TY - JOUR
T1 - Modeling Hematologic and Biochemical Parameters with Spatiotemporal Analysis for the Free-Ranging Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) in Illinois and Tennessee, a Potential Biosentinel
AU - Lloyd, Terrell C.
AU - Allender, Matthew C.
AU - Archer, Grace
AU - Phillips, Christopher A.
AU - Byrd, John
AU - Moore, A. Russell
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, International Association for Ecology and Health.
PY - 2016/9/1
Y1 - 2016/9/1
N2 - Box turtles are long-lived, inhabit both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, and have relatively small home ranges making them a suitable candidate as a sentinel. To characterize their changes in response to environmental health, assessment of observed variation of this species is required. Thus, a comparative health assessment was employed in 825 Eastern box turtles in east central Illinois and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to establish a baseline health assessment with regard to sex, age class, season, and location, identify temporal trends, and map parameters. Hematological and plasma biochemical variables measured included packed cell volume, total solids, white blood cell and differential counts, calcium, phosphorus, aspartate aminotransferase, bile acids, creatine kinase, and uric acid. These variables were reduced to four principle components that explained 68.8 % of the cumulative variance. The top model included the main effects of year, location, and sex, but no interactions. Spatial analysis of turtles in Tennessee demonstrated increased WBC and decreased PCV in 2011 associated with a clear-cut silviculture site. The results of this health assessment can serve as a baseline of population health in future studies and aid in the utility of this species as a sentinel.
AB - Box turtles are long-lived, inhabit both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, and have relatively small home ranges making them a suitable candidate as a sentinel. To characterize their changes in response to environmental health, assessment of observed variation of this species is required. Thus, a comparative health assessment was employed in 825 Eastern box turtles in east central Illinois and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to establish a baseline health assessment with regard to sex, age class, season, and location, identify temporal trends, and map parameters. Hematological and plasma biochemical variables measured included packed cell volume, total solids, white blood cell and differential counts, calcium, phosphorus, aspartate aminotransferase, bile acids, creatine kinase, and uric acid. These variables were reduced to four principle components that explained 68.8 % of the cumulative variance. The top model included the main effects of year, location, and sex, but no interactions. Spatial analysis of turtles in Tennessee demonstrated increased WBC and decreased PCV in 2011 associated with a clear-cut silviculture site. The results of this health assessment can serve as a baseline of population health in future studies and aid in the utility of this species as a sentinel.
KW - biosentinel
KW - chelonian
KW - environment
KW - health
KW - reptile
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84978116685&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84978116685&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10393-016-1142-8
DO - 10.1007/s10393-016-1142-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 27384647
AN - SCOPUS:84978116685
SN - 1612-9202
VL - 13
SP - 467
EP - 479
JO - EcoHealth
JF - EcoHealth
IS - 3
ER -