Keywords
Black Turtles; Clinical exam; Ecosystem health; Health studies; Hematic biometrics; Sentinels
Abstract
Background: Marine turtles face a wide range of environmental and anthropogenic factors that can cause disease and in severe cases death. Health and diseases of marine turtles are studied more frequently in different parts of the world; however, their prevention, control or treatment has been infrequently addressed. Therefore, the information generated on the health values of marine turtles becomes a useful tool to achieve the relevant conservation strategies. The objective of this study was to assess the health of free-ranging Eastern Pacific green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from the neritic foraging developmental habitats in Baja California Sur.
Methods: 29 C. mydas were evaluated with clinical exams, then, 29 blood samples were collected and hematic biometrics were performed.
Results: Turtle health panels included in this study are ranked as “good” based on clinical examination and hematologic diagnostics. Marine turtles are sentinels, ecosystem health indicators, therefore, the good health of these organisms, allows us to infer that Ojo de Liebre lagoon is a healthy ecosystem.
Conclusion: Develop site-specific blood values for wild marine turtle populations, helps to create effective management protocols and improves our ability to understand the effects of anthropogenic and environmental changes on the health of marine turtles and the coastal ecosystems that inhabit
Citation
Reséndiz E, Fernández-Sanz H, Ramos D, Silva VL and Lara-Uc MM. Condition and Haematological Values of Free-Ranging Eastern Pacific Green Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) from Baja California Sur, Mexico. SM J Clin Pathol. 2018; 3(1): 1016.