ORAL AND CLOACAL BACTERIAL FLORA OF MARGINATED TORTOISES

(Testudo marginata)

1
Faculty ofVeterinary Medicine Universityof Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia, Student
2
Department of Poultry Diseases with Clinic, FacultyofVeterinary Medicine, Universityof
Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
3
Zagreb Zoo, Zagreb, Croatia
4
Department ofPathophysiology, FacultyofVeterinary Medicine, UniversityofZagreb, Zagreb,
Croatia

The MarginatedTortoise (Testudo marginata) is the largest European tortoise belonging

to the Testudinidae family. Adults are recognized most easily by the intense flaring of the rear of
their shells, somewhat resembling a skirt.
The natural range of the marginated tortoise is southern Greece, from the Peloponnesus to Mount
Olympus. They are also found in isolated zones of the Balkans and Italy, and northeastern
Sardinia. The marginated tortoise lives in more mountainous regions than Hermann's tortoise. It
can be found in elevations as high as 1,600 m (5,200 ft). The black color of the carapace is
helpful for survival in this environment, as it allows the tortoise to absorb a great deal of heat in a
short time, helping it maintain its body temperature.
According to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Category and
Criteria, marginated tortoises have been evaluated as not being a focus of species conservationat
the moment (least concern).
Since the information about the health condition and pathogens afflicting this species is
very scarce, we have examined and swabbed a group of animals confiscated at the Croatia
-Serbia border and situated at the facility of Zagreb Zoo.
Oral cavity and cloacal swabs were taken from twenty animals and the samples were
plated on different non-selective and selective agars, and incubated under aerobic conditions at
37oC for 24hrs for detection of aerobic bacteria in The Department of Poultry Diseases with
Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Croatia.
In total, eight bacterial species weresuccessfuly isolated from the oral cavity, with the
predominance of Morganella morganii and Enterococcus avium. Nine bacterial species were
isolated from cloaca, with the predominance of Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus.
The results obtained are similar to those previously reportedfor bacteria in tortoises,
although extensive research projects have seldom been performed.