Weights and blood profiles of the west African hinge-backed tortoise, Kinixys erosa and the desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii

The body weight and blood profile were determined in the adult wild West Af rican hinge-backed tortoise, Kinixys erosa and the adult mild desert tortoi se, Gopherus agassizii kept under identical environmental conditions. A com parison between sexes showed the male K. erosa had significantly higher pac ked cell volume and haemoglobin concentration and lower body weight and pla sma alkaline phosphatase values than the female, while no significant sex d ifferences appeared in these parameters in G. agassizii. The haematological parameters and plasma levels of electrolytes, enzymes, proteins and metabo lites did not differ significantly between the two species, suggesting that the blood values of K. erosa resembled those of G. agassizii under identic al environmental conditions.