Rose F L, Koke J, Koehn R, Smith D
Department of Biology, Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos 78666, USA.
J Wildl Dis. 2001 Apr;37(2):223-8. doi: 10.7589/0090-3558-37.2.223.
Epidermal lamellae (scutes) of the Texas tortoise, Gopherus berlandieri, from southern Texas (USA) were observed to be in various stages of necrosis, ranging from localized whitish blemishes to complete degradation of the external portion of the scute. Fusarium semitectum was consistently isolated from slivers of infected scute from tortoises. The fungus was not isolated from tortoises exhibiting no lesions. Confocal microscopy confirmed the presence of septate mycelia inside the scutes, and isolates of F. semitectum grown in the laboratory were successfully transferred to non-infected tortoises. Twenty-four tortoises maintained by two rehabilitators in southern Texas exhibited lesions; however, only one of 27 tortoises from Dimmit and Zavala counties was infected.
对来自美国得克萨斯州南部的德州地鼠龟（Gopherus berlandieri）的表皮鳞片（盾片）进行观察，发现其处于坏死的不同阶段，从局部发白的斑点到盾片外部的完全退化。始终能从患病地鼠龟感染的盾片切片中分离出半裸镰刀菌。未从无病变的地鼠龟中分离出该真菌。共聚焦显微镜检查证实盾片内部存在有隔菌丝体，并且在实验室培养的半裸镰刀菌分离株成功感染了未感染的地鼠龟。得克萨斯州南部的两名康复者饲养的24只地鼠龟出现了病变；然而，迪米特县和萨瓦拉县的27只地鼠龟中只有1只被感染。
