Sand Enteropathy in a Free-Ranging Brown Pelican (Pelecanus Occidentalis) from Florida, USA
A subadult Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) was found dead near a fishing pier in Florida, USA. Necropsy revealed abundant sand accumulation throughout the intestines. Fibrinous coelomitis with isolation of mixed bacteria, including Enterobacter cloacae complex, suggests secondary intestinal compromise. Sand ingestion might reflect geophagia, environmental hardships, or age-related diving inexperience.
Authors
- Margaret E. Pritchett
- R. Hardman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9083-8525)
- Nicole M. Nemeth (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5931-175X)
- C. Robert Stilz
Institutions
- University of Georgia (US)
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (US)
- Purdue University West Lafayette (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Wildlife Diseases
- Published
- 2024-10-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7589/jwd-d-24-00074
- Primary Topic
- Bird parasitology and diseases
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00