The Desert Tortoise and Upper Respiratory Tract Disease
Jacobson E. 1991. The Desert Tortoise and Upper Respiratory Tract Disease. Tortuga Gazette. 27(7):2-3
A disease characterized by a mild to severe nasal discharge has been seen for many years in captive tortoises in Europe, England, and the United States. In 1988, desert tortoises at the Desert Tortoise Natural Area (DTNA), Kern County, California were seen with symptoms of the disease similar to that of captive desert tortoises. Surveys of the DTNA in 1989 and 1990 revealed many desert tortoises were ill with Upper Respiratory Tract Disease (URTD). This short three page article describes the discovery of URTD in free-ranging desert tortoises and early efforts to isolate the pathogen which causes the disease. The article also provides information on antibiotics or combination of antibiotics which may be effective in treating the disease. The author points out that schemes for managing URTD in free-ranging populations are difficult to develop and implement.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Jacobson, Elliot
- Units
- MOJA
- Keywords
- Bacterial organism, captive desert tortoises, Drug therapies, Free-ranging desert tortoises, Gopherus agassizii (Desert Tortoise), Mojave Desert, Pasteurella testudinis, Pathogen, Reptilia (Reptiles), Sonoran Desert, Testudines, Testudinidae (Tortoises)