Abstract
Seventy-five turtles Podocnemis expansa in the Brazilian Amazon were examined for the presence of ectoparasites and hemoparasites. Samplings were performed in three study areas in the state of Tocantins, Brazil. Twenty-five specimens were sampled per study area (a commercial breeding facility, an indigenous subsistence breeding facility and a wild population of the Javaés River). Hemoparasites of the genus Haemogregarina were found in 66% (50/75) of the turtle specimens, and the infections were restricted to the commercial breeding facility and to the wild population of the Javaés River. The mean level of parasitemia was 54/2,000 erythrocytes (2%). There was no correlation between the body condition index of the chelonians and the level of parasitemia, with no significant difference between genders. No leeches were observed during the physical exams in any of the study areas, but the specimens from the commercial breeding facility were in poor physical condition with shell deformities and the presence of a relatively high amount of skin ulcerations, most likely caused by fungi and bacteria. This was the first study to record the occurrence of hemogregarines on a population scale in P. expansa and helps to increase knowledge about hemoparasites in chelonians in Brazil.
Highlights
Among the 35 chelonian species that occur in the Brazilian territory, Podocnemis expansa is the largest of the side-neck turtles, reaching a shell length up to 70 cm and a weight of 25 kg (VOGT, 2008)
Hemoparasites of the genus Haemogregarina were recorded in 66% (50/75) of the chelonians, i.e., all individuals from the Javaés River and the breeding facility of the Praia Alta Ranch
The tank water came from the Araguaia River, and the tank was cleaned by changing the water every two days
Summary
Among the 35 chelonian species that occur in the Brazilian territory, Podocnemis expansa is the largest of the side-neck turtles, reaching a shell length up to 70 cm and a weight of 25 kg (VOGT, 2008). Parasites of the genus Haemogregarina are common in aquatic chelonians and have been recorded in several countries (TELFORD, 2009). These parasites are heteroxenic, and their transmission to aquatic chelonians is associated with leeches (DAVIES & JOHNSTON, 2000; SIDDALL & DESSER, 1992)
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