Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7621, USA.
EnviroFlight LLC, Maysville, Kentucky 41056, USA.
J Zoo Wildl Med. 2020 Nov;51(3):478-484. doi: 10.1638/2019-0146.
The housing of wild animals in managed care facilities requires attention to all aspects of husbandry. Diets of wild animals often differ in composition, consistency, and quantity when compared with those in managed care settings including zoos, rehabilitation facilities, and aquaria. It was hypothesized that dietary differences from wild versus managed care would be reflected in data of circulating fatty acids based on previous studies. The current study examined the effect of species and environment on fatty acid concentrations in two omnivorous species of chelonians: Eastern box turtles, and common snapping turtles, located in the wild and managed care. Whole blood was collected and placed on spot cards for analysis of 26 fatty acids in a total lipid fatty acid profile. The present research indicated that Eastern box turtles have significantly ( < 0.05) higher percentages of linoleic acid (18:2n6), eicosadienoic acid (20:2n6), and mead acid (20:3n9). Common snapping turtles have significantly ( < 0.05) higher percentages of myristic acid (14:0), dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (20:3n6), erucic acid (22:1n9), and n-6 docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n6). Environmental effects also were noted; wild turtles had higher percentages of α-linolenic acid (18:3n3), arachidic acid (20:0), eicosadienoic acid (20:2n6), and eicosatrienoic acid (20:3n3) ( < 0.05), whereas n-6 docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n6) was higher for the managed care group. Eicosadienoic acid (20:2n6), behenic acid; 22:0), adrenic acid (22:4n6), n-6 docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n6), and nervonic acid (24:1) were significantly different ( < 0.05) in species-environment interactions without any noted species or environment patterns. Fatty acids are useful for many important biological functions including proper immune system regulation, and therefore, the present research provides medically relevant data for reptile diagnostics. This research may help further improve diets of all chelonians kept in managed care, regardless of species.
野生动物在管理养护设施中的饲养需要关注饲养的各个方面。与动物园、康复设施和水族馆等管理养护环境中的饮食相比，野生动物的饮食在组成、稠度和数量上往往有所不同。根据先前的研究，人们假设野生动物与管理养护动物的饮食差异将反映在循环脂肪酸的数据中。本研究检查了物种和环境对两种杂食性龟类（东部箱龟和普通 snapping 龟）脂肪酸浓度的影响，这两种龟类分别生活在野外和管理养护环境中。采集全血并置于斑点卡上，以分析总脂质脂肪酸图谱中的 26 种脂肪酸。本研究表明，东部箱龟的亚油酸（18:2n6）、二十碳二烯酸（20:2n6）和 mead 酸（20:3n9）的百分比显著（<0.05）更高。普通 snapping 龟的肉豆蔻酸（14:0）、二高-γ-亚麻酸（20:3n6）、芥酸（22:1n9）和 n-6 二十二碳五烯酸（22:5n6）的百分比显著（<0.05）更高。还注意到环境影响；野生龟的α-亚麻酸（18:3n3）、花生酸（20:0）、二十碳二烯酸（20:2n6）和二十碳三烯酸（20:3n3）的百分比更高（<0.05），而管理养护组的 n-6 二十二碳五烯酸（22:5n6）更高。二十碳二烯酸（20:2n6）、二十四烷酸（22:0）、花生四烯酸（22:4n6）、n-6 二十二碳五烯酸（22:5n6）和神经酸（24:1）在物种-环境相互作用中差异显著（<0.05），但没有明显的物种或环境模式。脂肪酸在许多重要的生物学功能中都很有用，包括适当的免疫系统调节，因此，本研究为爬行动物诊断提供了具有医学相关性的数据。这项研究可能有助于进一步改善所有在管理养护中饲养的龟类的饮食，无论其物种如何。
