Case Report: Ingestion of a Massive Amount of Debris by a Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) in Southern Brazil

Stahelin et al present a case report of a massive amount of debris ingestion by a green turtle (Chelonia mydas) in Southern Brazil. On Jul 18 2010 a juvenile green turtle was rescued after stranding at Mole Beach. The turtle was weak, in poor body condition, malnourished and emaciated. Clinical sign...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inMarine turtle newsletter no. 135; p. 6
Main Authors Stahelin, Gustavo D, Hennemann, Mariana C, Cegoni, Camila T, Wanderlinde, Juçara, e Lima, Eron Paes, Goldberg, Daphne W
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Swansea Seaturtle.org 01.10.2012
Subjects
Chemical contaminants
Digestive system
Gastrointestinal diseases
Marine pollution
Pathology
Reptiles & amphibians
Brazil
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Stahelin et al present a case report of a massive amount of debris ingestion by a green turtle (Chelonia mydas) in Southern Brazil. On Jul 18 2010 a juvenile green turtle was rescued after stranding at Mole Beach. The turtle was weak, in poor body condition, malnourished and emaciated. Clinical signs included dehydration, prostration and areflexia. Death occurred a few hours after initial supportive care. In order to determine the cause of death, a necropsy was performed on the individual. A massive amount of debris was found in its digestive tract and was apparently blocking food passage. The gastric and intestinal mucosa showed the presence of several ulcers, probably caused by the presence of debris, which could have possibly led to excess gastric acid production.
ISSN:0839-7708
0839-7708