Meeting Abstract

P2.81  Monday, Jan. 5  Turtle gut microflora: initial acquisition HOLGERSSON, M C N*; NICHOLS, W A; PAITZ, R T; BOWDEN, R M; Illinois St. Univ.; Illinois St. Univ.; Illinois St. Univ.; Illinois St. Univ. mcholge@ilstu.edu

Adult aquatic turtles are host to an array of gastrointestinal bacteria, including Salmonella spp. Conversely, it is thought that turtle embryos within freshly laid eggs are sterile. While it is known that the external surface of turtle eggs can acquire bacteria from the mothers cloaca during laying and/or immediately thereafter via contact with bacteria laden nest substrate, the mechanism by which developing turtles initially acquire these microflora is poorly characterized. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that developing turtles first acquire gut microflora during the hatching process via ingestion of infected eggshell and not prior via eggshell penetration (as has been previously suggested). Eggs from eleven clutches of Trachemys scripta elegans (Red-eared slider turtle) eggs were divided into four incubation groups: 1) natural, 2) Gentamicin treatment, 3) Gentamicin treatment thereafter administered Salmonella (a stock acquired from our turtle population), and 4) Gentamicin treatment thereafter administered Salmonella and treated again with Gentamicin just prior to hatching. Gentamicin is a proven antibiotic for eradicating bacteria from turtle eggs. The Salmonella application served as a natural self-replicating indicator that could be quickly detected via selective plating using XLT4 agar. Treatment groups were kept separate under identical conditions in order to minimize the potential of cross-contamination. Eggshell bacteria loads were characterized during and after hatching; hatchling bacteria loads were characterized post-hatch via excrement analysis and necropsy. We predicted that hatchlings from treatments 2 and 4 would be free of Salmonella while treatments 1 and 3 would acquire Salmonella by ingesting infected eggshell.