Retrospective study on the casuistry of turtles (Reptilia: Testudines) in a veterinary center in Paraguay

Abstract

Ten turtle species have been reported for Paraguay, and eight of them are in threatened categories. Wildlife commerce is strictly regulated, and according to the most recent data, there is no legal way of acquiring a turtle in the country. The objective of this study is to report the species of turtles that were assisted at the Wild and Exotic Animals Clinic of the Facultad de Cien¬cias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, and the main clinical findings. Patient files from 2004 to 2023 were reviewed, and the following data were registered in a spreadsheet: file number and date, species, weight, sex, approximate age, origin, time with the person, feeding, diagnosis, and sub-classification. A total of 496 turtles were registered in individual patient files. Of these, 256 were Chelonoidis chilensis, 125 C. carbonarius, 4 un¬known Chelonoidis spp., 8 Acanthochelys macrocephala, 1 A. pallidipectoris, 7 Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei, 6 Phynops spp. (3 P. hilarii, 2 P. geoffroa¬nus, 1 unknown), 2 Hydromedusa tectifera, 14 Kinosternon scorpioides, and 12 unknown Pleurodira. Regarding casuistry, of the 256 C. chilensis brought to the practice, the main cause of consultation was trauma, representing 130 (50.78 %) of the registered files for the species. Regarding C. carbonarius, of the 125 cases, 26 were related to trauma, although routine control was the main cause of consultation. This constitutes the first report on turtle casuistry in Paraguay and may aid in identifying critical species to work with, while concluding that the main problem is still illegal traffic.