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Sonderman, K. F., Norton, T. M., Tuberville, T. D., & Yabsley, M. J. , Haemogregarine infections in a translocated population of gopher tortoises (gopherus polyphemus) - abstract. Unpublished paper presented at Program and Abstracts of the Tenth Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles.
Added by: Admin (06 Jan 2014 18:23:10 UTC) |
| Resource type: Conference Paper BibTeX citation key: Sonderman2012 View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Blut - blood, Einzeller - protozoa, Gopherus polyphemus, Habitat - habitat, Nordamerika - North America, Schildkröten - turtles + tortoises, Testudinidae, Veterinärmedizin - veterinary medicine Creators: Norton, Sonderman, Tuberville, Yabsley Collection: Program and Abstracts of the Tenth Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles |
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| Abstract |
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Testudinidae Gopherus polyphemus Hemogregarines, intraerythrocyte parasites, are common in amphibians and reptiles, especially aquatic turtles. To date, only a few species have been reported from tortoises and little is known about their life cycles. Recently, an undescribed haemogregarine was reported from Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus). We conducted the current study to better understand this parasite. In the current project, we are concentrating on a translocated population of Gopher Tortoises on St. Catherine’s Island, Georgia (USA). Testing to date indicates that 89% (n = 27) of tortoises were positive for haemogregarines at the time of introduction on the island in 1994. At translocations, 100% of tortoises were infested with Amblyomma tuberculatum, the Gopher Tortoise Tick. All ticks were removed and tortoises treated with acaricides. Examination of blood smears from the translocated tortoises in 2009 indicated that the tortoises were still infected; however, parasitemias had decreased (1994 parasitemias avg. 1.33% (n = 24, 95% CI = 0.60), 2009 parasitemias avg. 0.15% (n = 4, 95% CI = 0.10). Since the introductions, only 21 tortoises (n = 409) (5%) have been infested with low numbers of A. tuberculatum (17 from 1994-1997 and only eight from 2001-2010). Continued detection of ticks could be due to persistence of low numbers on uncaptured tortoises or due to the translocation of low numbers of tortoises to the island that may not be thoroughly examined for ticks. Interestingly, only a single tortoise that previously tested negative in 1994 became positive in 2005 and external examination revealed that tortoise was infested with A. tuberculatum. To date, all tortoises born on the island have tested negative for haemogregarines. These data suggest that Gopher Tortoises maintain long-term infections with this haemogregarine and that A. tuberculatum is a likely vector. Future studies include serial testing of tortoises introduced to the island, testing of tortoises from additional sites with and without ticks, and testing of ticks for haemogregarine developmental stages. These data will be combined with morphologic and genetic data to formally describe the Gopher Tortoise parasite.
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