| heating and cooling rates and their effects upon heart rate and subcutaneous temperatures in the desert tortoise, gopherus agassizii. | | 1975 | 241553 |
| chronic upper respiratory tract disease of free-ranging desert tortoises (xerobates agassizii). | seventeen desert tortoises, xerobates agassizii, with upper respiratory tract disease were examined; thirteen were euthanatized for necropsy. four normal control desert tortoises from a clinically healthy population were similarly evaluated. hemoglobin and phosphorus values were significantly (p less than or equal to 0.05) lower and serum sodium, urea, sgot, and cholesterol values were significantly higher in ill tortoises compared to controls. no significant differences in concentrations of ser ... | 1991 | 2067052 |
| acute bacterial pneumonia in a group of desert tortoises (gopherus agassizi). | | 1973 | 4490504 |
| non 0-group 1 vibrio cholerae infection in a desert tortoise (gopherus berlanderi). | | 1983 | 6644937 |
| a herpesvirus-like agent associated with a pharyngeal abscess in a desert tortoise. | | 1982 | 7154221 |
| a pasteurella sp associated with respiratory disease in captive desert tortoises. | bacteria isolated from captive healthy desert tortoises were compared with bacteria from captive tortoises with respiratory illness and with bacteria from free-ranging tortoises from the mojave desert. major differences were not observed among these groups when bacteria from the mouth, nares, trachea, lungs, and cloaca were compared. frequently encountered organisms in all 3 groups included: coagulase-negative, catalase-positive, gram-positive cocci; corynebacterium sp; members of enterobacteria ... | 1980 | 7451316 |
| molecular characterization of pasteurella testudinis isolated from desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) with and without upper respiratory tract disease. | isolates of pasteurella testudinis recovered from clinically healthy desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) and tortoises with upper respiratory tract disease (urtd) were characterized in an attempt to identify strains associated with disease. eighty-nine isolates, 52 from ill and 37 from healthy tortoises collected from nevada (usa), june 1990 to september 1991, were genomically fingerprinted and grouped based on ribotype similarity. twelve isolates (six from ill and six from healthy tortoises) ... | 1995 | 7563420 |
| mycoplasma agassizii causes upper respiratory tract disease in the desert tortoise. | the desert tortoise is listed by the united states government as a threatened species in part of its range. a major contributing factor in the decline of this animal has been the presence of an upper respiratory tract disease (urtd) which is characterized by a chronic disease which eventually leads to severe occlusion of the nares with viscous exudate and destruction of the respiratory epithelium. electron microscopy of infected tissues demonstrated the presence of a mycoplasma-like organism att ... | 1994 | 7927724 |
| detection of antibodies to a pathogenic mycoplasma in desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) with upper respiratory tract disease. | mycoplasma agassizii (proposed species novum) is the etiologic agent of an upper respiratory tract disease in the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii), which is threatened in most of its range. an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) for the detection of m. agassizii-specific antibodies in desert tortoises was developed with a monoclonal antibody with specificity for desert tortoise immunoglobulin light chain. plasma samples from one group of tortoises were tested immediately before and 1 m ... | 1993 | 8314986 |
| herpesvirus particles associated with oral and respiratory lesions in a california desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii). | a 60-year-old captive california desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) which died in august 1990 at the university of california, davis, california (usa), during treatment for colonic impaction had marked caseous necrosis of the oral cavity, choana, trachea, and lungs. numerous intranuclear inclusion bodies and a large number of syncytial giant cells were seen in the oral cavity and respiratory tract along with bacterial granulomas. pasteurella testudinis, streptococcus veridans, and coagulase-ne ... | 1996 | 8827680 |
| relationship between clinical signs of upper respiratory tract disease and antibodies to mycoplasma agassizii in desert tortoises from nevada. | plasma samples collected in 1990 from free-ranging desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) with and without clinical signs of upper respiratory tract disease (urtd) from las vegas valley, clark county, nevada (usa), were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) for antibodies to mycoplasma agassizii, a causative agent of urtd. the relationship between clinical signs and elisa test results was evaluated. of the 144 tortoises tested, 45 (31%) had clinical signs while 72 (50%) were seropos ... | 1997 | 9131556 |
| upper respiratory tract disease and mycoplasmosis in desert tortoises from nevada. | a population of desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) at yucca mountain (nevada, usa) was monitored during four sampling periods using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (elisa) to determine the percentage of individuals that had been exposed to mycoplasma agassizii, a causative agent of upper respiratory tract disease. respiratory tract disease has been considered a significant factor in the decline of desert tortoise populations in the mojave desert (usa). few differences between sexes in elis ... | 1997 | 9391959 |
| pathology of diseases in wild desert tortoises from california. | twenty-four ill or dead desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) were received between march 1992 and july 1995 for necropsies from the mojave and colorado deserts of california (usa). diseases observed in these animals included cutaneous dyskeratosis (n = 7); shell necrosis (n = 2); respiratory diseases (n = 7); urolithiasis (n = 3); and trauma (n = 5). in tortoises with cutaneous dyskeratosis the horn layer of shell was disrupted by multiple crevices and fissures and, in the most severe lesions, ... | 1998 | 9706560 |
| effects of protective fencing on birds, lizards, and black-tailed hares in the western mojave desert. | / effects of protective fencing on birds, lizards, black-tailed hares (lepus californicus), perennial plant cover, and structural diversity of perennial plants were evaluated from spring 1994 through winter 1995 at the desert tortoise research natural area (dtna), in the mojave desert, california. abundance and species richness of birds were higher inside than outside the dtna, and effects were larger during breeding than wintering seasons and during a high than a low rainfall year. ash-throated ... | 1999 | 9950700 |
| role of urinary and cloacal bladders in chelonian water economy: historical and comparative perspectives. | the parisian comparative anatomist claude perrault, dissecting an indian giant tortoise in 1676, was the first to observe that the urinary bladder is of an extraordinary size in terrestrial tortoises. in 1799, the english comparative physiologist robert townson suggested that the bladder functioned as a water reservoir, as he had shown previously for frogs and toads. however, these observations went unnoticed in subsequent reports on tortoise water economy that were made by travellers and natura ... | 1998 | 9951413 |
