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27th Annual Meeting and Symposium of the
Desert Tortoise Council, March 22-24, 2002
Abstracts
2002 Health Surveys of Sonoran Desert Tortoises
Jay D. Johnson1, DVM and Roy C. Averill-Murray2
1University Animal Hospital, 2500 S Hardy Drive,
Tempe, AZ 85282;
2Arizona Game and Fish Department, 2221 W Greenway Road,
Phoenix, AZ 85023
In 2000 we initiated health surveys of tortoises in Sonoran Desert populations. We collected samples for herpes and mycoplasma ELISA testing, plasma biochemistries, bile acids, and PCV's. In 2001 we continued the same sampling protocol, increasing the numbers of samples from Florence Military Reservation (FMR) and the Ragged Top Mountains (RT). We included two new sites, Saguaro National Park (SAG) and Rocking K (RK) ranch, in the Rincon Mountains. Full CBC's were performed on samples from RT in efforts to determine the cause for a recent high mortality rate in the population.
A total of 39 tortoises were sampled in 2001: FMR 5, RT 9, RK 19, and SAG 6. Twenty-three tortoises were seropositive for mycoplasma: FMR 0, RT 2, RK 16, and SAG 5. Many of the tortoises from RK showed clinical signs of URTD. Herpes ELISA results were performed on samples from RT and SAG with 2 American-strain positives from SAG and 6 American-strain positives and 3 European-strain positives at RK (2 of the 3 European-strain positive tortoises were also American-strain positive). Chemistries are still being evaluated and will be reported at the end of the study.
Results of CBC's from RT show moderate leukopenia (low white blood cell count) and a high number of eosinophils. Leukopenia is indicative of a physiologic stress or immunosuppressive process occurring. The significance of the high percentage of eosinophils is not fully understood at this time. Further monitoring of cell counts from this site will occur in 2002.