Location has a significant effect on body condition and blood parameters in the eastern longneck turtle (Chelodina longicollis)

Titus Franciscus Scheelings

doi:10.1071/ZO23031

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Previous Contents Vol 71(6)

Location has a significant effect on body condition and blood parameters in the eastern longneck turtle (Chelodina longicollis)

Titus Franciscus Scheelings

^A ^*

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Werribee, Vic., Australia.

^* Correspondence to: franciscus.scheelings@unimelb.edu.au

Handling Editor: Steven Cooper

Australian Journal of Zoology 71, ZO23031 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO23031

Submitted: 23 August 2023 Accepted: 26 March 2024 Published: 16 April 2024

© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

The aim of this investigation was to explore the effect point of capture has on relative weight (Wr), as well as haematology and biochemistry values, in wild eastern longneck turtles (Chelodina longicollis). This study group consisted of two sites of turtles residing in Duck Pond (DP) and Ivanhoe Wetland (IW) in the Darebin Parklands, in Alphington, Melbourne. From DP, 184 turtles were captured, and from IW, 37 turtles were captured. All turtles were weighed and measured, and a random subset of 20 turtles from each waterbody was selected for blood collection. Significant differences were found to exist for Wr, basophils, glucose, uric acid, triglycerides and bile acids between the two sites. Serum glucose levels tended to decrease as a turtle increased in mass, straight carapace length (SCL) and Wr. The results of this investigation highlight the need to take location into consideration when assessing blood parameters in reptiles.

Keywords: biochemistry, body condition, Chelodina longicollis, eastern longneck turtle, haematology, location, mass, serum glucose.

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