| molecular evolution of peptide tyrosine--tyrosine: primary structure of pyy from the lampreys geotria australis and lampetra fluviatilis, bichir, python and desert tortoise. | peptide tyrosine-tyrosine (pyy) has been isolated from the intestines of two species of reptile, the desert tortoise gopherus agassizii (testudines) and the burmese python python molurus (squamata), from the primitive actinopterygian fish, the bichir polypterus senegalis (polypteriformes) and from two agnathans, the southern-hemisphere lamprey geotria australis (geotriidae) and the holarctic lamprey lampetra fluviatilis (petromyzontidae). the primary structure of bichir pyy is identical to the p ... | 1999 | 10100922 |
| reference intervals and physiologic alterations in hematologic and biochemical values of free-ranging desert tortoises in the mojave desert. | desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) populations have experienced precipitous declines resulting from the cumulative impact of habitat loss, and human and disease-related mortality. evaluation of hematologic and biochemical responses of desert tortoises to physiologic and environmental factors can facilitate the assessment of stress and disease in tortoises and contribute to management decisions and population recovery. the goal of this study was to obtain and analyze clinical laboratory data fr ... | 1999 | 10231748 |
| upper respiratory tract disease in the gopher tortoise is caused by mycoplasma agassizii. | upper respiratory tract disease (urtd) has been observed in a number of tortoise species, including the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) and the gopher tortoise (gopherus polyphemus). clinical signs of urtd in gopher tortoises are similar to those in desert tortoises and include serous, mucoid, or purulent discharge from the nares, excessive tearing to purulent ocular discharge, conjunctivitis, and edema of the eyelids and ocular glands. the objectives of the present study were to determine ... | 1999 | 10364595 |
| clarithromycin pharmacokinetics in the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii). | clarithromycin is a new, safe orally administered macrolide antibiotic active against mycoplasma sp. in humans. single-dose and multidose pharmacokinetic parameters were determined for clarithromycin in wild-caught desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) seropositive for m. agassizii. clarithromycin blood levels were measured in three tortoises for up to 72 hr after a single oral dose of 7.5 mg/kg. in a second group of six tortoises, levels were measured after a dose of 15 mg/kg. noncompartmental ... | 1999 | 10367642 |
| persistence of maternal antibodies against mycoplasma agassizii in desert tortoise hatchlings. | to investigate mycoplasma agassizii-specific maternal antibodies in desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) hatchlings. | 1999 | 10407474 |
| neuroendocrine peptides (insulin, pancreatic polypeptide, neuropeptide y, galanin, somatostatin, substance p, and neuropeptide gamma) from the desert tortoise, gopherus agassizii. | the traditional view that testudines (tortoises and turtles) should be regarded as the surviving clade of the anapsid reptiles rather than classified with the diapsid reptiles (snakes, lizards, and crocodiles) has recently been challenged. neuropeptide y, neuropeptide gamma, and somatostatin-14 were isolated from an extract of the brain, substance p and galanin from an extract of the intestine, and insulin and pancreatic polypeptide from an extract of the pancreas of the desert tortoise, gopheru ... | 1999 | 10477126 |
| seroepidemiology of upper respiratory tract disease in the desert tortoise in the western mojave desert of california. | several factors have combined with an upper respiratory tract disease (urtd) to produce declines on some population numbers of desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) in the western usa. this study was designed to determine the seroepidemiology of urtd in a population of wild adult tortoises at the desert tortoise research natural area (dtna) study site in kern county (california, usa). prior to initiation of the study, there was a dramatic decline in the number of individuals in this population. ... | 1999 | 10574531 |
| soluble scute proteins of healthy and ill desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii). | to characterize protein composition of shell scute of desert tortoises and to determine whether detectable differences could be used to identify healthy tortoises from tortoises with certain illnesses. | 2001 | 11197546 |
| diseases of the respiratory tract of chelonians. | diseases of the respiratory tract commonly occur in captive chelonians, and several diseases also have occurred in wild chelonians. infectious causes include viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. herpesviruses have surfaced as important pathogens of the oral cavity and respiratory tract in hermann's tortoise (testudo hermanii), spur-thighed tortoise (testudo graeca), and other tortoises in europe and the united states. herpesvirus-associated respiratory diseases also have been reported in the ... | 2000 | 11228895 |
| nasal and cloacal bacteria in free-ranging desert tortoises from the western united states. | aerobic bacteria were collected from three free-ranging desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) populations in the eastern mojave desert (arizona, utah; usa) from 1989 to 1993, and from two free-ranging populations in the central sonoran desert (arizona, usa) from 1990 to 1994. six species of nasal bacteria and 18 species of cloacal bacteria were identified. at least one potential pathogen was found in the nasal cavity (pasteurella testudinis), and at least two potential pathogens in the cloaca (ps ... | 2001 | 11310875 |
| mycoplasma agassizii sp. nov., isolated from the upper respiratory tract of the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) and the gopher tortoise (gopherus polyphemus). | biochemical, serological and molecular genetic studies were performed on seven mycoplasma isolates that were recovered from the upper respiratory tract of clinically ill desert tortoises. the isolates were serologically related to each other but serologically distinct from previously described species. unique mycoplasma species-specific 16s rrna nucleotide sequences were found in the proposed type strain. the name mycoplasma agassizii is proposed for these isolates. the type strain is ps6t (= at ... | 2001 | 11321087 |
| guidelines for the field evaluation of desert tortoise health and disease. | field evaluation of free-ranging wildlife requires the systematic documentation of a variety of environmental conditions and individual parameters of health and disease, particularly in the case of rare or endangered species. in addition, defined criteria are needed for the humane salvage of ill or dying animals. the purpose of this paper is to describe, in detail, the preparation, procedures, and protocols we developed and tested for the field evaluation of wild desert tortoises (gopherus agass ... | 2001 | 11504217 |
| clinical disease and laboratory abnormalities in free-ranging desert tortoises in california (1990-1995). | desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) populations have experienced precipitous declines resulting from the cumulative impact of habitat loss and human and disease-related mortality. diagnosis of disease in live, free-ranging tortoises is facilitated by evaluation of clinical signs and laboratory test results but may be complicated by seasonal and environmental effects. the goals of this study were: 1) to describe and monitor clinical and laboratory signs of disease in adult, free-ranging desert t ... | 2003 | 12685067 |
