Chelonians - Science topic

The matrilineal evolutionary history and habitat preferences of the monotopic freshwater turtle Hardella thurjii remain largely unexplored, posing challenges for the development of precise and effective conservation strategies. This study provides the first complete mitochondrial genome sequence of H. thurjii (16,699 bp), encompassing 13 protein‐co...

Objective To describe placement of a radiopaque polyurethane esophagostomy tube in a tortoise using MILA’s tunneler device. Animals A 20-year-old 4.235-kg spayed female yellow-footed tortoise ( Chelonoidis denticulatus ) was presented for egg coelomitis and feeding tube placement. Methods A polyurethane esophagostomy tube (18 French; MILA Interna...

The Tapajós is a main tributary to the Amazon River, harboring a large biological and cultural diversity. However, despite its socioecological importance, the Tapajós experiences multiple anthropogenic pressures arising from deforestation and forest fires, illegal artisanal gold mining, and agribusiness and infrastructure development. As part of th...

Trichomitus batrachorum is a species of trichomonad that has gained attention due to its ecological importance and potential interactions with various hosts, such as amphibians (anurans) and reptiles (lizards and chelonians), where it has been recorded in the gastrointestinal tract of these vertebrates, specifically in their feces. Molecular studie...

The Mediterranean Pond Turtle Mauremys leprosa, a ‘Near Threatened’ species, is poorly studied in Algeria and no data exists on its bacteriological carriage. However, knowledge about the microbiota of wildlife species is essential to develop holistic conservation approaches that integrate microbial health, habitat preservation, and species-specific...

The traditional and indigenous populations of the Serra do Divisor National Park use chelonians as a subsistence food resource, although in some cases unsustainably, which compromises both the conservation of these species and the food security of the human populations living in the area. Despite this issue, there are few ethnobiological studies pu...

The gut microbiota of vertebrates significantly influences host physiology, yet little is known about how habitat factors shape microbiotas in non-human species, especially freshwater turtles. This study explores the relationship between cloacal microbiota and serum metabolome in eastern longneck turtles (Chelodina longicollis), marking the first s...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline, memory impairment, and neuronal loss. Despite extensive research, effective disease-modifying therapies remain limited. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising therapeutic candidate due to their multipotent properties, immunomo...

Turtles and tortoises (chelonians) possess a variety of ecological characteristics, including long lifespans and protective shells, which have enabled them to survive and adapt to environmental challenges since the Triassic period. However, many characteristics of chelonians have turned into disadvantages for their populations in the Anthropocene....

Introduction Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is the process of transferring fecal microbiota from a healthy donor into the gastrointestinal tract of a recipient. Although many mechanisms of FMT are still not completely understood at present, it has been described that the treatment of various gastrointestinal diseases in different species, i...

Immune assays are increasingly being used to study immunity in wild animals, with applications in ecology, evolution, and conservation. However, the use of immune assays is hindered by the limited taxonomic breadth of studies that validate assays in non‐model organisms and by limited understanding of the variables that can affect assay results. Whi...

Understanding reproductive biology and associated disorders is crucial for the clinical management of chelonians, particularly those maintained in captivity. This literature review presents an overview of the main pathological conditions affecting the female reproductive tract of these animals. For each condition, practical and effective diagnostic...

Conservation policy in the Amazon traditionally focuses on rural areas, overlooking the socioecological roles of urban populations. This oversight can hinder sustainability by neglecting rural–urban connections. We compared the prevalence and quantity of wild meat consumed, bartered, and traded commercially in rural, peri‐urban, and urban areas of...

The utility and importance of whole‐genome sequences are recognized across various fields, including evolution and conservation. However, for some taxa, like extinct species, using methods to generate contiguous genomes that rely on high‐quality DNA is impossible. In such cases, an alternative may be to employ synteny‐based methods using a genome f...

Turtles are organisms with high vulnerability due to the impact on their ecosystems and the lack of biological knowledge. Hematological studies in chelonians are limited by the absence of specific techniques-procedures; for this reason, adopted methodologies are not always appropriate. The study aim was to compare variations in fixatives concentrat...

Excessive metal pollution from anthropogenic activities like mining and industrial waste discharge has increasingly impacted freshwater ecosystems. Freshwater chelonians (Testudines) are bioindicators of environmental pollution because of their longevity, ecological diversity, and trophic positioning. This systematic review assessed toxic metal bio...

