Reabilitação de tartaruga-cabeçuda (Caretta caretta Linnaeus, 1758) após traumatismo craniano

Traumas cranianos em tartarugas marinhas geralmente estão relacionados à ação antrópica por colisão com embarcações motorizadas. Em sua maioria, estes eventos são fatais, e quando não, várias sequelas podem permanecer. Desta forma, objetivou-se relatar um caso de uma tartaruga-cabeçuda (Caretta caretta) com politraumatismos craniano. O espécime foi resgatado encalhado no dia 17 de novembro de 2018, na praia de Retirinho, município de Aracati, Ceará, Brasil. O animal foi encontrado ativo e responsivo, com bom escore corpóreo e elevado grau de desidratação. Na inspeção, verificou-se uma lesão traumática na cabeça, que atingiu as placas frontoparietal, parietais e temporais esquerda e supraocular esquerda, com exposição de tecido mole adjacente. No ramo mandibular esquerdo, presença de lesão perfuro-incisa, e na cavidade oral, anzol de pesca aderido à musculatura da sínfise mandibular direita. No exame neurológico, observou-se excitação e hipersensibilidade ao toque, resposta ao teste de ameaça no olho direito, mas apresentou reflexo reduzido no olho esquerdo. Os quatro membros responderam satisfatoriamente ao teste de retirada, não manifestando movimentos incoordenados. O animal recebeu suporte terapêutico com administração de antibióticos, analgésicos, anti-inflamatórios, polivitamínicos, fluidoterapia e tratamento tópico. Após 291 dias de iniciado o processo de reabilitação, o animal foi reintroduzido em ambiente natural. Conclui-se que o protocolo terapêutico utilizado na reabilitação deste espécime de tartaruga-cabeçuda foi eficiente, principalmente no que diz respeito à terapia tópica. Além disso, a partir dos exames radiográficos foi possível visualizar a evolução do processo cicatricial das fraturas ósseas, auxiliando assim na tomada de decisão em liberar o animal à natureza.

Conservation status of sea turtles in Spain (review of the period 2013-2018)

El presente documento revisa la situación y aporta nuevos datos para las tortugas marinas en España durante el periodo 2013-2018. Se revisa el estado de conservación para el periodo 2013-2018 en cada una de las demarcaciones marítimas españolas: Levante –Baleares y Estrecho-Alborán para el Mediterráneo, y Noratlántica, Sudatlántica y Macaronesia en aguas del océano Atlántico. Se incluyen análisis de tendencias, las presiones y amenazas que afectan a cada especie y bibliografía actualizada. Para Caretta caretta, se recopila la información de los nidos en las costas mediterráneas españolas desde 2013 hasta 2018 y los movimientos de juveniles nacidos en España, tras su liberación. This document reviews the situation and provides new data for sea turtles in Spain during the period 2013-2018. The conservation status for such period is reviewed in each of the Spanish maritime demarcations: Levante -Baleares and Estrecho-Alborán for the Mediterranean, and Noratlántica, Sudatlántica and Macaronesia in waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Analysis of trends, pressures and threats that affect each species and updated bibliography are included. For Caretta caretta, information is collected on nests on the Spanish Mediterranean coasts from 2013 to 2018 and the movements of juveniles born in Spain, after their release.

Tissue and Temperature-Specific RNA-Seq Analysis Reveals Genomic Versatility and Adaptive Potential in Wild Sea Turtle Hatchlings (Caretta caretta)

Background: Digital transcriptomics is rapidly emerging as a powerful new technology for modelling the environmental dynamics of the adaptive landscape in diverse lineages. This is particularly valuable in taxa such as turtles and tortoises (order Testudines) which contain a large fraction of endangered species at risk due to anthropogenic impacts on the environment, including pollution, overharvest, habitat degradation, and climate change. Sea turtles (family Cheloniidae) in particular invite a genomics-enabled approach to investigating their remarkable portfolio of adaptive evolution. The sex of the endangered loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is subject to temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), a mechanism by which exposure to temperatures during embryonic development irreversibly determines sex. Higher temperatures produce mainly female turtles and lower temperatures produce mainly male turtles. Incubation temperature can have long term effects on the immunity, migratory ability, and ultimately longevity of hatchlings. We perform RNA-seq differential expression analysis to investigate tissue- and temperature-specific gene expression within brain (n = 7) and gonadal (n = 4) tissue of male and female loggerhead hatchlings. Results: We assemble tissue- and temperature-specific transcriptomes and identify differentially expressed genes relevant to sexual development and life history traits of broad adaptive interest to turtles and other amniotic species. We summarize interactions among differentially expressed genes by producing network visualizations, and highlight shared biological pathways related to migration, immunity, and longevity reported in the avian and reptile literature. Conclusions: The measurement of tissue- and temperature-specific global gene expression of an endangered, flagship species such as the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) reveals the genomic basis for potential resiliency and is crucial to future management and conservation strategies with attention to changing climates. Brain and gonadal tissue collected from experimentally reared loggerhead male and female hatchlings comprise an exceedingly rare dataset that permits the identification of genes enriched in functions related to sexual development, immunity, longevity, and migratory behavior and will serve as a large, new genomic resource for the investigation of genotype–phenotype relationships in amniotes.

Transplastron Enterocentesis to Manage Buoyancy Disorder in an Adult Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)

Buoyancy disorder in sea turtles is a common condition that contributes to increased morbidity and mortality in the wild and because of this, is often encountered in rehabilitation facilities. The pathological gas accumulation that is a sequelae of this disorder can create challenges in treatment of this disease, especially when concurrent systemic disease is present. These challenges increase with patient size, as anatomy and location of pathology makes gas evacuation more difficult utilizing conventional methods when medical therapy alone is unsuccessful. This report discusses a novel technique utilizing ultrasonic-guided transplastron enterocentesis of the proximal gastrointestinal tract in an adult loggerhead sea turtle ( Caretta caretta ) with suspected intestinal obstruction. The sea turtle presented with positive buoyancy and routine workup revealed gas accumulation in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as concurrent pneumonia. Medical therapy alone did not diminish the positive buoyancy or gastrointestinal distension. Ultrasonic-guided transplastron enterocentesis was performed via the connective tissue lateral to the 3rd inframarginal scute while the turtle was positioned with its left side raised, allowing any gas-filled intestine to be positioned laterally. Approximately 10.3 L of gas were evacuated from the proximal gastrointestinal lumen and within 15 mins, the turtle was neutrally buoyant. It continued to exhibit normal surfacing, diving, and resting behavior. The turtle was released 111 days after enterocentesis in order to allow treatment of the concurrent pneumonia. The technique discussed in this report has implications for improving treatment of buoyancy disorder in large adult sea turtles and increasing likelihood of release.