Health assessment of wild Namaqualand Speckled Padlopers (Homopus signatus)

HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF WILD NAMAQUALAND SPECKLED PADLOPERS (HOMOPUS SIGNATUS) LIVIO GALOSI1*, Graduating student (Vet Med); FRANCESCO C. ORIGGI2°, DVM, PhD, DACVM (Virology), DACVP, DECZM (Herpetology); ANNA RITA ATTILI1°, DVM; STEFANIA PERRUCCI3°, DVM, PhD, EVPC; GIACOMO ROSSI1, DVM, MSc, PhD, ECZM (WPH); VINCENZO CUTERI1, DVM; VICTOR J.T. LOEHR4, BSc, MSc, PhD 1 School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Matelica, Italy 2 Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health (FIWI), DIP, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland 3 Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy 4 Homopus Research Foundation, IJsselstein, Netherlands ° The Authors equally contributed ABSTRACT The Namaqualand speckled padloper (Homopus signatus) is the world smallest tortoise species and inhabits the Succulent Karoo biome in South Africa. Although its ecology has been thoroughly studied, no health parameters of wild individuals are available. Five males and five females, collected (permits: FAUNA 053/2015; CITES 148487 and 15NL226435/11) to genetically enhance a European conservation breeding program, were investigated to derive base-line health parameters. Ectoparasites were immediately removed from each tortoise. Ocular, nasal, oral and cloacal swabs were collected upon arrival in Europe for microbiological examination. Fenbendazole (Panacur®) was administered to prevent nematode overgrowth. Feces were collected prior and one month after treatment. Most of the collected swabs (82.5%) yielded bacterial colonies (mean load of 16x107±61x108 CFU/swab). Bacillus cereus, Mycoplasma spp., Salmonella enterica subsp. II salamae 6,7:a:z42 were commonly detected, especially in the oral and cloacal cavities. Yeasts and fungi (mean: 2450±495 CFU/swab) were present in 25% of swabs, with Rhodotorula rubra, R. mucilaginosa, Candida spp. and Alternaria spp. over-represented in ocular and oral swabs.Virology investigation included a panel of PCR aiming to detect Herpesviruses, Adenoviruses and Iridoviruses. Both oral and cloacal swabs from each individual tested negatively. All fecal samples collected before the treatment contained oxyurid eggs, whereas a significant reduction of them was observed in the majority of treated animals. In some tortoises, Nycthocterus sp. (5/10) and coccidian oocyst (5/10) were identified. Ectoparasites were identified as Ornithodoros savignyi soft ticks. These are the very first health-related data from free-ranging Namaqualand speckled padlopers. REFERENCES 1. Jacobson RJ. 2007. Infectious Diseases And Pathology Of Reptiles. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, USA. 2. Loehr VJT, Henen BT, Hofmeyr MD. 2006. Tick infestations in the Namaqualand speckled padloper, Homopus signatus signatus (Gmelin, 1789). African Zoology, Vol. 41, Issue 2.