engleski

Hematological values of Italian wall lizard (Podarcis sicula)

The Italian wall lizard is native to all Southern European countries on the Mediterranean coast. In the past decade this lizard has been a subject of research due its rapid adaptation to a new habitat. However, there are no studies on hematology of this reptile species. The evaluation of hematological parameters is useful for studying the physiology and assessing the health status of animals. The objective of the study was to evaluate hematological parameters of wild Italian wall lizards. Blood samples were taken from 20 male lizards caught in the wild during summer at Adriatic coast in Croatia. Complete blood cell counts and smear evaluations were performed. The packed cell volume (PCV) ranged from 20% to 40% and the manual red blood cell count was 0.59-1.9 x 106/µL. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) was within 206 to 342 fL. Very mild polychromasia (<1-3% of all erythrocytes) was present. Total white blood cell count was 1.2- 6.5 x 103/µL, and the predominant leukocytes were heterophils (10-62%) and lymphocytes (13- 46%), while basophils were represented in higher percentage (2-40%) than in other lizards. Hemogregarine parasites were found in 7 animals. The results from this study can contribute to defining physiological blood values for the wild Italian wall lizards. Further research needs to be done to determine effects of different intrinsic and extrinsic factors on hematological parameters of this species.

Podarcis sicula, Italian wall lizard, hematology, reptiles

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