0141
DO - 10.1638/2023-0141
M3 - Article
C2 - 39255217
AN - SCOPUS:85203969809
SN - 1042-7260
VL - 55
SP - 743
EP - 749
JO - Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine : official publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
JF - Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine : official publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
IS - 3
ER -