| managing a subsidized predator population: reducing common raven predation on desert tortoises. | human communities often are an inadvertent source of food, water, and other resources to native species of wildlife. because these resources are more stable and predictable than those in a natural environment, animals that subsist on them are able to increase in numbers and expand their range, much to the detriment of their competitors and species they prey upon. in the mojave desert, common ravens (corvus corax) have benefited from human-provided resources to increase in population size precipi ... | 2003 | 14753646 |
| mycoplasma testudineum sp. nov., from a desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) with upper respiratory tract disease. | mycoplasma testudineum sp. nov., first cultured from the upper respiratory tract of a clinically ill tortoise (gopherus agassizii) in the mohave desert, was distinguished from previously described mollicutes serologically and by 16s rrna gene sequence comparisons. it lacks a cell wall; ferments glucose, mannose, lactose and sucrose; does not produce 'film and spots'; does not hydrolyse arginine, aesculin or urea; is sensitive to digitonin; and lacks phosphatase activity. the organism causes chro ... | 2004 | 15388705 |
| identification of a novel herpesvirus from a california desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii). | herpesviruses are significant pathogens of tortoises, causing upper respiratory tract disease and necrotizing stomatitis, with infections often associated with high mortality rates. herpesvirus infection in a captive california desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) was detected by light microscopic observation of intranuclear inclusion bodies in various tissues followed by transmission electron microscopic observation of herpesvirus-like particles, and amplification of herpesvirus nucleic acid se ... | 2005 | 16253444 |
| mycoplasmosis in free-ranging desert tortoises in utah and arizona. | upper respiratory tract disease (urtd) has been associated with major losses of free-ranging desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) in the southwestern united states. this prompted a clinical examination of 63 free-ranging desert tortoises for signs of urtd and sampling for mycoplasma agassizii, the causative agent of urtd. tortoises were sampled from three sites in the eastern mojave desert (1992-93), and from three sites in the sonoran desert (1992-94). plasma samples were tested for antibodies ... | 2005 | 16456181 |
| accuracy and reliability of dogs in surveying for desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii). | the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) is federally listed as "threatened" and is afforded protection in several u.s. states including california, nevada, utah, and arizona. numerous factors ranging from habitat destruction to disease are thought to contribute to the species' decline throughout its range. data collection on desert tortoises in the wild is challenging because tortoises are secretive, and many age and size classes are virtually undetectable in the wild. detection dogs have been ... | 2006 | 17069383 |
| improved enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to reveal mycoplasma agassizii exposure: a valuable tool in the management of environmentally sensitive tortoise populations. | the precarious status of desert (gopherus agassizii) and gopher (gopherus polyphemus) tortoises has resulted in research and conservation efforts that include health assessments as a substantial component of management decision-making. therefore, it is critical that available diagnostic tests for diseases impacting these species undergo rigorous standardization and validation. since 1992, analysis of exposure of tortoises to mycoplasma agassizii, an etiological agent of upper respiratory tract d ... | 2007 | 17626160 |
| as the raven flies: using genetic data to infer the history of invasive common raven (corvus corax) populations in the mojave desert. | common raven (corvus corax) populations in mojave desert regions of southern california and nevada have increased dramatically over the past five decades. this growth has been attributed to increased human development in the region, as ravens have a commensal relationship with humans and feed extensively at landfills and on road-killed wildlife. ravens, as a partially subsidized predator, also represent a problem for native desert wildlife, in particular threatened desert tortoises (gopherus aga ... | 2008 | 17908216 |
| long-term and per rectum disposition of clarithromycin in the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii). | the macrolide antibiotic clarithromycin (clari) has a wide spectrum of activity and efficacy for mycoplasma species. in addition, clari accumulates during re-dosing of mojave desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii). here, we characterized plasma concentrations after a single dose, after 3.5 months of dosing, and after per rectum administration; all doses were 15 mg/kg. after a single dose, the median maximal plasma concentration (cmax) was 1.69 mg/ml and occurred at a median of 6 h after administr ... | 2008 | 18702450 |
| western blot can distinguish natural and acquired antibodies to mycoplasma agassizii in the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii). | mycoplasma agassizi has been identified as a cause of upper respiratory tract disease (urtd) in the threatened mojave population of the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii), and anti-m. agassizii antibodies have been found by elisa in as many as 15% of these animals across their geographic range. here we report that a cohort of 16 egg-reared desert tortoises never exposed to m. agassizii had elisa antibody titers to this organism that overlapped with titers obtained from some m. agassizii-infect ... | 2008 | 18708096 |
| flow cytometric method for quantifying viable mycoplasma agassizii, an agent of upper respiratory tract disease in the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii). | mycoplasma agassizii can cause upper respiratory tract disease in the threatened desert tortoise of the southwestern united states. two technical challenges have impeded critical microbiological studies of this microorganism: (i) its small size limits the use of light microscopy for cell counting and (ii) its extremely slow growth in broth and agar cultures impedes colony counting. our aim was to develop a rapid and sensitive flow cytometric method using a vital fluorescent dye to enumerate viab ... | 2010 | 20132436 |
| mycoplasma agassizii strain variation and distinct host antibody responses explain differences between enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and western blot assays. | the precarious status of desert (gopherus agassizii) and gopher (g. polyphemus) tortoises has resulted in conservation efforts that now include health assessment as an important component of management decision-making. mycoplasmal upper respiratory tract disease (urtd) is one of very few diseases in chelonians for which comprehensive and rigorously validated diagnostic tests exist. in this study, serum samples obtained from eight gopherus tortoises documented at necropsy to (i) be enzyme-linked ... | 2010 | 20810678 |
