Data from: Descriptive epidemiology for turtles admitted to the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine Turtle Rescue Team

The North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine Turtle
Rescue Team has been treating and releasing wild turtles since 1996 and
has compiled a collection of almost 4,000 medical records, now available
for consultation by researchers via the North Carolina State University
Libraries Special Collections Research Center. Data available for each
case include county where turtle was discovered, patient identification
number, admission date, species, sex and reproductive status, physical
examination findings, clinical diagnosis, last case-entry date, length of
stay, and final disposition. Additional data in the records include a
day-by-day description of treatment and husbandry performed for each
turtle. This report summarizes 2,613 turtle cases examined between 1996
and 2012 by the Turtle Rescue Team, including 12 native species of turtle
from 63 North Carolina counties. The sex distribution of those of known
sex were evenly distributed. The most common presenting condition was
vehicular trauma while garden equipment and fish-equipment–related trauma,
pet surrender, and other human-induced injury represented an additional
154 cases. Animal attacks and trauma due to unknown causes were also
represented. Other conditions diagnosed on presentation included
infection, aural abscessation, nutritional disorder, neurologic disorder,
buoyancy disorder, prolapse, and other. A small number of turtles were not
diagnosed or were healthy. Ultimate disposition data were available for
2,318 turtles, of which 1,227 were released to the wild. The
epidemiological data presented here are similar to information collected
in Illinois, Tennessee, and Virginia. Medical records from wildlife
hospitals and primary care facilities represent an important opportunity
to gain valuable insight into the epidemiology of human interaction with
native wildlife species.