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Journal of the South African Veterinary Association

versión On-line ISSN 2224-9435
versión impresa ISSN 1019-9128

J. S. Afr. Vet. Assoc. vol.79 no.2 Pretoria  2008

 

ARTICLE

 

Normal intestinal flora of wild Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

 

 

C J LovelyI, II; A J LeslieII

IGobabis Veterinary Practice, PO Box 1424, Gobabis, Namibia
IIDepartment of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7600 South Africa

 

 


ABSTRACT

Bacterial and fungal cultures were performed from cloacal swabs collected from 29 wild Nile crocodiles, captured in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Sixteen species of bacteria and 6 fungal species were cultured. Individual crocodiles yielded bacterial species, and 0-2 fungal species. The most commonly isolated bacteria were Microbacterium, Enterococcus faecalis, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Escherichia coli. No salmonellae were cultured. The most commonly occurring fungus was Cladosporium. Several of the bacterial and fungal species isolated have been implicated in cases of septicaemia in crocodilians. Knowledge of the normal intestinal flora will contribute towards the development of a crocodile-specific probiotic for use in farmed crocodiles.

Keywords: Crocodylus niloticus, intestinal flora, Nile crocodile, Okavango Delta, Salmonella


 

 

“Full text available only in PDF format”

 

 

 

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Received: February 2008
Accepted: April 2008

 

 

* Author for correspondence. E-mail: colinlovely@iway.na
Lovely C J, Leslie A J Normal intestinal flora of wild Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Journal of the South African Veterinary Association (2008) 79(2): 67-70 (En.). Gobabis Veterinary Practice, PO Box 1424, Gobabis, Namibia.

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