Disease Assessment of the Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) in New York State Samantha Fontaine, Alexander Robillard, Donna Vogler SUNY Oneonta, Biology Department Abstract: The wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) is classified as a species of special concern by the NYSDEC. To effecJvely manage this species, all threats to its populaJons must be known. This includes the presence of infecJous disease, an increasingly significant cause of biodiversity loss. UrbanizaJon can increase wildlife disease prevalence, because elevated stress levels reduce disease resistance. This study aims to assess disease as a conservaJon concern in NYS wood turtles. Turtles will be screened for three significant pathogens; Mycoplasma spp., herpesvirus spp., and ranavirus spp. Swab samples will be obtained from three populaJons following a rural to urban (north to south) gradient through NYS. PCR analysis will determine presence or absence of each disease in each populaJon and prevalence rates will be calculated. StaJsJcal analyses will be preformed to test the hypothesis that the most urban populaJon will have the highest disease prevalence. Introduc@on •The wood turtle is a species of special concern in NYS and is under review for a federal lisJng by the US FWS •Emerging infecJous diseases are a significant threat to biodiversity and urbanizaJon increases disease prevalence • This study will screen 3 NYS wood turtle populaJons following an urbanizaJon gradient for 3 pathogens to esJmate disease as a conservaJon concern •Mycoplasma agassizii and testudineum, herpesvirus spp., and ranavirus spp. are known to cause morbidity and mortality in wild turtles Discussion •Our results suggest Mycoplasma infecJon could pose a threat to Otsego County turtles •Mycoplasma infecJon causes Upper Respiratory Tract Disease and stress can increase virulence (McGuire et al. 2014) • Mycoplasma spreads easily from animal to animal (McGuire et al. 2014) •Further results will determine if disease threatens other populaJons and if urbanizaJon increases prevalence •This informaJon will be disseminated to biologists working to conserve NYS wood turtles in hopes that it will lead to beYer informed management Acknowledgements •Thank you Will O’Connell, Friends of the Great Swamp, A. Ross (NYSDEC), Dr. G. Johnson (SUNY Potsdam), and Dr. Mike Jones for assistance and collaboraJon (UMASS Amherst) •We acknowledge the support of the Huyck Preserve, Western NY Herpetological Society, and the SUNY Oneonta FoundaJon Study Sites •Streams in Dutchess (urban), Otsego (intermediate), and St. Lawrence (rural) CounJes Methods •10 wood turtles at 3 sites swabbed with sterile swabs fall 2015-present •Oral/cloacal swabs sent to Research Associates Laboratory (Dallas TX) for quanJtaJve PCR tesJng •Fisher’s exact test to determine if staJsJcally significant relaJonship exists between urbanizaJon level and disease prevalence Results •Samples sJll being collected Pathogen Samples Posi@ve Samples Prevalence Ranavirus 10 0 0% Herpesvirus 10 0 0% M. agassizii 10 2 20% M. testudineum 10 4 40% Map of NY state counJes. Study sites located in highlighted counJes. References McGuire J. L., Smith L. L., Guyer C., Lockhart M., Lee G. L., Yabsley M. J. 2014. Surveillance for Upper Respiratory Tract Disease and Mycoplasma in Free-ranging Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) in Georgia USA. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 50(4): 733-744. Table 1. Preliminary Results from 10 Otsego County wood turtles

Disease Assessment of the Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta

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Page 1: Disease Assessment of the Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta

DiseaseAssessmentoftheWoodTurtle(Glyptemysinsculpta)inNewYorkStateSamanthaFontaine,AlexanderRobillard,DonnaVogler

SUNYOneonta,BiologyDepartment

Abstract:Thewoodturtle(Glyptemysinsculpta)isclassifiedasaspeciesofspecialconcernbytheNYSDEC.ToeffecJvelymanagethisspecies,allthreatstoitspopulaJonsmustbeknown.ThisincludesthepresenceofinfecJousdisease,anincreasinglysignificantcauseofbiodiversityloss.UrbanizaJoncanincreasewildlifediseaseprevalence,becauseelevatedstresslevelsreducediseaseresistance.ThisstudyaimstoassessdiseaseasaconservaJonconcerninNYSwoodturtles.Turtleswillbescreenedforthreesignificantpathogens;Mycoplasmaspp.,herpesvirusspp.,andranavirusspp.SwabsampleswillbeobtainedfromthreepopulaJonsfollowingaruraltourban(northtosouth)gradientthroughNYS.PCRanalysiswilldeterminepresenceorabsenceofeachdiseaseineachpopulaJonandprevalencerateswillbecalculated.StaJsJcalanalyseswillbepreformedtotestthehypothesisthatthemosturbanpopulaJonwillhavethehighestdiseaseprevalence.

Introduc@on• ThewoodturtleisaspeciesofspecialconcerninNYSandisunderreviewforafederallisJngbytheUSFWS• EmerginginfecJousdiseasesareasignificantthreattobiodiversityandurbanizaJonincreasesdiseaseprevalence• Thisstudywillscreen3NYSwoodturtlepopulaJonsfollowinganurbanizaJongradientfor3pathogenstoesJmatediseaseasaconservaJonconcern• Mycoplasmaagassiziiandtestudineum,herpesvirusspp.,andranavirusspp.areknowntocausemorbidityandmortalityinwildturtles

Discussion• OurresultssuggestMycoplasmainfecJoncouldposeathreattoOtsegoCountyturtles• MycoplasmainfecJoncausesUpperRespiratoryTractDiseaseandstresscanincreasevirulence(McGuireetal.2014)• Mycoplasmaspreadseasilyfromanimaltoanimal(McGuireetal.2014)• FurtherresultswilldetermineifdiseasethreatensotherpopulaJonsandifurbanizaJonincreasesprevalence• ThisinformaJonwillbedisseminatedtobiologistsworkingtoconserveNYSwoodturtlesinhopesthatitwillleadtobeYerinformedmanagement

Acknowledgements• ThankyouWillO’Connell,FriendsoftheGreatSwamp,A.Ross(NYSDEC),Dr.G.Johnson(SUNYPotsdam),andDr.MikeJonesforassistanceandcollaboraJon(UMASSAmherst)• WeacknowledgethesupportoftheHuyckPreserve,WesternNYHerpetologicalSociety,andtheSUNYOneontaFoundaJon

StudySites• StreamsinDutchess(urban),Otsego(intermediate),andSt.Lawrence(rural)CounJesMethods• 10woodturtlesat3sitesswabbedwithsterileswabsfall2015-present• Oral/cloacalswabssenttoResearchAssociatesLaboratory(DallasTX)forquanJtaJvePCRtesJng• Fisher’sexacttesttodetermineifstaJsJcallysignificantrelaJonshipexistsbetweenurbanizaJonlevelanddiseaseprevalenceResults• SamplessJllbeingcollected

Pathogen Samples Posi@veSamples

Prevalence

Ranavirus 10 0 0%Herpesvirus 10 0 0%M.agassizii 10 2 20%M.testudineum 10 4 40%

MapofNYstatecounJes.StudysiteslocatedinhighlightedcounJes.

ReferencesMcGuireJ.L.,SmithL.L.,GuyerC.,LockhartM.,LeeG.L.,YabsleyM.J.2014.SurveillanceforUpperRespiratoryTractDiseaseandMycoplasmainFree-rangingGopherTortoises(Gopheruspolyphemus)inGeorgiaUSA.JournalofWildlifeDiseases.50(4):733-744.

Table1.PreliminaryResultsfrom10OtsegoCountywoodturtles