Abstract

Hematological and biochemical analyses are widely employed to investigate health conditions and physiology of wild and captive animals. This study provides the first reference values of hematological and biochemical parameters for Vanderhaege’s Toad-Headed Turtle (Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei). It was determined the hematological and plasma biochemistry values of free-living M. vanderhaegei in an anthropic habitat in southeastern Brazil, considering individuals’ sex and body size. Males presented higher values of red blood cells and creatinine, whereas females showed higher values of mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. However, no effect of body size at the sampled range has been found. Our study fills a critical knowledge gap by establishing comprehensive reference values for hematological and biochemical parameters in M. vanderhaegei, shedding light on the health and physiological variations within this species in an anthropic habitat in southeastern Brazil.