Hematologic values of the endangered San Joaquin kit fox, Vulpes macrotis mutica

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6454369

McCue, P M; O'Farrell, T P

Between 1981 and 1982 a total of 102 blood samples was collected from 91 San Joaquin kit foxes, Vulpes macrotis mutica, won the US Department of Energy's Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 1 (Elk Hills), in western Kern County, California. The goal of the study was to establish normal blood parameters for this endangered species and to determine whether changes in them could be used to assess the possible effects of petroleum developments on foxes. Adult foxes had the following average hematological characteristics: RBC, 8.4 x 10/sup 6/ cells/..mu..l; Hb, 14.9 g/dl; PCV, 46.9%; MCV, 56.4 fl; MCH, 18.2 pg; MCHC, 32.0 g/dl; and WBC, 6900/..mu..l. None of the parameters differed significantly between the sexes. RBC, Hb, PCV, MCV, and MCHC varied as a function of age for puppies between three and six months of age. The highest values of MCV and MCH were obtained in summer, 1982, and the highest value of MCHC was obtained in winter, 1981-1982. These were the only parameters that appeared to change with season. None of the blood parameters appeared to be affected by petroleum developments. Hematological data for kit foxes, coyotes, and wolves confirmed a previously published observation that within mammalian families RBC is inversely correlated with body weight, and that MCV is directly correlated with body weight. It was speculated that it was an adaptive advantage for kit foxes having a high weight-specific metabolic rate to have evolved a high RBC and low MCV, allowing increased oxygen transport and exchange, while PCV was maintained relatively constant, avoiding hemoconcentration and increased viscosity of blood. 33 refs., 1 fig., 6 tabs.

• Research Organization: EG and G Energy Measurements, Inc., Goleta, CA (USA). Santa Barbara Operations
• DOE Contract Number: AC08-83NV10282
• OSTI ID: 6454369
• Report Number(s): EGG-10282-2082; ON: DE86005098
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020900* -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects
551000 -- Physiological Systems
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANIMALS
BLOOD COUNT
CALIFORNIA
DATA
ENDANGERED SPECIES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION IX
FOXES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
INFORMATION
MAMMALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NAVAL PETROLEUM RESERVE
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESERVES
RESOURCES
USA
VERTEBRATES