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Marine Turtle Newsletter 52:24, © 1991
Hedelvy J. Guada,1 Pedro J. Vernet,1 Marisabel De Santana,2
Agustin Santana,2and Edith Marin De Aguilar2
1Programa de Fauna, Dirección General Sectorial de Parques Nacionales,
Apdo. 76471, Caracas 1071-A, Venezuela
2Parque Zoologico "Gustavo Rivera", Comunidad Cardon, Maraven,
Punto Fijo, Península de Paraguana, Estado Falcon, Venezuela
In October 1990 four green turtles (Chelonia mydas) captured by fishermen for market sale were seized by the National Guard and sent to "Gustavo Rivera" Zoological Park, located in Peninsula de Paraguana, Falcon State. One of the specimens (80.5 cm curved carapace length) showed cutaneous fibropapillomas in the eyes, neck, and flippers. This is the first reported incident of this disease in Venezuela. It is noteworthy that some fishermen in this area told us that they commonly caught, ate, and sold illegally captured turtles with fibropapillomas. The Fauna Program of the National Parks Administration (INPARQUES) is working on the consequences of illegal trade and other problems concerning sea turtles, such as the undetermined public health threat occasioned by the consumption of diseased turtles. Institutions concerned with sea turtle conservation and research programs have been warned about this problem, and their ideas solicited. We are indebted to biologist Gustavo Jimenez and oceanologist José Ramon Delgado, both of INPARQUES, for helpful suggestions and language assistance in the drafting of this note.