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Occurrence of Upper Respiratory Tract Disease and Associated Hematology of Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) in South Florida
- Date Issued:
- 2015
- Summary:
- Upper Respiratory Tract Disease (URTD) is an extremely infectious illness whose effect on Gopher tortoise populations is not fully understood and in need of more extensive research. The occurrence of URTD in the Gopher tortoise population in the Abacoa Greenway has been thoroughly documented over the past 11 years. In the current study, blood samples were collected from 37 individuals in this location, 22 of which were from previously tested individuals. Twenty-four of these individuals were also sampled for blood chemistry testing. The test results for the 22 previously tested tortoises were compared to past results. Results of this study show that some individuals continue to test positive over several years, while others that have previously tested positive now show lower levels of antibodies, suggesting the ability to recover from the disease. Comments were also made on the associated hematology and blood chemistry results for the 24 tortoises sampled.
Title: | Occurrence of Upper Respiratory Tract Disease and Associated Hematology of Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) in South Florida. |
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Name(s): |
Villanueva, Kayla Moore, Jon Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College |
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Type of Resource: | text | |
Genre: | Thesis | |
Date Created: | Spring 2015 | |
Date Issued: | 2015 | |
Publisher: | Florida Atlantic University | |
Place of Publication: | Boca Raton, Fla. | |
Physical Form: | ||
Extent: | 48 p. | |
Language(s): | English | |
Summary: | Upper Respiratory Tract Disease (URTD) is an extremely infectious illness whose effect on Gopher tortoise populations is not fully understood and in need of more extensive research. The occurrence of URTD in the Gopher tortoise population in the Abacoa Greenway has been thoroughly documented over the past 11 years. In the current study, blood samples were collected from 37 individuals in this location, 22 of which were from previously tested individuals. Twenty-four of these individuals were also sampled for blood chemistry testing. The test results for the 22 previously tested tortoises were compared to past results. Results of this study show that some individuals continue to test positive over several years, while others that have previously tested positive now show lower levels of antibodies, suggesting the ability to recover from the disease. Comments were also made on the associated hematology and blood chemistry results for the 24 tortoises sampled. | |
Identifier: | FA00003663 (IID) | |
Note(s): |
Includes bibliography. Thesis (B.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, 2016. |
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Held by: | Florida Atlantic University Libraries | |
Sublocation: | Digital Library | |
Persistent Link to This Record: | http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003663 | |
Use and Reproduction: | Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder. | |
Host Institution: | FAU |