The Villaggio del Pescatore Lagerstätte (VdP) is one of most productive and diverse Cretaceous fossil assemblages in southern Europe. Ongoing research is continuing to unveil the taxonomic diversity of this early Campanian locality, which is best known for the exceptionally preserved hadrosauroid dinosaur Tethyshadros insularis. This taxon is repre...

Introduction Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) hold great clinical potential in veterinary regenerative medicine. However, a notable gap exists in the literature regarding the isolation and characterization of these cells in reptiles. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of isolating adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cel...

Plastic and other synthetic polymers pose a significant threat to wildlife, particularly aquatic organisms. Numerous reports have documented instances of animals, including fish, cetaceans, birds, and turtles, ingesting plastic. While the Chelonian group has received considerable attention in relation to plastic pollution, most studies have primari...

A pilot study was conducted with 5th–8th semester students comparing a 3D-printed simulator and a virtual 3D simulation. This study’s aim was the comparison of these two resources in three different settings. Assessment of the resources’ suitability as teaching devices for performing a central plastrotomy in chelonians took place. One group used th...

Non-native plant invasions and climate warming alter the microclimatic conditions that organisms experience in their habitats, with potential implications for the fitness of native faunal species, particularly ectotherms. Predictions for species conservation increasingly use microclimate data at fine spatial scales relevant to organisms, but they t...

Soft-shelled turtles, or Trionychia, are an enigmatic and fascinating group due to their specific morphological features and ecological adaptations. Based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and/or nuclear markers, previous studies showed the incongruent phylogenetic topologies within Trionychia (e.g., the Palea and its closely related species). In order...

Exploration of the microbiome has been referred to as a final frontier in biological research. This is due to its precedence for generating insights on the holistic functioning of organismal biology by exploring the interactions between hosts and their associated symbiotic organisms. The microbiomes of many vertebrate groups still require explorati...

Along Ghana's sun-drenched coastline, where ancient traditions meet the rhythmic breaking of waves, sea turtles continue their timeless dance with coastal communities. This study delves into the intricate relationship between traditional taboos and marine conservation, uncovering how centuries-old cultural beliefs act as silent guardians for these...

Introduction Aperema (Rhinoclemmys punctularia) is a South American semi-aquatic freshwater turtle characterized by a highly curved, dark brown to black carapace and is distributed across Central and South America. Climate change affects freshwater turtles in a number of ways, including temperature, hatchling sex, and survival. Methods Therefore,...

The growing popularity of reptiles has contributed to their reproduction in captivity. When subjected to stressful environments, such as the presence of a higher number of humans and animals, reptiles may become more susceptible to parasites. Endoparasites in captive animals may cause several clinical signs ranging from mild to severe: lethargy, an...

Rio Grande Cooters (Pseudemys gorzugi) occupy the Rio Grande watershed and have among the smallest ranges of all North American freshwater turtles. Anthropogenic dewatering is considered to have caused range contractions and population declines. We sought to facilitate management recommendations by determining the extent of movement and potential a...

Follicular torsion occurs when only a group of ovarian follicles rotates around its own axis resulting in vascular compromise. To our knowledge, no previous reports have documented the occurrence of this condition in chelonians. A 14-year-old female Trachemys scripta was presented with inappetence and lethargy for approximately 2 weeks. Diagnostic...

Mycoplasmosis is of concern for chelonian conservation. We detected a Mycoplasma sp. in confiscated radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) and spider tortoises (Pyxis arachnoides). Sequence analysis of the 16S-23S ribosomal RNA intergenic spacer region was consistent with Mycoplasma agassizii. Mycoplasma spp. have not been previously reported in...

Green sea turtles Chelonia mydas have the ability to hear and produce sounds under water, with some of them potentially involved in social communication. To investigate the potential biological function of these sounds, we used a combination of acoustic, video and multi-sensor recordings of 23 free-ranging juvenile green turtles and we examined the...

Urbanization may significantly impact wild population dynamics, even in protected green spaces. From 2016 to 2018, we accessed an assemblage of freshwater turtles isolated in an urban remnant of the Atlantic Forest, southern Brazil. We captured turtles by active search, hookless fishing, and funnel trap, and we marked them individually. Using a cap...

The red-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonarius) is a reptile species, categorized as vulnerable in Colombia, which is present in the lowlands of different geographic regions of the country. This report seeks to demonstrate the finding of lesions compatible with burns and malformations found in free-living red-footed tortoises in the Colombian Ori...

Sea turtles are among the most threatened group of marine animals, with all species at risk for an assortment of anthropogenic factors including pollution, over-fishing bycatch, and climate change. As the threats to these large aquatic reptiles continue to increase, populations may be facing declines in many areas of their native home ranges. There...

