Hematological reference values in Chelydra acutirostris turtles in captivity

Abstract

Ecuador has a great biodiversity of fauna, much of which is endangered or threatened with extinction. The swamp turtles commonly known as Snapping Turtles (Chelydra acutirostris) that arrive at the Bioparque Amaru Zoo come from illegal wildlife trafficking and come with different injuries and pathologies. Blood sample testing is a practical, non-invasive, non-lethal way of knowing the health status of free-roaming and captive turtles. Hematological parameters are useful tools when managing, preventing and treating diseases; therefore, it is of great importance to establish reference values ​​for each species of turtle because the cell count and morphology vary enormously between the species of reptiles, and between individuals of the same family; Likewise, variants in relation to temperature, capture technique, place, stress, physiological and reproductive status at the time of study should be considered, since these factors could generate variability in the hematological parameters evaluated. The objective of this work was to determine the hematological reference values: erythrogram in bog turtles C. acutirostris that are under human care.