Absorção do vitelo em Trachemys sp (Testudines: emydidae)

Abstract

Tortoises are small animals, easily handled and quite sympathetic, qualities that turn them one of the most usual pet. Understanding the type of nutritional management that tortoise demand and watching the physiology related to it, since the neonatal development, are important items to keep captive animals healthy. In this manner, the present research aimed to accompany the yolk absorption in Trachemys sp. hatchling. There was used 90 hatchling tortoise from the Laboratório de Ensino e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres of Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (LAPAS-UFU), whose eggs were taken and artificially incubated for an average period of 63 days. After hatchling, the yolk internalization pattern was evaluated. Addionaly, euthanasia was done with thiopental sodium diluted in lidocaine aplied into the celoma cavity and each body was individually dissected in order to evaluate the yolk. Analyzed variables were: length, width and height. Six groups of 15 individuals, each one, were formed, each group being represented by a different age range, in order to obtain statistical differences based on yolk sizes. The mean time of yolk’s absorption was 90 days. It was observed that the length dimension decreased steadily (from 15 days of age) and width and height had their reductions at the end of the experiment (60 and 75 days, respectively).