HEMATOLOGIC METRICS FROM OLROG'S GULL (LARUS ATLANTICUS) DURING THE NON-BREEDING SEASON IN ARGENTINA

GARCÍA GERMAN OSCAR; CASTANO MELINA; PAZ JESICA; PATERLINI CARLA; ZUMPANO FRANCISCO; FAVERO MARCOS

JOURNAL OF ZOO AND WILDLIFE MEDICINE

AMER ASSOC ZOO VETERINARIANS

Lugar: Lawrence; Año: 2021

1042-7260

Ecophysiology and conservation studies often require prior the establishment ofbaseline physiological metrics. For instance, expected reference intervals for health metricsare valuable tools for veterinarians and conservationists who monitor the health status ofendangered populations and species. This study first establishes reference intervals forhematological metrics in free-ranging Olrog?s gull (Larus atlanticus) during the non-breedingseason. Fifty-six gulls (immature and adults) were captured and studied in Mar del Plata and neighboring coastal areas (Buenos Aires, Argentina) during winters 2018 (n = 22) and 2019(n = 34). We analyzed hematocrit, red blood cells (RBC, erythrocytes), hemoglobin, meancell volume (MCV), mean cell hemoglobin (MCH), mean cell hemoglobin concentration(MCHC), white blood cells (WBC, leukocytes), heterophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils,monocytes and basophils. Additionally, we analyzed the variability of hematological metrics according to body weight, sex, age, and calendar year. Hematologic metrics were in line withthose reported in other seabird species. Males had greater body weight and MCH thanfemales. The heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (HL ratio), and lymphocyte levels were higher inadults than in immatures. Hematocrit, WBC, heterophils, and basophils also variedsignificantly between calendar years. The results highlight the importance of appropriatemetrics and reference intervals for monitoring health status of this threatened species, and werecommend implementing such comparative assessments among populations.