{"topic_id":"exotic_pet_nutrition_turtle","category":"exotic-pet-nutrition","context":"---\ntopic_id: \"exotic_pet_nutrition_turtle\"\ncategory: \"exotic-pet-nutrition\"\ntitle: \"Turtle nutrition: peer-reviewed evidence (Europe PMC)\"\nlang: \"en\"\nsource: \"Europe PMC Open-Access peer-reviewed turtle nutrition abstracts (verbatim)\"\nsource_file: [\"pdf-raw/evidence/europepmc_turtle_nutrition_2026-08-01.txt\"]\ndate_parsed: \"2026-08-03\"\ntokens_estimated: 600\nrecovered: false\npath: \"exotic-pet-nutrition/exotic_pet_nutrition_turtle/01_exotic_pet_nutrition_turtle.md\"\n---\n\n# Turtle nutrition: peer-reviewed evidence (Europe PMC)\n\nSource: Open-Access peer-reviewed abstracts retrieved verbatim from Europe PMC (www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc) via REST search on 2026-08-01, filtered to turtle nutrition/toxicology literature. Each block below is a verbatim abstract; nothing is paraphrased.\n\n\n### Placement of a radiopaque polyurethane esophagostomy tube in a yellow-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis denticulatus) using MILA's tunneler device. (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (2025), PMID:40499570)\n\n> <h4>Objective</h4>To describe placement of a radiopaque polyurethane esophagostomy tube in a tortoise using MILA's tunneler device.<h4>Animals</h4>A 20-year-old 4.235-kg spayed female yellow-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis denticulatus) was presented for egg coelomitis and feeding tube placement.<h4>Methods</h4>A polyurethane esophagostomy tube (18 French; MILA International Inc) was advanced orally into the stomach. The small end of a tunneler device (MILA International Inc) was placed into the oral cavity and advanced into the midcervical esophagus. The tube exiting the mouth was attached to the opposite end of the tunneler. An incision was made into the left lateral cervical skin and underlying esophagus, allowing the tunneler and tube to be pulled through the incision until the tube was lying linearly. Radiographs confirmed appropriate placement, and the tube was sutured in place and flushed with water to ensure patency.<h4>Results</h4>The esophagostomy tube was successfully placed and utilized to provide nutrition for 42 days following treatment.<h4>Clinical relevance</h4>Benefits of the MILA esophagostomy tube system in chelonians include the use of polyurethane tubes and the tunneler device. MILA's polyurethane tubes are preferred because of their radiopaque stripe, large luminal diameter, increased flexibility, and long-term biocompatibility, decreasing the risk of placement errors and esophageal injury. The increased length and small diameter of the tunneler device (compared to a Carmalt) allow for ease of placement with chelonian anatomy. These qualities may mitigate commonly observed risks to chelonians such as displacement and obstruction of esophagostomy tubes, gastrointestinal perforation, hemorrhage, and tube site infections.\n\n  — *verbatim, Europe PMC PMID:40499570*\n\n\n### Effects of Different Substrates on Growth, Serum Biochemical Parameters, and Behavioral Characteristics of Juvenile Asian Giant Softshell Turtles, &lt;i&gt;Pelochelys cantorii&lt;/i&gt;. (Animals : an open access journal from MDPI (2026), PMID:41681364)\n\n> The critically endangered Asian giant softshell turtle (<i>Pelochelys cantorii</i>) is a national first-class protected aquatic animal in China, and artificial breeding is vital for its conservation. Given the pivotal role of substrate in captive rearing, this study aimed to investigate the effects of different substrate types on the growth, serum biochemistry, and behavior of juvenile <i>P. cantorii</i>. A total of 45 8-month-old juveniles [(121.11 ± 0.65) g] were randomly allocated to three groups (fine sand [FS], pea gravel [PG], and no substrate [NS]) for an 18-day rearing trial. Results indicated that the FS and PG groups exhibited significantly higher weight gain and specific growth rates than the NS group (<i>p</i> < 0.01). Serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were lower in the FS and PG groups than in the NS group (<i>p</i> < 0.05), with no significant difference between FS and PG. Notably, three individuals in the NS group exhibited symptoms of skin ulceration. No significant intergroup differences were observed in glucose (GLU), triglyceride (TG), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), or cortisol (CORT) levels (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Behaviorally, the FS group demonstrated the highest hidden rest frequency and duration (<i>p</i> < 0.01) and significantly lower active avoidance behavior compared to PG and NS (<i>p</i> < 0.01). In conclusion, substrate type significantly influences captive juvenile <i>P. cantorii</i>, with fine sand being optimal as it enhances growth, alleviates oxidative stress, and reduces maladaptive behaviors.\n\n  — *verbatim, Europe PMC PMID:41681364*\n\n\n### Human-Chelonian Bond in Italy: An Exploratory Study of Pet Turtle and Tortoise Ownership. (Veterinary sciences (2025), PMID:40872722)\n\n> The adoption of exotic animals as pets is increasing across Europe. This study explores the human-chelonian relationship in the Italian population, specifically the motivations for acquiring reptiles as pets and the nature of the emotional bonds between guardians and chelonians. A total of 91 chelonian guardians replied to an online survey. Data was analyzed through a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative analyses. Most participants (85.7%) owned Hermann's tortoises (<i>Testudo hermanni</i>), having received them as gifts (50.5%) or purchased them (31.9%). Pet chelonians living outdoors had an almost five times higher odds of being reported as non-family members compared to those with indoor access (OR = 4.90, 95% CI = 1.34-23.41, <i>p</i> = 0.02). No significant relationship was detected between other demographic factors and bond type. When asked whether they consider their pet a family member, 70 out of 91 participants reported information for both their reptile and dog/cat. Among these, pets were seen as family members for 44.3% of chelonians and 92.4% of dogs/cats. In turn, qualitative responses from 85 participants showed that 45% expressed a strong emotional connection to their pet chelonians, using language denoting affection, love, and fascination. These findings suggest that, while emotional bonds between guardians and chelonians may be less interactive and intimate than those with conventional pets, they nonetheless reflect a meaningful bond rooted in personal values of entertainment, convenience, and duty of care.\n\n  — *verbatim, Europe PMC PMID:40872722*\n\n\n## Claims (verified C1 substrings of source_file)\n\n- `<h4>Objective</h4>To describe placement of a radiopaque polyurethane esophagostomy tube in a tortoise using MILA's tunneler device.<h4>Animals</h4>A 20-year-old…`\n\n- `The critically endangered Asian giant softshell turtle (<i>Pelochelys cantorii</i>) is a national first-class protected aquatic animal in China, and artificial …`\n\n- `The adoption of exotic animals as pets is increasing across Europe. This study explores the human-chelonian relationship in the Italian population, specifically…`\n","sources":["exotic-pet-nutrition — Turtle nutrition: peer-reviewed evidence (Europe PMC) (retrieved 2026-08-03)"],"source":{"authority":"exotic-pet-nutrition","title":"Turtle nutrition: peer-reviewed evidence (Europe PMC)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40499570/","retrieved":"2026-08-03","ref":"PMID 40499570","doc_type":"official PDF","source_document":"","verification_file":"[\"pdf-raw/evidence/europepmc_turtle_nutrition_2026-08-01.txt\"]"},"source_document":"","source_file":"[\"pdf-raw/evidence/europepmc_turtle_nutrition_2026-08-01.txt\"]","tokens_estimated":600,"generated_at":null,"tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}