Open AccessHematology and Serum Chemistry of the Island Fox on Santa Cruz Island
Author(s) -
Kevin R. Crooks,
Cheryl A. Scott,
Lizabeth Bowen,
Dirk Van Vuren
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of wildlife diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.613
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1943-3700
pISSN - 0090-3558
DOI - 10.7589/0090-3558-36.2.397
Subject(s) - carnivore , biology , dry season , wet season , blood chemistry , zoology , hematology , winter season , veterinary medicine , ecology , endocrinology , immunology , medicine , climatology , geology , predation
Serum and hematologic biochemistry values for island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) on Santa Cruz Island (California, USA) in April (wet season) and September (dry season) 1998 were evaluated. Serum chemistry of island foxes generally varied seasonally; 10 (40%) of the 25 serum characteristics were higher in the wet season, and three (12%) of the 25 serum characteristics were higher in the dry season. No hematologic parameters varied between seasons, although some measures varied between sexes. Blood analytes also varied with age; fox pups had higher values than adults for one hematologic and four serum parameters, whereas adult foxes had higher values for five hematologic characteristics. The information on blood chemistry provides baseline data useful in the monitoring of this threatened insular endemic carnivore.
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