Hematologic and plasma biochemical reference values of the yellow pond turtle Mauremys mutica and the effects of sex and season

Abstract

Background: The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers the yellow pond turtle Mauremys mutica to be an endangered species. Hematologic analyses are useful tools for monitoring the health, disease processes, and physiologic status of reptiles by clinicians and conservationists. The objectives of this study were to measure plasma biochemical values in healthy captive yellow pond turtles, determine reference values, and evaluate the effects of sex and season on the results. Blood samples were taken from the jugular vein of 53 adult captive individuals (18 males and 35 females) in four different months that represented summer, winter, fall, and spring in Taiwan. Plasma biochemical assays were performed using an automatic analyzer. Descriptive statistics and distributions of each data variable were analyzed using SAS software. Results: Hematological and plasma biochemical reference values of the yellow pond turtle were determined in this study. There were no significant sex differences in hematological values; however, there were seasonal differences, and interactions between sex and season were observed. In females, lactate dehydrogenase, uric acid, calcium, cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations were significantly higher than in males. There were seasonal differences but no sex and season interactions in serum biochemical values. Conclusions: This information can serve as baseline reference data for future health assessment studies of free-ranging and captive M. mutica, and for epidemiologic, conservation, and captive-breeding studies.

Health Assessment of Painted Turtles (Chrysemys Picta) in a Restored Wetland Habitat in Northwestern Indiana, Usa

“…Female turtles in our study also had significantly higher uric acid levels than did males; this finding has also been reported in a study of yellow pond turtles ( Mauremys mutica ; Yu et al 2013). No differences in uric acid levels by sex have been previously reported in free-ranging Blanding's turtles, eastern box turtles, or alligator snapping turtles ( Macrochelys temminckii ); in our study the difference may be due to variations in dietary protein consumption between male and female turtles at this location (Chaffin et al 2008; Yu et al 2013; Adamovicz et al 2015; Mumm et al 2019). Future studies with larger sample sizes and repeat sampling in multiple seasons would be needed to further assess the effect of sex on uric acid and cholesterol levels in painted turtles.…”

“…Females in this study had higher triglyceride levels than did males, which has been reported previously in chelonians (Scope et al 2013; Yu et al 2013). Elevated cholesterol levels have been associated with vitellogenesis in female chelonians due to the mobilization of fat stores from the body during egg production, but male turtles in this study had significantly higher cholesterol levels than did females (Scope et al 2013; Yu et al 2013; Adamovicz et al 2015). A previous study of female painted turtles showed that cholesterol levels peaked in March before decreasing significantly in May after active vitellogenesis was concluded (Callard et al 1978).…”

Morphological characterization of the blood cells in the endangered Sicilian endemic pond turtle,Emys trinacris(Testudines: Emydidae)

“…temperature, air pressure) (Ruiz et al 1983(Ruiz et al , 1989 or different activity levels (e.g. healthy, breeding, hibernating, foraging and daily activity) (Sykes & Klaphake 2008;Tosunoglu et al 2011;Yu et al 2013).…”

Abundance and nutritional status of freshwater turtles to guide delivery of environmental flows in the Murray‐Darling Basin, south‐eastern Australia

“…Again, a conflicting relationship between nutritional status and CPUE was found, with C. longicollis more abundant in areas of high EC but with a reduced nutritional status, possibly through another competition effect. The similar serum protein levels among species were higher in spring than in summer, possibly reflecting a return of blood protein stored outside blood vessels (extravascularly) during winter (Masat & Musacchia, 1965) for reproductive activity (Yu et al, 2013), before a subsequent decline after reproductive investment (Rafferty et al, 2014).…”