| quantitative pcr method for detection of mycoplasma spp. dna in nasal lavage samples from the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii). | mycoplasma agassizii and m. testudineum have been associated with upper respiratory tract disease (urtd) in the threatened desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii). because microbiological culture methods have proven difficult to employ in wild desert tortoises, our goal was to develop a sensitive and specific qpcr method for detecting and quantifying mycoplasma dna in nasal lavage fluid collected in the field. primers for 16s ribosomal rna gene sequences specific for m. agassizii and m. testudineum ... | 2011 | 21565225 |
| comparison of current methods for the detection of chronic mycoplasmal urtd in wild populations of the mojave desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii). | pathogens that cause subclinical diseases or exhibit low infection intensities are difficult to quantify in wild populations. mojave desert tortoises ( gopherus agassizii ) have been the focus of much research aimed at measuring the presence of upper respiratory disease (urtd) and urtd-associated pathogens, and techniques used to quantify disease in gopherus species have also been used for disease surveillance in other species of turtles and tortoises of conservation concern. published surveys o ... | 2017 | 27788056 |
| host contact and shedding patterns clarify variation in pathogen exposure and transmission in threatened tortoise gopherus agassizii: implications for disease modelling and management. | most directly transmitted infections require some form of close contact between infectious and susceptible hosts to spread. often disease models assume contacts are equal and use mean field estimates of transmission probability for all interactions with infectious hosts. such methods may inaccurately describe transmission when interactions differ substantially in their ability to cause infection. understanding this variation in transmission risk may be critical to properly model and manage some ... | 2016 | 26935482 |
| mycoplasma agassizii in morafka's desert tortoise (gopherus morafkai) in mexico. | we conducted health evaluations of 69 wild and 22 captive morafka's desert tortoises (gopherus morafkai) in mexico between 2005 and 2008. the wild tortoises were from 11 sites in the states of sonora and sinaloa, and the captive tortoises were from the state-managed centro ecológico de sonora zoo in hermosillo and a private residence in the town of alamos. we tested 88 tortoises for mycoplasmal upper respiratory tract disease (urtd) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for specific antibody ... | 2015 | 25375948 |
| molecular methods to detect mycoplasma spp. and testudinid herpesvirus 2 in desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) and implications for disease management. | abstract mycoplasmas are an important cause of upper respiratory tract disease (urtd) in desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) and have been a main focus in attempts to mitigate disease-based population declines. infection risk can vary with an animal's population of origin, making screening tests popular tools for determining infection status in individuals and populations. to provide additional methods for investigating urtd we developed quantitative pcr (qpcr) assays specific for agents causi ... | 2014 | 25121400 |
| mycoplasmosis and upper respiratory tract disease of tortoises: a review and update. | tortoise mycoplasmosis is one of the most extensively characterized infectious diseases of chelonians. a 1989 outbreak of upper respiratory tract disease (urtd) in free-ranging agassiz's desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) brought together an investigative team of researchers, diagnosticians, pathologists, immunologists and clinicians from multiple institutions and agencies. electron microscopic studies of affected tortoises revealed a microorganism in close association with the nasal mucosa t ... | 2014 | 24951264 |
| impacts of upper respiratory tract disease on olfactory behavior of the mojave desert tortoise. | upper respiratory tract disease (urtd) caused by mycoplasma agassizii is considered a threat to desert tortoise populations that should be addressed as part of the recovery of the species. clinical signs can be intermittent and include serous or mucoid nasal discharge and respiratory difficulty when nares are occluded. this nasal congestion may result in a loss of the olfactory sense. turtles are known to use olfaction to identify food items, predators, and conspecifics; therefore, it is likely ... | 2014 | 24506425 |
| mycoplasmal upper respiratory tract disease across the range of the threatened mojave desert tortoise: associations with thermal regime and natural antibodies. | most research of upper respiratory tract disease (mycoplasmal urtd) in the threatened mojave desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) has worked under the hypothesis that the pathogen, mycoplasma agassizii, has a relatively consistent and predictable effect on tortoise populations across their natural range. in contrast, we hypothesized that multiple factors influence the prevalence of disease and analyzed biological and environmental variables that vary significantly across the mojave desert. we us ... | 2013 | 23579813 |
| population pharmacokinetics of a single intramuscular administration of tulathromycin in adult desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii). | tulathromycin, a long acting macrolide antibiotic, has demonstrated efficacy against respiratory pathogens including mycoplasma bovis and m. hyopneumoniae. a pharmacokinetic study was performed to evaluate the clinical applicability of tulathromycin in desert tortoises following a single intramuscular dose of 5 mg/kg. a single blood sample was collected from 110 different desert tortoises at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 4, 8, 24, 48, 72, 120, and 240 h following drug administration. plasma concentrations of th ... | 2014 | 24611596 |
| mycoplasma testudineum in free-ranging desert tortoises, gopherus agassizii. | we performed clinico-pathological evaluations of 11 wild agassiz's desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) from a translocation project in the central mojave desert, california, usa. group 1 consisted of nine tortoises that were selected primarily due to serologic status, indicating exposure to mycoplasma testudineum (seven) or both m. agassizii and m. testudineum (two), and secondarily due to clinical signs of upper respiratory tract disease (urtd). group 2 consisted of two tortoises that were an ... | 2012 | 23060510 |
| a quantitative pcr method for assessing the presence of pasteurella testudinis dna in nasal lavage samples from the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii). | pasteurella testudinis has been associated with upper respiratory tract disease (urtd) in the threatened desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii). our goal was to develop a sensitive and specific qpcr method for detecting dna from p. testudinis in nasal lavage fluid collected from desert tortoises in the field. probes for 16s ribosomal rna and rna polymerase β-subunit (rpob) genes were designed. a standard curve generated with dna extracted from known numbers of bacterial cells determined by flow cy ... | 2012 | 23000631 |
| clinical mycoplasma sp. infections in free-living three-toed box turtles ( terrapene carolina triunguis) in missouri, usa. | mycoplasma species, which can cause upper respiratory tract disease (urtd), are significant pathogens of birds, mammals, fish, and reptiles. mycoplasmosis is of high concern for chelonian conservation, with the most well-documented cases in gopher and desert tortoises. mycoplasma sp. infections have been reported in captive and free-living box turtles ( terrapene spp.). we documented urtd associated with mycoplasma sp. in two free-living, three-toed box turtles ( terrapene carolina triunguis) in ... | 2016 | 27124328 |
