ABSTRACT
The body weight and blood profile were determined in the adult wild West African hinge-backed tortoise, Kinixys erosa and the adult wild desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii kept under identical environmental conditions. A comparison between sexes showed the male K. erosa had significantly higher packed cell volume and haemoglobin concentration and lower body weight and plasma alkaline phosphatase values than the female, while no significant sex differences appeared in these parameters in G. agassizii. The haematological parameters and plasma levels of electrolytes, enzymes, proteins and metabolites did not differ significantly between the two species, suggesting that the blood values of K. erosa resembled those of G. agassizii under identical environmental conditions.