This paper presents a literature review of Amazonian turtles' hematological and biochemical parameters from different habitats. The methodology is based on information in other languages from reliable national and international scientific databases between 2000 and 2021. The results obtained in this study for the hematological and biochemical param...

Background: In reptile veterinary practice, trauma incidents are increasingly prevalent due to various etiologies. However, compared to other domestic mammals, the literature is notably sparse and contains few documented cases. Anesthetic management in chelonians for surgical procedures presents unique challenges and considerations due to species-s...

The yellow-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis denticulatus, Linnaeus, 1766) is among the most consumed chelonian species in the Amazon region, raising concerns about its conservation status. Furthermore, few studies have been carried out on the parameters of physiological normality of this species in free-living conditions, making it difficult to assess...

The gut microbiota of vertebrates is malleable and may be shaped by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Here, the effect that geography has on the cloacal microbiota of two species of Australian freshwater chelonians, eastern longneck turtle (Chelodina longicollis) and Macquarie River turtle (Emydura macquarii), captured from waterbodies with dif...

The Podocnemidid Amazon river turtles are the region´s most conspicuous and culturally important species. Intense exploitation led populations of the largest species, such as the Giant South American River Turtle (Podocnemis expansa), to drastic declines over time. Since 1979, the main nesting areas of the Giant South American River Turtles have be...

Invasive species constitute a growing threat to diversity because of their role as competitors, predators or disease vectors. In Spain, aquatic ecosystems have been markedly affected by the colonization of numerous alien species, including crustaceans, fishes, amphibians and reptiles. However, there's little information about the status of most of...

Background Triaxial accelerometers have revolutionized wildlife research by providing an unprecedented understanding of the behavior of free-living animals. Machine learning is often applied to acceleration data to classify diverse animal behaviors across taxa. However, the high frequency, continuous data collection typically favored for behavioral...

Culturally, chelonians are important sources of nutrition and income for rural and urban people in tropical rainforests, but urban trade can cause declines in wild populations. This study analyses the urban chelonian trade and its trends to better understand the impact on free-living populations in the Northern Peruvian Amazon. We studied the urban...

The Ouled Abdoun Basin lies to the west of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The largest (9000km2) of five major phosphate basins in the country, it is worked commercially and contains deposits ranging from Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) to Early Paleogene (basal Lutetian) in age. Believed to be related to offshore nutrient upwellings, the phosphate...

Juvenile growth rate is a critical demographic parameter, as it shortens the time to maturity and often dictates how long individuals remain vulnerable to predation. However, developing a mechanistic understanding of the factors determining growth rates can be difficult for wild populations. The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is an ecosystem...

Animals are considered biological units with their microbiota, which is composed of commensal, pathogenic, and symbiont bacteria. This microbiota is shaped by the environment and through changes in the animal life history, and it plays a key role in the physiology and fitness of its host. Sea turtles are known to be good indicators of marine ecosys...

Simple Summary The Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni), or Mediterranean tortoise, is one of the two native species of terrestrial tortoises that inhabit the Iberian Peninsula. This is a vulnerable species protected by legislation and subjected to conservation and captive breeding programs. The present study is the first to simultaneously evaluat...

Ranacephala hogei is a South American freshwater turtle considered one of the 25 most endangered chelonian species in the world. Endemic to the Atlantic Forest hotspot of southeastern Brazil, the conservation status of R. hogei is subject to continuous assessment at various levels. However, the scarcity of data regarding this species, particularly...

Reintroduction programs can be an effective management tool for conservation of threatened chelonians, yet the success of such programs relies highly on numerous factors, such as the number of founders and the size of introduced individuals. We conducted a reintroduction experiment of the European pond turtle Emys orbicularis in a pond located with...

Environmental contamination of marine habitats is a global concern, especially in areas that are crucial for endangered species’ life cycles. To gain a comprehensive understanding of environmental contamination, analyzing various biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems is necessary. Situated in the Arabian Peninsula, Ras al-Jinz Reserve serves...

In the Atlantic Forest, species distributions are not uniform. The biome has been divided into 8 biogeographic sub-regions, such as the Pernambuco Center of Endemism (PCE), in northeastern Brazil. Nísia Floresta National Forest (Flona) is a protected area situated in the municipality of Nísia Floresta, Rio Grande do Norte state, harboring native ve...

