Köbölkuti et al., J. Anim. Plant Sci. 26(2):2016 874 EFFECTS OF MALNUTRITION AND IMPROPER CAPTIVE MAINTENANCE ON EUROPEAN POND TURTLE (EMYS ORBICULARIS): A CASE REPORT L. B. Köbölkuti 1 , G. Á. Czirják 1,2 and M. Spînu 1,* 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Mănăştur Street 3–5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. 2 Present address: Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke- Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany. * Corresponding author: marinaspinu@yahoo.com ABSTRACT The European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis), the most widely distributed European aquatic turtle species, although is protected in most countries under national and international laws, it is also kept in captivity as pet or as part of different conservation programs. Despite these circumstances, there is little to no information on the diseases affecting this species, especially on how certain captivity conditions contribute to these pathologies. Here we describe the effects of improper husbandry conditions on a European pond turtle (E. orbicularis) male. The animal was kept exclusively on solid ground and fed with vegetables as would be a terrestrial species, which led to chronic malnutrition, dehydration and stress, and subsequently to the overgrowth of the beak and nails, lameness and secondary stomatitis associated with Candida spp. and Aeromonas hydrophila. The corrections of husbandry conditions combined with an adequate antimicrobial therapy resulted in full recovery and subsequent release of the turtle. Besides reporting a new case in a European reptile species, we would like to emphasize the role of veterinarians in notifying the owners about correct husbandry conditions for different reptile species and about the conservation and legal aspects of keeping protected indigenous species. Key words: Aeromonas hydrophila, beak overgrowth, Candida spp., captivity, Emys orbicularis, infectious stomatitis, improper husbandry, lameness. INTRODUCTION The European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) is the most widely distributed autochthonous aquatic turtle species of the European fauna. Despite its Eurasian and North African distribution, the population numbers are declining, the species being listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN (2014) and protected by law in most European countries. Habitat destruction and pollution are considered as the main causes of the population decline, however in the recent years invasive species also exerted a significant negative effect (Fritz and Chiari, 2013). Invasive mammals such as raccoons and raccoon dogs are predating the turtles, while the released exotic turtle species (mainly red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) and painted turtle (Chrysemys picta)) can directly outcompete the native species or could introduce alien pathogens and parasites with lethal consequences for the naïve host populations (Soccini and Ferri, 2004; Hidalgo-Vila et al., 2009; Fritz and Chiari, 2013). Under these circumstances, several in situ (e.g. habitat protection) and ex situ (e.g. captive breeding programs) measures have been taken in many European countries in order to protect the species (see special issue of Herpetology Notes entitled “A summary of conservation actions for European pond turtles”; Fritz and Chiari, 2013). Since both pollution and diseases (infectious, parasitic and non-infectious) are considered as threatening factors for the European pond turtle, veterinarian involvement in the different field- and conservation programs is warranted and mandatory. Information is available on haematology (reviewed in Arikan and Çiçek, 2014), parasites (Mihalca et al., 2007; Hidalgo-Vila et al., 2009) and bacterial flora (Soccini and Ferri, 2004; Hacioglu et al., 2012; Aleksić-Kovačević et al., 2014; Nowakiewicz et al., 2015) of the species, references which are crucial in evaluating the health status of the free-living and captive populations and individuals. The relevance for public health of the species was also studied, European pond turtles being carriers for Salmonella (Soccini and Ferri, 2004; Hidalgo-Vila et al., 2007; Marin et al., 2013; Aleksić-Kovačević et al., 2014; Nowakiewicz et al., 2015), Yersinia (Nowakiewicz et al., 2015), Leptospira (Lindtner-Knific et al., 2013) and Vibrio species (Hacioglu et al., 2012; Nowakiewicz et al., 2015). However, due to the relatively low prevalence of these zoonotic pathogens in the European pond turtle and its potentially low contact rate with humans, this species represents a minor public health threat compared to other, especially exotic, reptiles (Nowakiewicz et al., 2015). The Journal of Animal & Plant Sciences, 26(3): 2016, Page: 874-879 ISSN: 1018-7081 Case Report