{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,30]],"date-time":"2025-07-30T16:36:58Z","timestamp":1753893418527,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,17]],"date-time":"2025-04-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1744848000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Vet. Sci."],"abstract":"<jats:p>The Mediterranean pond turtle (<jats:italic>Mauremys leprosa<\/jats:italic>) is increasingly recognized as a sentinel species for freshwater ecosystem health due to its resilience to environmental pollutants. Despite its ecological significance, there is a lack of research on the blood profile of this vulnerable species. This study assessed the hematological and biochemical profile of healthy individuals admitted to <jats:italic>Zoomarine<\/jats:italic>\u2019s <jats:italic>Porto d\u2019Abrigo<\/jats:italic> rehabilitation center in southern Portugal between 2015 and 2024. This investigation revealed significant differences between the established data and the reference intervals reported in a Spanish study, notably in total erythrocyte (RBC) counts, packed cell volume (PCV), differential counts of lymphocytes and eosinophils, total protein (TP), creatine kinase (CK), potassium (K<jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup>), phosphorous (PHOS), and glucose (GLU) levels. Significant differences were also observed between captive and wild-rescued individuals in monocyte percentages, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and CK levels. No seasonal influence was detected except in the differential count of eosinophils. These findings indicate a possible geographical, environmental, and captivity-induced variation, providing the first comprehensive species-specific hematological and biochemical intervals for <jats:italic>M. leprosa<\/jats:italic> derived from a healthy population. This study enhances the understanding of <jats:italic>M. leprosa<\/jats:italic> health within a One Health framework by offering critical diagnostic benchmarks for veterinary care and facilitating conservation strategies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2025.1504336","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,17]],"date-time":"2025-04-17T14:25:46Z","timestamp":1744899946000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Hematological and blood chemistry profiles of the Mediterranean pond turtle (Mauremys leprosa) in a Portuguese wildlife rehabilitation center"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Gon\u00e7alo N.","family":"Marques","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Joana S.","family":"Guerra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Miriam 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