OBJECTIVE To compare multiple noninvasive ECG methods in pond sliders based upon repeatability, ability to recognize standard waveforms, and measurability. METHODS The study was performed from November 2023 through January 2024. Ten healthy adult pond turtles were enrolled in the study. ECG tracings were obtained using 4 previously reported and 1...

We report on the geologically youngest occurrence of the softshell turtle family Trionychidae in Europe, from middle Calabrian (Emilian) strata cropping out at Montalto, Pisa Province (Tuscany, central Italy). This record indicates that the softshell turtles survived well past the glacial pulse at ca. 1.8 Ma. That the most recent finds of Trionychi...

The gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome of chelonians (testudines) plays an important role in their metabolism, nutrition, and overall health but the GI microbiome of three-toed box turtles (Terrapene carolina triunguis) has yet to be characterized. How the GI microbiome responds to rapidly rising environmental temperatures has also not been studied e...

The conservation units of Boqueirão da Onça, Brazil, a mosaic of protected areas located in the sub-middle of the São Francisco River, host the largest continuum of preserved Caatinga vegetation in the world. Although the region represents a biodiversity hotspot in the Caatinga domain, many relevant areas remain unsampled for amphibians and reptile...

The Polish fossil turtle fauna has been known for decades, however, it has received little attention in the international literature. Several fossil sites located in southern Poland, approximately 30 km from the city of Częstochowa, yielded numerous shell fragments of Pliocene age (Piacenzian, MN 16). Our revision of this historical material allowe...

This study investigates the seasonal variation in Collembolan diversity within agricultural and forest ecosystems in Warangal District, Telangana State, India, emphasizing the impact of seasonal changes and land use practices on soil arthropod communities. The Shannon-Weiner Index was used to assess the diversity of Collembola species during Winter...

Soil arthropods play a crucial role in ecosystem functioning and their populations are influenced by seasonal and ecological factors. This study aimed to investigate the seasonal variations in the abundance of soil arthropods in forest and agro-ecosystems within Warangal district, Telangana, India. Soil samples were collected from two 10-acre sites...

The primary objective of this study was to investigate patterns of abundance and diversity among reptiles and amphibians within the protected area of Mount Chelmos, located in Peloponnese, Greece. Our aim was to examine the drivers influencing abundance (for lizards, snakes, chelonians, anurans, urodels) and diversity (for reptiles and amphibians)...

Background Obtaining de novo chromosome-level genome assemblies greatly enhances conservation and evolutionary biology studies. For many research teams, long-read sequencing technologies (that produce highly contiguous assemblies) remain unaffordable or unpractical. For the groups that display high synteny conservation, these limitations can be ove...

Background Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed neoplastic disorders in reptiles. Recently, however, it has been demonstrated that basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) are frequently misclassified as SCCs. Several histological SCC and BCC variants have been characterised and their classification may allow the establishment of...

Reptiles and amphibians are largely present in many environments, including domestic areas when they are kept as pet animals. They often harbor zoonotic pathogens, which can pose a serious risk of infection for humans, mainly immunocompromised individuals, the elderly, children, and pregnant women. Several studies have been carried out to verify th...

Chemical signaling through pheromones is an ancient and widespread mode of communication. Turtles and tortoises (chelonians) secrete pheromones via mental (chin) glands and have superior olfactory capacities rendering them a promising group to study the evolution and function of chemical communication in vertebrates. Here, we use state-of-the art p...

Considered one of the most threatened vertebrate group, chelonians are negatively affected by different factors such as anthropic pressure. Therefore, this study had two main goals: to describe the freshwater turtle assemblage within the urban and periurban area of Maringá and Sarandi, Southern Brazil, as well as to compare turtle composition betwe...

Although sea turtles have long been considered deaf and silent, recent studies have confirmed their ability to hear and produce sounds. A study revealed that juvenile green sea turtles Chelonia mydas, can produce ten distinct types of sounds, with some of them potentially involved in social communication. To investigate the potential biological fun...

Simple Summary Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a disease that affects sea turtles, causing the growth of benign tumors known as fibropapillomas. These tumors can develop on the skin, eyes, mouth, and internal organs of affected turtles, impacting their ability to swim, feed, and avoid predators. The primary cause of FP is believed to be a virus called...

The Ecuadorian Amazon is a mega areas that serve as a source of sustenance for rural populations have increased. It was essential to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of the soil in sugarcane crops (Saccharum officinarum L.) in the Pastaza province of the Ecuadorian Amazon comparison to a primary forest (PF) agricultural production units...

Variation in personality among conspecific animals can be found both among and within populations. Spatially varying ecological factors can lead to differences in average behaviors among populations, but can also influence the amount of variation that occurs among individuals within populations. Few studies have evaluated how the amount of variatio...

