Occurrence and clinical conditions of sea turtles from the Pará coast, Amazon, Brazil

Abstract

The coastline of Pará State plays an important role as a feeding, resting, and nesting area for marine turtles occurring along the Brazilian coast. This study investigated the occurrence and clinical afflictions of turtles admitted to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of the Federal Rural University of the Amazon (CETRAS-UFRA) between January 2021 and December 2022. Medical records from 20 individuals were examined to obtain data on species, clinical conditions, and rescue history. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Cramér’s V coefficient (p < 0.05), and graphical interpretation performed in RStudio. The species recorded at CETRAS were Eretmochelys imbricata (50%), Chelonia mydas (40%), and Caretta caretta (10%), while the main species occurring along the Pará coast include C. mydas, E. imbricata, C. caretta, D. coriacea, and L. olivacea. Most individuals were hatchlings (50%) and juveniles (40%), primarily from the municipality of Salinópolis (55%), whereas Curuçá presented the highest number of secondary records. The distribution of animals was not random, showing strong associations with species, location, and rescue history (Cramér’s V = 0.95 and 0.89). The most frequent disorders were respiratory (47.06%), mainly pneumonia, and integumentary (44.12%), including dermatitis, abrasive skin lesions, and fibropapillomatosis, as observed in three C. mydas. Body condition ranged from regular (60%) to thin (20%), and 65% of the turtles showed mild dehydration. This study contributes to the understanding of the occurrence and health status of marine turtles along the Pará coastline, emphasizing the need for strengthened conservation strategies and more effective monitoring programs.