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Oral and cloacal bacterial flora of marginated tortoises (Testudo marginata)

The marginated tortoise (Testudo marginata) is the largest European tortoise belonging to the Testudinidae family. Adults are recognised most easily by the intense flaring of the rear of their shells, somewhat resembling a skirt. The natural range of the marginated tortoise is southern Greece, from the Peloponnesus to Mount Olympus. They are also found in isolated zones of the Balkans and Italy, and northeastern Sardinia. The marginated tortoise lives in more mountainous regions than Hermann’s tortoise. It can be found in elevations as high as 1, 600 m (5, 200 ft). The black colour of the carapace is helpful for survival in this environment, as it allows the tortoise to absorb a great deal of heat in a short time, helping it maintain its body temperature. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Category and Criteria, marginated tortoises have been evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation at the moment (least concern). Since the information about the health condition and pathogens afflicting this species is very scarce, we have examined and swabbed a group of animals confiscated at the Croatian– Serbian border and situated at the facility of the Zagreb Zoo. Oral cavity and cloacal swabs were taken from 20 animals and the samples were plated on different non-selective and selective agars, and incubated under aerobic conditions at 37 oC for 24 h for detection of aerobic bacteria at the Department of Poultry Diseases with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Croatia. In total, 8 bacterial species were successfully isolated from the oral cavity, with the predominance of Morganella morganii and Enterococcus avium. Nine bacterial species were isolated from the cloaca, with the predominance of Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus. The results obtained are similar to those previously reported for bacteria in tortoises, although extensive research projects have seldom been performed.

marginated tortoises, bacterial microflora, swabs

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