| the desert tortoise trichotomy: mexico hosts a third, new sister-species of tortoise in the gopherus morafkai-g. agassizii group. | desert tortoises (testudines; testudinidae; gopherus agassizii group) have an extensive distribution throughout the mojave, colorado, and sonoran desert regions. not surprisingly, they exhibit a tremendous amount of ecological, behavioral, morphological and genetic variation. gopherus agassizii was considered a single species for almost 150 years but recently the species was split into the nominate form and morafka's desert tortoise, gopherus morafkai, the latter occurring south and east of the ... | 2016 | 27006625 |
| a new species of isospora schneider, 1881 (apicomplexa: eimeriidae) from morafka's desert tortoise gopherus morafkai (testudines: testudinidae). | isospora gopheri n. sp. (apicomplexa: eimeriidae) is described from 5 of 28 (18%) morafka's desert tortoise gopherus morafkai murphy, berry, edwards, leviton, lathrop & readle, housed by the phoenix herpetological society, maricopa county, arizona, usa. sporulated oöcysts of this new species were spheroidal to subspheroidal, 20-27 × 19-27 (23.0 × 21.7) µm, with a smooth, bi-layered wall and 1-3 polar granules; an oöcyst residuum was absent. sporocysts were elongate-ovoidal to ellipsoidal, 13-18 ... | 2015 | 26446544 |
| drawing a line in the sand: effectiveness of off-highway vehicle management in california's sonoran desert. | public land policies manage multiple uses while striving to protect vulnerable plant and wildlife habitats from degradation; yet the effectiveness of such policies are infrequently evaluated, particularly for remote landscapes that are difficult to monitor. we assessed the use and impacts of recreational vehicles on mojave desert washes (intermittent streams) in the chemehuevi desert wildlife management area (dwma) of southern california. wash zones designated as open and closed to off-highway v ... | 2017 | 28238545 |
| short-term space-use patterns of translocated mojave desert tortoise in southern california. | increasingly, renewable energy comprises a larger share of global energy production. across the western united states, public lands are being developed to support renewable energy production. where there are conflicts with threatened or endangered species, translocation can be used in an attempt to mitigate negative effects. for the threatened mojave desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii), we sought to compare habitat- and space-use patterns between short-distance translocated, resident, and contr ... | 2015 | 26352691 |
| testing taxon tenacity of tortoises: evidence for a geographical selection gradient at a secondary contact zone. | we examined a secondary contact zone between two species of desert tortoise, gopherus agassizii and g. morafkai. the taxa were isolated from a common ancestor during the formation of the colorado river (4-8 mya) and are a classic example of allopatric speciation. however, an anomalous population of g. agassizii comes into secondary contact with g. morafkai east of the colorado river in the black mountains of arizona and provides an opportunity to examine reinforcement of species' boundaries unde ... | 2015 | 26045959 |
| turbines and terrestrial vertebrates: variation in tortoise survivorship between a wind energy facility and an adjacent undisturbed wildland area in the desert southwest (usa). | with the recent increase in utility-scale wind energy development, researchers have become increasingly concerned how this activity will affect wildlife and their habitat. to understand the potential impacts of wind energy facilities (wef) post-construction (i.e., operation and maintenance) on wildlife, we compared differences in activity centers and survivorship of agassiz's desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) inside or near a wef to neighboring tortoises living near a wilderness area (nwa) a ... | 2015 | 25894273 |
| mojave desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) thermal ecology and reproductive success along a rainfall cline. | desert resource environments (e.g. microclimates, food) are tied to limited, highly localized rainfall regimes which generate microgeographic variation in the life histories of inhabitants. typically, enhanced growth rates, reproduction and survivorship are observed in response to increased resource availability in a variety of desert plants and short-lived animals. we examined the thermal ecology and reproduction of us federally threatened mojave desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii), long-live ... | 2015 | 25827446 |
| using motion-sensor camera technology to infer seasonal activity and thermal niche of the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii). | understanding the relationships between environmental variables and wildlife activity is an important part of effective management. the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii), an imperiled species of arid environments in the southwest us, may have increasingly restricted windows for activity due to current warming trends. in summer 2013, we deployed 48 motion sensor cameras at the entrances of tortoise burrows to investigate the effects of temperature, sex, and day of the year on the activity of d ... | 2015 | 25774035 |
| desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) are selective herbivores that track the flowering phenology of their preferred food plants. | previous studies of desert tortoise foraging ecology in the western mojave desert suggest that these animals are selective herbivores, which alter their diet according to the temporal availability of preferred food plants. these studies, however, did not estimate availability of potential food plants by taking into account the spatial and temporal variability in ephemeral plant abundance that occurs within the spring season. in this study, we observed 18 free-ranging adult tortoises take 35,388 ... | 2015 | 25635840 |
| integrating gene transcription-based biomarkers to understand desert tortoise and ecosystem health. | tortoises are susceptible to a wide variety of environmental stressors, and the influence of human disturbances on health and survival of tortoises is difficult to detect. as an addition to current diagnostic methods for desert tortoises, we have developed the first leukocyte gene transcription biomarker panel for the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii), enhancing the ability to identify specific environmental conditions potentially linked to declining animal health. blood leukocyte transcript ... | 2015 | 25561383 |
| single surgeon coelioscopic orchiectomy of desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) for population management. | orchiectomy in chelonians is a challenging procedure, especially in large species with deep and elongated testes and extensive mesorchial attachments. single surgeon coelioscopic orchiectomy was performed in seven adult desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii), maintained at the desert tortoise conservation center (dtcc) in las vegas, for population management. surgery was successfully conducted through a bilateral prefemoral approach via sequential vascular clip ligation and radiosurgery (monopola ... | 2014 | 25015072 |
| desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) dietary specialization decreases across a precipitation gradient. | we studied the plant resource use between and within populations of desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) across a precipitation gradient in the sonoran desert of arizona. the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values in animal tissues are a reflection of the carbon and nitrogen isotope values in diet, and consequently represent a powerful tool to study animal feeding ecology. we measured the δ(13)c and δ(15)n values in the growth rings on the shells of tortoises in different populations to chara ... | 2013 | 23840495 |
| a strategy for prioritizing threats and recovery actions for at-risk species. | ensuring the persistence of at-risk species depends on implementing conservation actions that ameliorate threats. we developed and implemented a method to quantify the relative importance of threats and to prioritize recovery actions based on their potential to affect risk to mojave desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii). we used assessments of threat importance and elasticities of demographic rates from population matrix models to estimate the relative contributions of threats to overall increas ... | 2013 | 23322128 |
| a trade-off between natural and acquired antibody production in a reptile: implications for long-term resistance to disease. | vertebrate immune systems are understood to be complex and dynamic, with trade-offs among different physiological components (e.g., innate and adaptive immunity) within individuals and among taxonomic lineages. desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) immunised with ovalbumin (ova) showed a clear trade-off between levels of natural antibodies (nabs; innate immune function) and the production of acquired antibodies (adaptive immune function). once initiated, acquired antibody responses included a lo ... | 2012 | 23213387 |
| serologic and molecular evidence for testudinid herpesvirus 2 infection in wild agassiz's desert tortoises, gopherus agassizii. | following field observations of wild agassiz's desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) with oral lesions similar to those seen in captive tortoises with herpesvirus infection, we measured the prevalence of antibodies to testudinid herpesvirus (tehv) 3 in wild populations of desert tortoises in california. the survey revealed 30.9% antibody prevalence. in 2009 and 2010, two wild adult male desert tortoises, with gross lesions consistent with trauma and puncture wounds, respectively, were necropsied ... | 2012 | 22740541 |
| comparison of intraosseous and peripheral venous fluid dynamics in the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii). | the efficacy of intraosseous catheterization has not been described previously in the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii). the goal of this study was to describe and compare the efficacy of four intraosseous catheter sites (humerus, femur, plastocarapacial junction [bridge], and gular region of the plastron) to jugular catheterization. five adult tortoises were catheterized in each of the sites at least once. the distribution of a bolus injection of radiopharmaceutical (technetium-99m-diethylen ... | 2012 | 22448510 |
| tissue carbon incorporation rates and diet-to-tissue discrimination in ectotherms: tortoises are really slow. | abstract understanding carbon incorporation rates and diet-to-tissue discrimination (δ(13)c(tissue-diet)) in animals is necessary to interpret stable isotope data collected from animals in the field. our current understanding of the carbon dynamics in terrestrial ectotherms such as snakes, lizards, and turtles is poorly developed. here we use a diet switch experiment to estimate carbon incorporation rates and diet-to-tissue discrimination factors in growing desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii). ... | 2012 | 22237293 |
| fine-scale analysis reveals cryptic landscape genetic structure in desert tortoises. | characterizing the effects of landscape features on genetic variation is essential for understanding how landscapes shape patterns of gene flow and spatial genetic structure of populations. most landscape genetics studies have focused on patterns of gene flow at a regional scale. however, the genetic structure of populations at a local scale may be influenced by a unique suite of landscape variables that have little bearing on connectivity patterns observed at broader spatial scales. we investig ... | 2011 | 22132143 |
| the dazed and confused identity of agassiz's land tortoise, gopherus agassizii (testudines, testudinidae) with the description of a new species, and its consequences for conservation. | we investigate a cornucopia of problems associated with the identity of the desert tortoise, gopherus agassizii (cooper). the date of publication is found to be 1861, rather than 1863. only one of the three original cotypes exists, and it is designated as the lectotype of the species. another cotype is found to have been destroyed in the 1906 san francisco earthquake and subsequent fire. the third is lost. the lectotype is genetically confirmed to be from california, and not arizona, usa as some ... | 2011 | 21976992 |
| oxalosis in wild desert tortoises, gopherus agassizii. | we necropsied a moribund, wild adult male desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) with clinical signs of respiratory disease and elevated plasma biochemical analytes indicative of renal disease (blood urea nitrogen [415 mg/dl], uric acid [11.8 mg/dl], sodium [>180 mmol/l] and chloride [139 mmol/l]). moderate numbers of birefringent oxalate crystals, based on infrared and electron microscopy, were present within renal tubules; small numbers were seen in colloid within thyroid follicles. a retrospect ... | 2009 | 19901374 |
| polymorphic microsatellite markers for the mojave desert tortoise, gopherus agassizii. | we describe primers and polymerase chain reaction (pcr) conditions to amplify 14 tri- and tetranucleotide microsatellite loci for the mojave desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii). across three populations (87 individuals) located in the mojave desert, usa, the markers yielded a range of four to 33 alleles and an average observed heterozygosity of 0.733 (range 0.433 to 0.933). we neither detected linkage disequilibrium between any pair of loci nor did we find a consistent pattern of deviation from ... | 2008 | 21585998 |
| can modeling improve estimation of desert tortoise population densities? | the federally listed desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) is currently monitored using distance sampling to estimate population densities. distance sampling, as with many other techniques for estimating population density, assumes that it is possible to quantify the proportion of animals available to be counted in any census. because desert tortoises spend much of their life in burrows, and the proportion of tortoises in burrows at any time can be extremely variable, this assumption is difficult ... | 2007 | 17489261 |
| variation in plasma lipids during the reproductive cycle of male and female desert tortoises, gopherus agassizii. | plasma triacylglycerol, phospholipid, cholesterol, cholesterol esters, fatty acids, and total lipids were measured in 30 female and 20 male desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) during the annual reproductive cycle in the eastern mojave desert, nevada. blood samples were collected at monthly intervals from april to october. all lipid fractions, with the exception of free fatty acids, were significantly higher in female plasma than in male plasma in all months of the year. in contrast, free fatty ... | 2002 | 12410598 |
