Whole Blood Fatty Acid Concentrations In The San Cristobal Galapagos Tortoise (Chelonoidis Chathamensis)

To continue releasing San Cristobal Galapagos tortoises housed in managed-care facilities at the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center of Galapagos National Park (Galapaguera de Cerro Colorado) to the Otoy Ecological Farm, health assessments and physical examinations were conducted. As a part of these wellness examinations, blood was drawn from 11 tortoises to analyze fatty acid concentrations. Fatty acid levels can provide insight into the nutritional profiles, immune status, and reproductive health of vertebrates. To the co-author's knowledge, there is no current information about fatty acids in this species. It was hypothesized that there would be inherent differences based on the different geographic ranges, diets, sex, and age of turtles. It was noted that the omega-6/omega-3 ratio was higher for the breeding center than for the ecological farm and that overall polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) did not have any significant differences. The omega-6/omega-3 findings can contribute to a global picture of these fatty acids across taxa, as reptiles are underrepresented in this area of research. Additional results are a resourceful starting point for future investigations into how fatty acids are affected in Galapagos tortoises.