A captive 19-yr-old female Pacific gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer) presented for evaluation after keeper staff noticed a midbody swelling. Physical examination revealed a 6.6 × 3 × 3-cm slightly mobile mass approximately midway between the head and tail. Distension of the gallbladder was diagnosed using radiographs, ultrasonography, and fine needle aspiration. Pre-operative coelomic ultrasound revealed close association between the gallbladder, aorta, and vena cava. Repeated cholecystocentesis failed to resolve the distension and a cholecystectomy was performed. Mycobacterium chelonae was isolated from the removed gallbladder and the snake was treated with azithromycin 10 mg/kg PO every 7 days for 6 months. Acid fast organisms were identified on a fecal smear during the peri-operative period. None of the usual clinical signs of mycobacteriosis in reptiles, such as respiratory disease, weight loss, or lethargy, were observed in the present case and the patient continues to thrive. Cholecystectomy is rarely reported in snakes, and this case describes an appropriate pre-operative evaluation, surgical approach, and postoperative management plan. This is the first report of antemortem diagnosis of cholecystitis in a snake caused by M. chelonae infection, which is a potentially zoonotic pathogen.

In veterinary medicine, protein electrophoresis has become a routine test. However, its use in exotic animals remains controversial because of a lack of reference values for many species. Establishing protein electrophoresis reference values of healthy Hermann's tortoises (Testudo hermanni) could prove to be a very useful tool for assessing the health status of this endangered species. The aim of this study was to establish a preliminary reference interval for the protein fractions of Hermann's tortoises under normal conditions. Serum samples from healthy adult Hermann's tortoises (n = 22) were analyzed by cellulose acetate electrophoresis. Total protein concentration (min–max: 2.10–6.20 g/dl) was measured by the biuret method. Four protein fractions were identified: albumin, α-globulins, β-globulins, and γ-globulins. The reference intervals for healthy tortoises were determined by parametric methods as recommended by the American Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathologists Quality Assurance and Laboratory Standards Committee. Furthermore, differences between sexes (15 females, 7 males) were evaluated and a statistical difference was noted. To our knowledge, this is the first study to determine reference intervals for the protein profile of Hermann's tortoise using parametric methods.

Serum chemistry analysis is used for the evaluation of a subject's health status in reptile medicine. Protein electrophoresis, combined with the determination of total protein concentration, is the standard method for the determination of serum albumin concentration. An alternative method is the bromocresol green (BCG) dye-binding method. The BCG method for the measurement of albumin concentration in reptiles may lead to inaccurate results for serum albumin concentration. The aim of this study was to compare the serum albumin values of Hermann's tortoises (Testudo hermanni) obtained by protein electrophoresis and the BCG method and to test the reliability of the BCG method for the measurement of albumin concentration in this species of tortoise. Between May and June 2012, serum samples from 32 Hermann's tortoises, 22 healthy and 10 diseased, were analyzed. Serum albumin concentrations were measured by protein electrophoresis and by the BCG method. The results of the two methods were compared using Passing–Bablok regression and Bland–Altman plots. Albumin concentration measured by BCG was moderately correlated with the corresponding protein electrophoretic values in all tortoises (r_s = 0.545, P = 0.001) and in healthy tortoises analyzed separately (r_s = 0.491, P = 0.020). In diseased tortoises, correlation between the testing methods was not significant (r_s = 0.602, P = 0.066). The albumin concentrations measured using the two methods differed significantly in all tortoises (P = 0.0005; “effect size” = 0.50), in healthy tortoises (P = 0.0262; “effect size” = 0.61), and in diseased tortoises (P = 0.0059, “effect size” = 0.62). In the Bland–Altman plots, a systematic error was found between the two methods in diseased tortoises. The albumin concentrations measured by BCG were significantly higher than those obtained with electrophoresis, especially in diseased Hermann's tortoises. The analysis of albumin in the BCG method gave falsely elevated concentrations. Therefore, for health assessment in Hermann's tortoises, albumin should be measured by protein electrophoresis.

Clinical pathology is routinely used to diagnose and monitor response to disease. In this study the hematologic response of red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) to experimental ranavirus infection was measured during two separate environmental temperature trials. Blood samples were collected from six red-eared sliders experimentally infected with a ranavirus, frog virus 3-like virus (FV3-like), and from 10 uninfected turtles twice weekly for 30 days postinfection to evaluate several hematologic variables. There were no significant changes in packed cell volume, white blood cell (WBC) count, or WBC differential counts over time in either the infected or uninfected groups. There were significant increases in WBC in infected turtles on days 18 and 22 postinoculation (22°C; 71.6°F) and on days 8 and 11 (28°C; 82.4°F) compared to uninfected turtles. Total solids were significantly decreased (P = 0.034) over time in the red-eared sliders infected with FV3-like virus regardless of temperature. Intracytoplasmic inclusions were seen in two red-eared sliders and only in animals in the 22°C (71.6°F) temperature trial. The hematologic findings from this study suggest that closely monitoring an animal during the early stages of infection may reveal some mild changes in the WBC count; however, serial sampling would be necessary to detect these small differences. Further work utilizing larger sample sizes and more-frequent sampling are needed to determine the clinical significance of the hematologic response of chelonians to this devastating virus.

International conventions dictate reliable identification of various reptile species that are subject to intensive trade targeting and habitat destruction. As a rule, tortoises with a minimal plastron length of 100 mm are fitted with a microchip transponder. The development of new generations of transponders, however, may offer the possibility to identify smaller individuals. This study evaluated the use of microchip transponders in juvenile Hermann's tortoises, Testudo hermanni, by using two groups of 30 captive-bred tortoises. Microchip transponders were implanted in the first group of tortoises, and the second group served as a control group. During a 10 month observation period, including 2 months of hibernation, both groups were evaluated for short- as well as mid-term effects of microchip implantation, and readability of the microchips was checked twice a week. Body weight and plastron length were determined twice a week to compare growth and weight curves between both groups. Radiographs were obtained from all animals immediately after microchip implantation, 4 wk later, and at the end of the observation period. In addition, applicability and readability of the marking method were evaluated in 130 tortoises (family Testudinidae) and 73 turtles (family Emydidae) with a plastron length exceeding 100 mm. Besides overall uncomplicated application and excellent readability, our results provide a solid basis for the assumption that the use of microchip transponders does not result in negative behavioral or physical effects and that they are safe to use in juvenile Hermann's tortoises, allowing at least mid-term identification of tagged individuals.