Abstract
1. 1. Viscosities of whole blood and plasma from Crocodylus porosus were low in comparison with other diving animals when measured over a range of shear rates at 30°C (e.g. 2.89 ± 0.07 mPa.sec and 1.67 ± 0.06 mPa.sec respectively, at a shear rate of 450 sec −1). 2. 2. Hematocrit (19.2 ± 0.5%) and mean cell hemoglobin concentration (262 ± 23g/l) are high in crocodiles compared with non-diving reptiles. 3. 3. Nucleation of the red blood cell does not seem to have affected viscosity. 4. 4. The potential for oxygen transport was estimated from pooled blood reconstituted to a range of hematocrits and used to predict an optimal hematocrit of 38%, which greatly exceeded measured values. 5. 5. Low blood viscosity is associated with low flow resistance and may assist circulation during the low blood pressure events occurring during diving.
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