Seasonal variation of serum biochemical values of Amazonian snakes (Boa constrictor constrictor) kept in captivity

In northern Brazil, the seasons are not well defined compared to the South and Southeast regions, due to a hot and humid equatorial climate with a rainy season, known as the Amazonian winter, and a period with less rain, known as the Amazonian summer. The goal of this study was to evaluate the bioch...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Dennis José da Silva Lima, Renata Kelly Gonzaga Bastos, Larissa dos Santos Seixas, Monique Araújo Luz, Erika Renata Branco, Nazaré Fonseca de Souza, Carla Cristina Guimarães de Moraes, Andre Marcelo Conceição Meneses
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina 2012-11-01
Series:Biotemas
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.biotemas.ufsc.br/volumes/pdf/volume254/165a173.pdf
Description
Summary:In northern Brazil, the seasons are not well defined compared to the South and Southeast regions, due to a hot and humid equatorial climate with a rainy season, known as the Amazonian winter, and a period with less rain, known as the Amazonian summer. The goal of this study was to evaluate the biochemical variation of serum from the Amazon Boa constrictor by correlating the values with the seasons of the region. A biochemical analysis of the serum was performed (AST, ALT, LDH, ALP, calcium, uric acid, phosphorus, total protein, albumin and globulin) using 31 individuals of Boa constrictor constrictor, which were kept in captivity. It was observed that eight of the ten parameters were higher in the winter compared to the summer (total protein, albumin, globulin, ALT, AST, ALP, LDH and calcium). The ALT, AST and calcium values had statistically significant differences for the summer and winter, while the other parameters appear to be influenced by seasonality. This was the first study of snakes kept in captivity that analyzed the serum chemistry profile of Boa constrictor constrictor from the state of Pará, Brazil.
ISSN:0103-1643