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HEALTH SCREENING IN THE CRITICALLY LANCEHEAD (Bothrops insularis) IN CAPTIVITY ENDANGERED GOLDEN M. Lallo, DVM,1 G. Daniel, DVM,1,2 A. Nassar, PhD,2 O. Russomano, PhD,2 A. Turquetti,1 R. Lima,1 E. Castro,1 B. Durrant, PhD,3 and R. Zacariotti, DVM1* 1 Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul, R. Dr. Ussiel Cirilo 225, 08070-060, São Paulo, Brazil; Instituto Biológico, Av. Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves 1252, 04014-002, São Paulo, Brazil; 3 San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, 15600 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA 92027 USA 2 ABSTRACT As part of the conservation program for the critically endangered golden lancehead (Bothrops insularis), the first health screenings were conducted on 13 healthy snakes in captivity. Complete hemograms and serum biochemistries were performed on each snake. In addition, bacterial and fungal biota and specific parasites (Cryptosporidium sp. and Microsporidium sp.) were surveyed. The hemograms and serum biochemistries results were within the interval published for a close related species, the B. jararaca. The bacterial microbiota survey revealed common gram negative bacteria such Pseudomonas fluorescens, Citrobacter freundii and Pantoea agglomerans from skin, oral and cloacal mucosa. No individuals were positive to Salmonella spp. The fungal microbiota exams revealed Tricoderma sp. as the most common in skin and mouth or cloacal mucosa. Thicophyton sp., a fungus with zoonotic potential, was isolated from the skin of seven individuals. There are few reports on microsporidiosis in reptiles and association with clinical disease is rare. So far, we identified in healthy captive B. insularis, only the microsporidia Encephalitozoon spp. from feces and gastric washes, using gram-chromotrope stain and PCR techniques. These results will be used to establish a database for basic health parameters for the species, which will serve as a baseline for comparison to free-ranging individuals. The information will be included in the newly established Studbook of this species in Brazil. 2013 Proceedings Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians 134