Oral bacterial microbiota and traumatic injuries of free-ranging Phrynops geoffroanus (Testudines, Chelidae) in southeastern Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v8i1p19-25Keywords:
Testudines, Chelidae, lesions, microbiology, pollution, southeastern BrazilAbstract
During 2006 and 2007, we collected free-ranging Phrynops geoffroanus, from two anthropogenically altered rivers in southeastern Brazil. Oral microbiological samples were taken for isolation of aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria; a physical examination was performed; and we evaluated possible effects on the turtles' health. Twenty-nine species of bacteria were isolated in Piracicaba River turtles (n=10), and twenty-four species in Piracicamirim stream turtles (n=8), most of them gram-negative. In both sites, potential pathogens for reptiles were: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter agglomerans, Citrobacter freundii, and Bacillus sp. Although boat propeller lesions were common on the carapace of the turtles, we have not found turtles with signs of clinical diseases. The oral bacterial microbiota of P. geoffroanus inhabiting the Piracicaba River basin are composed of a diverse microbe spectrum, and long-term studies of the effects of pollution and traumatic injuries on this population and its microbial flora are warranted.Downloads
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Published
2009-06-01
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All material originally published in Phyllomedusa belongs to Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz - Universidade de São Paulo. All contents are under a license of Creative Commons BY-NC-ND.How to Cite
Ferronato, B. O., Marques, T. S., Souza, F. L., Verdade, L. M., & Matushima, E. R. (2009). Oral bacterial microbiota and traumatic injuries of free-ranging Phrynops geoffroanus (Testudines, Chelidae) in southeastern Brazil. Phyllomedusa: Journal of Herpetology, 8(1), 19-25. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v8i1p19-25