FWC Veterinarian Dr. Rebecca Hardman contacted von Arx Wildlife Hospital Staff Veterinarian, Dr. PJ Deitschel, regarding a few “bioblitz” pilot sampling events FWC is performing on targeted gopher tortoise populations in Florida.
Dr. Hardman and her team at FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) are obtaining health parameters and baseline data on pathogens present in certain gopher tortoise populations throughout the state.
The gopher tortoise populations in Smith Preserve on our campus, Naples Preserve and Marco Island were included in the “bioblitz.”
Dr. Hardman brought staff from the Herpetology Research team and the Wildlife Health team to complete the sampling. The breadth of information obtained from this sampling will be incredibly valuable to assess the overall condition of the gopher tortoise population in our Smith Preserve.
This project has the potential to benefit not only the local tortoise populations, but the threatened gopher tortoise population throughout Florida and other states that serve as a tortoise recipient site.
In total FWC sampled 11 tortoises from our Smith Preserve, 15 tortoises from Naples Preserve and 34 tortoises from Marco Island and Isle of Capri.
Sampling performed on each tortoise included physical exam, oral, cloacal and shell swab sampling, venipuncture, fecal analysis, and radiology. The exact location where each tortoise was captured was recorded and each tortoise was returned exactly where it was found. Strict protocols were in place to avoid cross contamination between tortoise populations during the entire process.
The collaboration required during the sampling event was extensive. Staff and volunteers from multiple organizations worked together with a common goal that will ultimately benefit gopher tortoises which are a threatened species in Florida.