SELECTED BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN CAPTIVE MOUNTAIN TORTOISES (GEOCHELONE-PARDALIS)

The concentrations of sodium, potassium, chloride, urea, creatinine, u ric acid, total protein, albumin, inorganic phosphorous, calcium, magn esium, cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, aspartate and alanine trans aminases (AST and ALT), creatine kinase (CK), lactic acid dehydrogenas e(LD), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin in the serum of a captive population of the mountain tortoise (Geochelone pardalis) (n=13) were determined. Results varied considerably, particularly for most enzymes such as AST (11-113 U/l,AL T (1-72 U/l), CK (12-242 U/l), LD (147 - 2641 U/l) and ALP (56-168 U/l ).