| reproductive effort and reproductive nutrition of female desert tortoises: essential field methods. | i used three innovative, nondestructive field methods (gas dilution, doubly labeled water and radiography) to measure individual energy and water budgets of wild, female desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii). with these budgets, i evaluated whether body reserves help females produce eggs independent of rainfall and food availability. female desert tortoises used large seasonal and annual changes in metabolism and body water, protein and energy reserves to survive and produce eggs. although lipid ... | 2002 | 21708693 |
| sex differences in plasma corticosterone in desert tortoises, gopherus agassizii, during the reproductive cycle. | blood samples from 30 female and 20 male adult desert tortoises, gopherus agassizii, were collected at monthly intervals during the annual reproductive cycle (april to october). plasma corticosterone and the sex steroids in each of the samples were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. mean corticosterone levels in males were significantly higher than in females (p < 0.001) in every month. male tortoises showed a marked seasonal pattern in plasma corticosterone with a highly significant peak in july, au ... | 2001 | 11241399 |
| seasonality in plasma thyroxine in the desert tortoise, gopherus agassizii. | to characterize seasonal changes in thyroid function in a terrestrial reptile, thyroid hormones were measured over a period of 2 years in desert tortoises, gopherus agassizii, maintained at the desert tortoise conservation center in las vegas, nevada. in all samples, triiodothyronine was nondetectable (less than 0.1 ng/ml). thyroxine (t(4)) exhibited distinct cycles in both sexes, being lowest during hibernation and rising toward the time of emergence. females exhibited only one peak in t(4), du ... | 2001 | 11178887 |
| sedative and cardiopulmonary effects of medetomidine and reversal with atipamezole in desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii). | ten desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) were given i.m. injections of 150 microg/kg of medetomidine. sedation was achieved in all tortoises by 20 min postinjection and was accompanied by a significant decrease in mean heart and respiratory rates, systolic, diastolic, and mean ventricular pressures, and mean ventricular partial pressure of oxygen (po2). there was no change in mean blood ph, hco3, na+, k+, ionized calcium values, and mean ventricular partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pco2). th ... | 2000 | 10884120 |
| sevoflurane anesthesia in desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii). | the effects of sevoflurane on anesthesia induction, recovery, ventricular pressures, heart rate, ventricular ph, blood gas values, and electrolytes were evaluated in desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii). tortoises were orotracheally intubated while awake and ventilated manually with 3-7% sevoflurane in oxygen (1 l/min) to achieve desired expired sevoflurane concentrations. data, consisting of induction time, recovery time, systolic, diastolic, and mean ventricular pressures, heart rate, ventric ... | 1999 | 10367645 |
| physical and biochemical abnormalities associated with prolonged entrapment in a desert tortoise. | a desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) was trapped underground without food or water for nearly 11 mo near yucca mountain, nevada (usa). physical abnormalities included weight loss, sunken eyes, and muscle atrophy. biochemical abnormalities determined from blood sampling included marked azotemia and hyperosmolality, which were attributed largely to accumulation and retention of nitrogenous wastes. moderate hypercholesterolemia, hypophosphatemia, and increased aspartate transaminase activity, and ... | 1999 | 10231763 |
| weights and blood profiles of the west african hinge-backed tortoise, kinixys erosa and the desert tortoise, gopherus agassizii. | the body weight and blood profile were determined in the adult wild west african hinge-backed tortoise, kinixys erosa and the adult wild desert tortoise, gopherus agassizii kept under identical environmental conditions. a comparison between sexes showed the male k. erosa had significantly higher packed cell volume and haemoglobin concentration and lower body weight and plasma alkaline phosphatase values than the female, while no significant sex differences appeared in these parameters in g. agas ... | 1998 | 9923142 |
| effects of climatic variation on field metabolism and water relations of desert tortoises. | we used the doubly labeled water method to measure the field metabolic rates (fmrs, in kj kg(-1 )day(-1)) and water flux rates (wirs, in ml h2o kg(-1 )day(-1)) of adult desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) in three parts of the mojave desert in california over a 3.5-year period, in order to develop insights into the physiological responses of this threatened species to climate variation among sites and years. fmr, wir, and the water economy index (wei, in ml h2o kj(-1), an indicator of drinking ... | 1998 | 28307915 |
| staining and morphologic features of bone marrow hematopoietic cells in desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii). | to determine optimal site for collection of bone marrow from desert tortoises, and to characterize cytologic staining and morphologic features of bone marrow hematopoietic cells. | 1996 | 8915439 |
| effect of venipuncture sites on hematologic and clinical biochemical values in desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii). | paired blood samples were collected from the postoccipital venous plexus and jugular vein of desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) for hematologic and plasma biochemical analyses. comparison of hematologic values revealed significantly (p < or = 0.05) lower pcv, rbc count, wbc count, and hemoglobin values for samples obtained from the occipital site. when comparisons were made between plasma biochemical values for the 2 sites, significant (p < or = 0.05) differences were measured for: glucose, p ... | 1995 | 7695143 |
| a molecular phylogeny of the gopher tortoises, with comments on familial relationships within the testudinoidea. | sequences from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene were obtained to examine molecular phylogenetic relationships among the north american gopher tortoises. data from 352 aligned positions generated a single most-parsimonious tree for each of three analytical approaches: (1) equal weighting, all substitutions; (2) equal weighting, third position changes limited to transversions; and (3) transversions weighted 10 times transitions. identical topologies for the resulting trees depict the gopher tor ... | 1994 | 7697187 |
| histomorphometric studies of dermal bone in the desert tortoise, gopherus agassizii. | dermal bone biopsies were collected from the periphery of the carapaces of adult desert tortoises (gopherus agassizii) from grazed and ungrazed habitats near the arizona/utah border (usa). quantitative bone histomorphometry was performed on these biopsies as well as on dermal bone biopsies collected from captive juvenile desert tortoises. except for mild osteomalacia, carapaces of adult desert tortoises from the grazed habitat were relatively normal. no signs of osteopenia were observed. based o ... | 1992 | 1474659 |
