Abstract
In order to establish baseline hematological and biochemical values in loggerhead turtles from the Mediterranean Sea, 84 specimens were sampled, comprising 24 wild turtles in good health at the time of capture and 60 turtles tested after indoor rehabilitation at the Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre of the Zoological Station Anton Dohrn in Naples, Italy. The following parameters were evaluated: red cell counts (RBC, 488–575 × 103/μL), white cell counts (WBC, 17–24 × 103/μL) and thrombocyte counts (TBC, 19–49 × 102/μL), hemoglobin (Hb, 8–14 g/dL), hematocrit (Ht, 23–34%), mean corpuscular volume (MCV, 487–723 fL), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH, 170–261 pg), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC, 34–42%), white and red blood cell differential counts, and a panel of hematochemical tests, composed of glucose (97–164 mg/dL), cholesterol (74–144 mg/dL), blood urea nitrogen (35–200 mg/dL), uric acid (1–2.7 mg/dL), total bilirubin (0.20–0.40 mg/dL), GOT (44–184 IU/L) and GPT (6 IU/L) transaminases, calcium (6.7–8.7 mg/dL), and magnesium (3.6–5.4 mEq/L). Comparisons of the statistically analyzed data from the turtles which were divided into groups on the basis of age and/or lifestyle (wild or captive) revealed that erythroid parameters attained higher values in captive turtles. This suggested a positive influence of the rich and complete diet fed in captivity upon the hemopoietic process of the turtle. On the other hand, data suggest a more intense and active hemopoiesis in young turtles, compared to adult specimens.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Basile F, Di Santi A, Caldora M, Ferretti L, Bentivegna F, Pica A (2011) Inclusion bodies in loggerhead erythrocytes are associated with unstable hemoglobin and resemble human Heinz bodies. J Exp Zool A doi:10.1002/jez.687
Bolten AB, Jacobson ER, Bjorndal KA (1992) Effects of anticoagulant and autoanalyzer on blood biochemical values of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). Am J Vet Res 53(12):2224–2227
Bradley TA, Norton TM, Latimer KS (1998) Hemogram values, morphological characteristics of blood cells and morphometric study of loggerhead sea turtles, Caretta caretta, in the first year of life. Proc ARAV 8(3):8–12
Casal AB, Orós J (2007) Morphologic and cytochemical characteristics of blood cells of juvenile loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta). Res Vet Sci 82:158–165
Casal AB, Orós J (2009) Plasma biochemistry and haematology values in juvenile loggerhead sea turtles undergoing rehabilitation. Vet Rec 164:663–665
Casal AB, Freire F, Bautista-Harris G, Arencibia A, Orós J (2007) Ultrastructural characteristics of blood cells of juvenile loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta). Anat Histol Embryol 36(332–335):2007
Casal AB, Camacho M, López-Jurado LF, Juste C, Orós J (2009) Comparative study of hematologic and plasma biochemical variables in Eastern Atlantic juvenile and adult nesting loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). Vet Clin Pathol 38(2):213–218
Deem SL, Norton TM, Mitchell M, Segars A, Alleman AR, Cray C, Poppenga RH, Dodd M, Karesh WB (2009) Comparison of blood values in foraging, nesting, and stranded loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) along the coast of Georgia, USA. J Wildl Dis 45(1):41–56
Drabkin DL, Austin JK (1936) A technique for the analysis of undiluted blood and concentrated hemoglobin solutions. J Biol Chem 112:105–115
Eisenhawer E, Courtney CH, Raskin RE, Jacobson E (2008) Relationship between separation time of plasma from heparinised whole blood on plasma biochemical analytes of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). J Zoo Wildl Med 39(2):208–215
Fazio E, Liotta A, Medica P, Giacoppo E, Ferlazzo A (2010) Effects of different health status on blood haematochemical values of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). Comp Clin Pathol. doi:10.1007/s00580-010-1070-x
Flint M, Morton JM, Limpus CJ, Patterson-Kane JC, Mills PC (2010) Reference intervals for plasma biochemical and hematologic measures in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from Moreton Bay, Australia. J Wildl Dis 46(3):731–741
Frair W (1977) Sea turtle red blood cell parameters correlated with carapace lengths. Comp Biochem Physiol 56A:467–472
Gelli D, Ferrari V, Zanella A, Arena P, Pozzi L, Nannarelli S, Vaccaro C, Bernardini D, Romagnoli S (2009) Establishing physiological blood parameters in the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). Eur J Wild Res 55(1):59–63
Glomski CA, Pica A (2006) Erythrocytes of the poikilotherms: a phylogenetic odyssey. Foxwell & Davies, London
Grumbles J, Rostal D, Alvarado J, Owens D (1990) Hematology study on the black turtle, Chelonia agassizi, at Playa Colola, Michoacan, Mexico. In: Richardson TH, Richardson JI, Donnelly M, compilers, in Proceedings 10th Annu Workshop Sea Turtle Biology Conservation. Miami, Fla. NOAA Tech Mem NMFS-SEFC-278:235–237
Harms CA, Mallo KM, Ross PM, Segars A (2003) Venous blood gases and lactates of wild loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) following two capture techniques. J Wildl Dis 39(2):366–374
Jacobson ER (1987) Reptiles. In: Harness J (ed) Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 1203–1225
Jacobson E, Bjorndal K, Bolten A, Herren R, Harman G, Wood L (2007) Establishing plasma biochemical and hematocrit reference intervals for sea turtles in Florida. http://accstr.ufl.edu/blood_chem.htm. Accessed 1 January 2011
Kakizoe Y, Sakaoka K, Kakizoe F, Yoshii M, Nakamura H, Kanou Y, Uchida I (2007) Successive changes of hematologic characteristics and plasma chemistry values of juvenile loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta). J Zoo Wildl Med 38(1):77–84
Osborne AG, Jacobson ER, Bresette MJ, Singewald DA, Scarpino RA, Bolten AB (2010) Reference intervals and relationships between health status, carapace length, body mass, and water temperature and concentrations of plasma total protein and protein electrophoretogram fractions in Atlantic loggerhead sea turtles and green turtles. J Am Vet Med Assoc 237(5):561–567
Pires TT, Rostan G, Guimarães JE (2006) Hematologic examination and total protein values of sea turtles of species Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758), in captivity, from Praia do Forte, Mata de São João–Bahia. Braz J Vet Res Anim Sci São Paulo 43(3):348–353
Stamper MA, Harms C, Epperly SP, Braun-McNeill J, Avens L, Stoskopf MK (2005) Relationship between barnacle epibiotic load and hematologic parameters in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), a comparison between migratory and residential animals in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina. J Zoo Wildl Med 36(4):635–641
Wolf KN, Harms CA, Beasley JF (2008) Evaluation of five clinical chemistry analyzers for use in health assessment in sea turtles. J Am Vet Med Assoc 233(3):470–475
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the Turtle Centre staff: Dr. Maria Pia Ciampa, Dr. Giovanni De Martino, Dr. Sandra Hochscheid, Dr. Fulvio Maffucci, Dr. Andrea Travaglini, and Dr. Gianluca Treglia for providing the morphometrical data of the specimens, to Dr. Antonella Occhiello for her technical assistance in performing hemograms, and to Dr. Antonio Brillantino for the statistical analysis of the data.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Basile, F., Di Santi, A., Ferretti, L. et al. Hematology of the Mediterranean population of sea turtle (Caretta caretta): comparison of blood values in wild and captive, juvenile and adult animals. Comp Clin Pathol 21, 1401–1406 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-011-1306-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-011-1306-4