Abstract
Blood was collected from wild captured green and Kemp’s ridley turtles off the west coast of Florida, USA. Blood gases and biochemical values were analyzed using a point of care (POC) device in the field. Analytes include pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), partial pressure of oxygen (pO2), total carbon dioxide (TCO2), bicarbonate (HCO3), base excess (BE), oxygen saturation (sO2), lactate, sodium (Na), potassium (K), chloride (Cl), total carbon dioxide (TCO2), anion gap, ionized calcium, glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Crea), hematocrit (Hct), and hemoglobin (Hb). These are novel data for wild healthy Kemp’s ridley turtles, and results for green turtles were generally consistent with past studies of green turtles with exceptions primarily in blood gas values. Ninety percent of the green turtles had fibropapillomatosis (FP), but none of the blood analytes were correlated with disease severity. Only BUN was correlated with weight of green turtles, and there was no correlation between blood parameters and weight of Kemp’s ridley turtles. This study provides data that are useful in understanding the physiologic status of sea turtles specific to this region, allowing for comparisons to other populations, life stages, and disease states.
Highlights
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) as Endangered [1] and the Kemp’s ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) as Critically Endangered [2]
Red top Vacutainer1 tubes were used for blood collection from green turtles, with two drops immediately transferred to a separate buffer for genetics, and the remainder of blood transferred to a lithium heparin Vacutainer1 tube
Two green turtles had no external evidence of FP, with the remaining green turtles having visible tumors
Summary
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) as Endangered [1] and the Kemp’s ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) as Critically Endangered [2]. Threats to these species include habitat degradation, fishery interactions, pollution and illegal harvesting [1,2]. Studying blood parameters of wild, presumed healthy animals is important for establishing baseline values.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