| morphologic and cytochemical characteristics of blood cells from the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii). | morphologic and cytochemical staining characteristics of erythrocytes, leukocytes, and thrombocytes of the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) were evaluated, using blood smears prepared from 23 healthy tortoises of kern county, calif. special emphasis was placed on differentiating features of the various leukocytes and thrombocytes. a variety of cytochemical stains, including benzidine peroxidase, sudan black b, chloroacetate esterase, alpha-naphthyl butyrate esterase, acid phosphatase, leukoc ... | 1992 | 1384405 |
| avian and mammalian mitochondrial ammonia-detoxifying systems in tortoise liver. | liver mitochondria from the desert tortoise gopherus agassizii and the texas tortoise g. berlandieri contain glutamine synthetase, the enzyme used by birds and higher reptiles to detoxify ammonia generated intramitochondrially during amino acid catabolism. tortoise mitochondria also contain carbamyl phosphate synthetase-i and ornithine transcarbamylase, the enzymes used by mammals for this purpose. since chelonid reptiles have changed little since their divergence from the stem reptiles, this fi ... | 1985 | 17790238 |
| desert tortoise gopherus agassizii: cutaneous water loss. | evaporative water loss from the integument of the desert tortoise gopherus agassizii constitutes a major proportion of the water loss, but is far less than in tortoises from wetter regions. respiratory water loss also is less. | 1966 | 17744613 |
| desert tortoise gopherus agassizii: cutaneous water loss. | | 1966 | 6003539 |
| body size development of captive and free-ranging leopard tortoises (geochelone pardalis). | the growth and weight development of leopard tortoise hatchings (geochelone pardalis) kept at the al wabra wildlife preservation (awwp), qatar, was observed for more than four years, and compared to data in literature for free-ranging animals on body weight or carapace measurements. the results document a distinctively faster growth in the captive animals. indications for the same phenomenon in other tortoise species (galapagos giant tortoises, g. nigra; spur-thighed tortoises, testudo graeca; d ... | 2010 | 19722272 |
| comparative ultrastructural analysis of two tortoise bladders, testudo graeca and geochelone carbonaria. | urinary bladders from the desert tortoises, testudo graeca and geochelone carbonaria were removed at specific times during the year and species in all bladders examined: (1) granular cells, (2) mitochondria-rich cells, and (3) basal cells. cells analogous to these three types have also been observed in amphibian bladders (from toad bufo marinus and bullfrog, rana catesbiana) and reptilian bladders (from pseudemys scripta and clemmys caspica). both tortoises have an incomplete layer of basal cell ... | 1976 | 1252017 |
| assessing models of speciation under different biogeographic scenarios; an empirical study using multi-locus and rna-seq analyses. | evolutionary biology often seeks to decipher the drivers of speciation, and much debate persists over the relative importance of isolation and gene flow in the formation of new species. genetic studies of closely related species can assess if gene flow was present during speciation, because signatures of past introgression often persist in the genome. we test hypotheses on which mechanisms of speciation drove diversity among three distinct lineages of desert tortoise in the genus gopherus. these ... | 2016 | 26843925 |
| the agassiz's desert tortoise genome provides a resource for the conservation of a threatened species. | agassiz's desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) is a long-lived species native to the mojave desert and is listed as threatened under the us endangered species act. to aid conservation efforts for preserving the genetic diversity of this species, we generated a whole genome reference sequence with an annotation based on deep transcriptome sequences of adult skeletal muscle, lung, brain, and blood. the draft genome assembly for g. agassizii has a scaffold n50 length of 252 kbp and a total length o ... | 2017 | 28562605 |
| spatial and temporal variation in survival of a rare reptile: a 22-year study of sonoran desert tortoises. | although many species may be vulnerable to changes in climate, forecasting species-level responses can be challenging given the array of physiological, behavioral, and demographic attributes that might be affected. one strategy to improve forecasts is to evaluate how species responded to climatic variation in the past. we used 22 years of capture-recapture data for sonoran desert tortoises (gopherus morafkai) collected from 15 locations across their geographic range in arizona to evaluate how en ... | 2013 | 23011852 |
| olfaction-based detection distance: a quantitative analysis of how far away dogs recognize tortoise odor and follow it to source. | the use of detector dogs has been demonstrated to be effective and safe for finding mojave desert tortoises and provides certain advantages over humans in field surveys. unlike humans who rely on visual cues for target identification, dogs use primarily olfactory cues and can therefore locate targets that are not visually obvious. one of the key benefits of surveying with dogs is their efficiency at covering ground and their ability to detect targets from long distances. dogs may investigate pot ... | 2008 | 27879818 |
| conservation of chromosome 1 in turtles over 66 million years. | fluorescence in situ hybridization of a whole chromosome 1-specific probe from the yellow-bellied slider turtle (trachemys scripta) to cells from four other species of turtle ranging from a desert tortoise to a loggerhead sea turtle resulted in specific and exclusive hybridization to chromosome 1 in all five species. previous observations of conservation in the giemsa banding pattern and chromosome morphology and number among turtles are thus extended to the dna sequence level, revealing a cytog ... | 2001 | 11306813 |
| chronic disease in the mojave desert tortoise: host physiology and recrudescence obscure patterns of pathogen transmission. | a seminatural, factorial-design experiment was used to quantify dynamics of the pathogenmycoplasma agassiziiand upper respiratory tract disease in the mojave desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) over 2 years. groups of initially healthy animals were separated into serologically positive (seropositive), seronegative, and artificially infected groups and paired into 23 pens. we found no evidence of long-term immune protection tom. agassiziior of immunological memory. initially seronegative, health ... | 2017 | 29299243 |
| co-infection does not predict disease signs ingopherustortoises. | in disease ecology, the host immune system interacts with environmental conditions and pathogen properties to affect the impact of disease on the host. within the host, pathogens may interact to facilitate or inhibit each other's growth, and pathogens interact with different hosts differently. we investigated co-infection of twomycoplasmaand the association of infection with clinical signs of upper respiratory tract disease in four congeneric tortoise host species (gopherus) in the united states ... | 2017 | 29134096 |
| discriminating patterns and drivers of multiscale movement in herpetofauna: the dynamic and changing environment of the mojave desert tortoise. | changes to animal movement in response to human-induced changes to the environment are of growing concern in conservation. most research on this problem has focused on terrestrial endotherms, but changes to herpetofaunal movement are also of concern given their limited dispersal abilities and specialized thermophysiological requirements. animals in the desert region of the southwestern united states are faced with environmental alterations driven by development (e.g., solar energy facilities) an ... | 2017 | 28904779 |