The Ecuadorian Amazon is a mega areas that serve as a source of sustenance for rural populations have increased. It was essential to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of the soil in sugarcane crops (Saccharum officinarum L.) in the Pastaza province of the Ecuadorian Amazon comparison to a primary forest (PF) agricultural production units...

The present study aimed to report the morphometric and hematological indices and genotoxicity of a free-life population of D’Orbigny’s slider turtles (Trachemys dorbigni) living in an urban area in Southern Brazil. For that, 16 specimens were randomly captured in an urban canal that receives irregular releases of wastewater. Biometrics and external...

Background The gut microbiota of vertebrates is malleable and may be shaped by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Here, the effect that geography has on the gut microbiota of two species of Australian freshwater chelonians, eastern longneck turtle (Chelodina longicollis) and Macquarie River turtle (Emydura macquarii), captured from waterbodies w...

Behaviours designated as basking span a broad array of ectothermic and endothermic animals. Understanding the role that basking plays in thermal biology is important because maintaining body temperatures within certain limits is essential to survival, growth and reproduction, and may affect responses to climate change. In the case of turtles and to...

Objective To determine the mydriatic effect of topical 10% phenylephrine with 10 mg/mL rocuronium bromide and compare this protocol with and without pretreatment with proparacaine. Animals Studied Ten client‐owned pet adult eastern box turtles ( Terrapene carolina carolina ). Procedures All turtles were sedated with 8 mg/kg alfaxalone intramuscul...

The creation of protected areas (PAs) is not always based on science; consequently, some aquatic species may not receive the same level of protection as terrestrial ones. The objective of this study was to identify priority areas for the conservation of chelonians in the Brazilian Amazon basin and assess the contribution of PAs, distinguishing betw...

The Rio do Peixe basins are the set of four associated basins: Sousa, Uiraúna-Brejo das Freiras (also known as Triunfo), Pombal and Vertentes. They are located in the western Paraíba State and in the Ceará State, northeastern Brazil, in a total area of ~1,280 km². The origin of these basins (Lower Cretaceous, Berriasian to lower Barremian) is relat...

Due to their natural history and ecological attributes, turtles are excellent organisms for studies of heavy metal contamination. Turtles have a large geographical distribution, occupy different aquatic habitats, and occupy various trophic levels. The present study investigated mercury bioaccumulation in the carnivorous chelonian Chelus fimbriata (...

The Burmese Roofed Turtle (Batagur trivittata) is endemic to the major rivers of Myanmar. Once widespread and abundant, by the late 1990s B. trivittata was considered extinct until “rediscovered” in the Dokhtawady and Chindwin rivers during the early 2000s; the Dokhtawady has since been greatly altered by construction of the Yeywa Hydropower Dam an...

OBJECTIVE To provide a video tutorial describing intraperitoneal (IP) and intracoelomic (IC) therapeutics (IP/IC fluids, euthanasia, direct peritoneal resuscitation). ANIMALS Dogs, cats, and exotic pets. METHODS Peritoneal and coelomic centesis allows for delivery of fluids or to perform euthanasia. The peritoneal and coelomic membranes contain a...

Background The developmental biology of Kinosternon scorpioides is described, based on the phenotype. This species is important for the flora because they are excellent seed disseminators. In addition, basic embryological information is not yet fully clarified, and this research provides unprecedented information on the chelonian embryology of the...

Simple Summary The expansion of human activities into natural areas increases contact between humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, which can facilitate the circulation of infectious agents between these species, leading to the emergence of zoonoses. Several studies have investigated the role of animals, including reptiles, as possible carriers o...

Background Obtaining de novo chromosome-level genome assemblies greatly enhances conservation and evolutionary biology studies. For many research teams, long-read sequencing technologies (that produce highly contiguous assemblies) remain unaffordable or unpractical. For the groups that display high synteny conservation, these limitations can be ove...

This paper presents a preliminary data from the archaeozoological and taphonomic study of macrofauna corresponding to two layers belonging to the Middle Palaeolithic and Gravettian levels from Cova Foradada (Oliva, Valencia). The main objective of this work is to provide new information to serve as a comparison with other faunal assemblages from th...

Veterinary practice commonly involves caring for domestic and companion animal. Since the trend of owning exotic pets is rapidly increasing, veterinarians often treat exotic patients as well. As a result, veterinarians are facing increased demands for specialized skills and knowledge. This article aims to provide a concise review of the anatomy of...