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1 December 2011 Classification Modeling of Physiological Stages in Captive Balkan Whip Snakes Using Blood Biochemistry Parameters
Rozelindra Coz-Rakovac, Duje Lisicic, Tomislav Smuc, Natalija Topic Popovic, Ivancica Strunjak-Perovic, Margita Jadan, Zoran Tadic, Jurica Jug Dujakovic
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Abstract

We studied captive Balkan Whip Snakes (Hierophis gemonensis) to determine blood biochemical parameters that are useful indicators of physiological status during different periods of the biological cycle, including pre- and posthibernation, hibernation, sexual activity, and normal activity. In addition to classic statistical analyses, six machine-learning methods using 10 times 10-fold cross-validation evaluation were used to determine the best classification model for the blood biochemistry data. Results of the machine-learning models indicated that using three of the blood biochemistry variables simultaneously—urea, glucose, and lactate dehydrogenase—is enough to discriminate accurately between different physiological conditions during the biological cycle. This approach clarifies the role and importance of physiological processes, which show diversity of functional characteristics of various biochemical parameters in ecological relation to snakes held under laboratory conditions mimicking natural environmental changes.

Rozelindra Coz-Rakovac, Duje Lisicic, Tomislav Smuc, Natalija Topic Popovic, Ivancica Strunjak-Perovic, Margita Jadan, Zoran Tadic, and Jurica Jug Dujakovic "Classification Modeling of Physiological Stages in Captive Balkan Whip Snakes Using Blood Biochemistry Parameters," Journal of Herpetology 45(4), 525-529, (1 December 2011). https://doi.org/10.1670/10-234.1
Accepted: 1 March 2011; Published: 1 December 2011
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