Blood variable data for clinically normal and clinically abnormal Mojave Desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) in 2013

To improve our understanding of health and immune function in tortoises, we evaluated both standard blood diagnostic (body condition, hematologic, plasma biochemistry values, trace elements, plasma proteins, vitamin A levels) and gene transcription profiles in 21 adult tortoises (11 clinically abnormal; 10 clinically normal) from Clark County, NV, USA. Necropsy and histology evaluations from clinically abnormal tortoises revealed multiple physiological complications, with moderate to severe rhinitis or pneumonia being the primary cause of morbidity in all but one of the examined animals. Improved methods for health assessments are an important element of monitoring tortoise population recovery and can support the development of more robust diagnostic measures for ill animals, or individuals directly impacted by disturbance.

为加深对陆龟健康与免疫功能的认知，我们对来自美国内华达州克拉克县的21只成年陆龟（11只临床异常、10只临床正常）开展了标准化血液检测（涵盖身体状况、血液学、血浆生化指标、微量元素、血浆蛋白、维生素A水平）与基因转录谱分析。对临床异常陆龟的剖检与组织病理学评估显示，其存在多种生理并发症，除1只受试个体外，其余个体的主要致病诱因为中重度鼻炎或肺炎。优化健康评估方法是监测陆龟种群恢复的重要环节，可为患病个体或直接受干扰影响的个体开发更可靠的诊断手段提供支撑。