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Affuso A, Lamagna B, Costanza D, Basso D, Scarfò M, Di Palma C, Amalfitano C, Meomartino L, Maffucci F, Hochscheid S, Vanore M. Electroretinography, Ocular Ultrasonography, and Phacoemulsification of Bilateral Cataracts in Two Juvenile Loggerhead Sea Turtles ( Caretta caretta) of the Mediterranean Region. Vet Sci 2023; 10:474. [PMID: 37505878 PMCID: PMC10383404 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10070474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bilateral cataracts were diagnosed in two rescued juvenile, immature loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), weighing 1.65 and 1.7 kg. Both animals showed vision impairment and difficulty in feeding without assistance. In fact, they did not notice the presence of the food in the tank unless it was brought close to touching the mouth. Ocular ultrasonography and electroretinography showed no lesions of the vitreal body and retinal layer, therefore, both animals were candidates for bilateral cataract surgery. Topical administration of tropicamide + phenylephrine alternating with rocuronium resulted in only minimal mydriasis. Administration of intracameral rocuronium did not improve mydriasis. Phacoemulsification using a one-handed technique was performed bilaterally with a phacoemulsification device (Sovereign, AMO (Abbott Medical Optics®). After surgery, the systemic anti-inflammatory drug (dexamethasone 0.2 mg/kg, IM daily for one week) and antibiotics (enrofloxacin 10 mg/kg IM q 72 h, for 4 weeks; ceftazidime 20 mg/kg IM q 72 h for 3 weeks) were administered. Topical ofloxacin, flurbiprofen and tobramycin/dexamethasone were instilled TID for 4 weeks. Both turtles regained vision in both eyes. Results at a 10-month follow-up were satisfactory. This is the first report of cataracts in turtles rescued in the Mediterranean Sea and the first description of surgical treatment of cataracts in loggerhead turtles so young.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Affuso
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Department of Marine Animal Conservation and Public Engagement, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Nuova Macello 16, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Barbara Lamagna
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples "Federico II", 80137 Napoli, Italy
| | - Dario Costanza
- Interdepartmental Center of Veterinary Radiology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80137 Naples, Italy
| | - Dario Basso
- Veterinary Clinic Lucrino, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Marzia Scarfò
- Plaisant S.r.l., Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128 Roma, Italy
| | - Cristina Di Palma
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples "Federico II", 80137 Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Leonardo Meomartino
- Interdepartmental Center of Veterinary Radiology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80137 Naples, Italy
| | - Fulvio Maffucci
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Department of Marine Animal Conservation and Public Engagement, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Nuova Macello 16, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Sandra Hochscheid
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Department of Marine Animal Conservation and Public Engagement, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Nuova Macello 16, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Maria Vanore
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
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Morphologic and physiologic characteristics of green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) hatchlings in southeastern Florida, USA. J Comp Physiol B 2022; 192:751-764. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-022-01450-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Ascarrunz E, Sánchez-Villagra MR. The macroevolutionary and developmental evolution of the turtle carapacial scutes. VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/vz.72.e76256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The scutes of the carapace of extant turtles exhibit common elements in a narrow range of topographical arrangements. The typical arrangement has remained constant since its origin in the clade Mesochelydia (Early Jurassic), after a period of apparent greater diversity in the Triassic. This contribution is a review of the development and evolutionary history of the scute patterns of the carapace, seen through the lens of recent developmental models. This yields insights on pattern variations in the fossil record. We reinterpret the “supracaudal” scute and propose that Proganochelys had five vertebral scutes. We discuss the relationship between supramarginal scutes and Turing processes, and we show how a simple change during embryogenesis could account for origin of the configuration of the caudal region of the carapace in mesochelydians. We also discuss the nature of the decrease in number of scutes over the course of evolution, and whether macroevolutionary trends can be discerned. We argue that turtles with complete loss of scutes (e.g., softshells) follow clade-specific macroevolutionary regimes, which are distinct from the majority of other turtles. Finally, we draw a parallel between the variation of scute patterns on the carapace of turtles and the scale patterns in the pileus region (roof of the head) of squamates. The size and numbers of scales in the pileus region can evolve over a wide range, but we recognized tentative evidence of convergence towards a typical configuration when the scales become larger and fewer. Thus, typical patterns could be a more general property of similar systems of integumentary appendages.
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Smith GR, Rettig JE, Iverson JB. Frequency of and Temporal Trends in Shell Anomalies in a Turtle Community in a Northern Indiana Lake. CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.2744/ccb-1408.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey R. Smith
- Department of Biology, Denison University, Granville, Ohio 43023 USA [, ]
| | - Jessica E. Rettig
- Department of Biology, Denison University, Granville, Ohio 43023 USA [, ]
| | - John B. Iverson
- Department of Biology, Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana 47374 USA []
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Bentley BP, McGlashan JK, Bresette MJ, Wyneken J. No evidence of selection against anomalous scute arrangements between juvenile and adult sea turtles in Florida. J Morphol 2020; 282:173-184. [PMID: 33111991 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Variations in the number and arrangement of scutes often are used for species identification in hard-shelled sea turtles. Despite the conserved nature of scute arrangements, anomalous arrangements have been noted in the literature for over a century, with anomalies linked to sub-optimal environmental conditions in the nest during development. Long-held assumptions suggest that anomalous scute arrangements are indicative of underlying physiological or morphological anomalies, with presumed long-term survival costs to the individual. Here, we examined a 25-year photo database of two species of sea turtle (Caretta caretta and Chelonia mydas) captured incidentally and non-selectively on the eastern coast of Florida. Our results suggest that C. mydas is substantially more variable with respect to the arrangement of carapacial scutes, while C. caretta had a relatively higher proportion of individuals with anomalous plastron scute arrangements. We also show evidence that (a) the forms and patterns of anomalous scutes are stable throughout growth; (b) there is limited evidence for selection against non-modal arrangements in the size classes that were examined; and (c) that their frequency has remained stable in juvenile cohorts from 1994 until present. These findings indicate that there may not be a survival cost associated with anomalous scute arrangements once the turtles reach juvenile size classes, and that variation in scute arrangements within populations is relatively common.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blair P Bentley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
| | - Jessica K McGlashan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
| | | | - Jeanette Wyneken
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
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