Pathology affecting Crocodylus acutus (Cuvier, 1807) in the Sabanalamar hatchery, Cuba

Abstract

Poor management and feeding practices involved in rearing in captivity the American crocodile, Crocodylus acutus (Cuvier, 1807), are stressors that predispose to disease. In the crocodile culture operation at Sabanalamar, Pinar del Río Province, weakened physical condition and diseases have caused mortality in the young animals. This served as motivation for undertaking diagnoses to identify the pathologies that affect the juvenile stages of the crocodile under one system in captivity, and to evaluate the sensitivity of the pathogens detected to ten types of antibiotics. Ten juveniles of C. acutus were subjected to clinical, bacteriological, and histopathological examination. The pathogenic bacteria isolated in highest percentage belonged to the genera Aeromonas and Pseudomonas. Of these, Aeromonas were susceptible to amikacin and gentamicin, while Pseudomonas was resistant to all 10 antibiotics tested. The pathological alterations observed led to diagnosis of hypovitaminosis A, leading to weakened animals and the bacterial septicemia and mortality observed in juvenile stages.