Hematology of three age groups of captive Chinese alligator during deep and late hibernation

Abstract

As the numbers and density of the farmed Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) increase, diseases are more common. Death often occurs during the recovery period from hibernation and this phenomenon is particularly prominent in juveniles. A practical way is therefore needed to monitor the health of the alligator. Research on hematology can provide an early warning and a rapid diagnosis of a disease and will help decrease mortality during recovery from hibernation. The aim of this study was to determine the hematologic values of the Chinese alligator at different stages of hibernation. We collected 30 blood samples from each of three age groups (adults, sub-adults, juveniles) during deep and late hibernation. We obtained counts of red blood cells, thrombocytes, and total and different white blood cells using manual methods. The thrombocyte numbers in the three groups decreased significantly during late compared with deep hibernation. The white blood cell counts for the sub-adults and juveniles increased significantly during late hibernation, whereas this did not occur in the adults. The immunity of the sub-adults and juveniles clearly increased during late hibernation. The results suggest that, for breeding programs, environmental stress may be the cause of the higher mortality in the juveniles during recovery from hibernation.