Blood parameters of the Eastern Pacific green turtle (Chelonia mydas) foraging in the Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica

The Eastern Pacific green turtle (EPGT) has been differentiating from the green turtle and is currently being considered a separate population. In this study, values for hematology and biochemistry of 85 green turtles captured from 2010 to 2014 were analyzed. These animals correspond to a resident foraging population at Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica. All of them underwent a physical examination and were deemed apparently healthy. Hematological analyses were done using manual methods, while seric metabolites were determined with automated and semi-automated spectrophotometry. According to the curved carapace length (CCL) measurements, the subadult individuals were the most frequent ( n = 74). The predominant cells were heterophils, followed by lymphocytes. Basophils were observed in 75% of the slides and in a proportion as high as 43%. Up to 80 samples were analyzed for the following seric parameters: total protein (2.6–6.2 g/dL), albumin (1–2.7 g/dL), globulin (1.2–4.1 g/dL), glucose (54–145 mg/dL), cholesterol (58–336 mg/dL), ureic nitrogen (0–12 g/dL), creatinine (0.1–0.7 mg/dl), phosphorus (3.4–17 mg/dl), calcium (4.9–10.2 mg/dl), magnesium (5.2–12.8 mg/dl), uric acid (0.1–2.8 mg/dL), triglycerides (14–743 mg/dl), alanine aminotransferase (0–13 U/L), aspartate aminotransferase (82–289 U/L) and seric alkaline phosphatase (41–1263 U/L). These data can aid health status and conservation programs for the EPGT in this and nearby, similar locations.