AUTHOR=Fernández Antonio , Suárez-Santana Cristian , Alonso-Almorox Paula , Consoli Francesco Achille , Suárez González Zuleima , Molpeceres-Diego Ignacio , Iglesias González Claudia , Hernández Marta Lorente , Pérez Amaranta Hugo , Martín-Barrasa José Luis , Llorente Laura Iglesias , Medina Félix M. , Guzmán Raiden Grandía , Rueda Diego Llinás , Arbelo Manuel , Sierra Eva 

TITLE=Case Report: Ambergris coprolite and septicemia in a male sperm whale stranded in La Palma (Canary Islands)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2024.1388276

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2024.1388276

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<p>On the 21st of May 2023, a dead adult male sperm whale (<italic>Physeter macrocephalus</italic>) of 13 m in length and estimated weight of around 18,000 kg was reportedly stranded at Playa Los Nogales, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain. A necropsy was performed 48hpm. A 50 cm diameter and 9.5 kg coprolite was found obstructing the caudal colon-rectal lumen. Necro-hemorrhagic lesions were found in heart muscles and three different bacteria of intestinal origin were isolated and identified (<italic>Edwarsiella tarda</italic>, <italic>Hathewaya limosa</italic> and <italic>Clostridium perfringens</italic>). It is reported a lethal septicemia of intestinal origin associated with ambergris coprolite as cause of death in this sperm whale.</p>