Hematologia e bioquímica plasmática de três espécies de quelônios da Amazônia (Podocnemididae) provenientes de queloniculturas

Abstract

Turtles are animals that have ecological and cultural importance for the people of the Amazon region, as well as a protein and economic source. The current study sought, through a literature review and field research, to gather information about the blood hematology and plasma biochemistry of turtles, considering the scarcity of published data. According to the data presented in this work, the hematological and biochemical parameters of Amazonian turtles show differences related to endogenous and exogenous factors that influence blood characteristics. The high MCV value verified suggests macrocytosis, possibly due to erythropoiesis, which exposes the robustness of the animals. The high levels of glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides for newly hatched chelonianscorroborates the literature that portrays the energy demand of the high metabolic activity of newly hatched chelonians. In chapter 2, the hematological and biochemical parameters showed that the species Podocnemis unifilis was under stress condition, and that high cholesterol and triglycerides values may be related to the amount of food supplied. The water quality showed low values for dissolved oxygen and, consequently, an increase in ammonia and nitrite, which may be related to the amount of organic residue in the water. For the species Peltocephalus dumerilianus, the nutritional factor was the most likely factor for the differences verified. This species presents values of Ht, RBC, and MCV similar to the values of Podocnemis expansa in production, in addition to showing Hb, MCH, and MCHC with values close to those of the species Podocnemis unifilis. Considering the hematological and biochemical data of the species presented in this study, the influence of management on the health and wellbeing of chelonians is evidenced. The data presented can be used in actions aimed at management and future studies on the species of Amazonian chelonians that were investigated in this study.