Profiles and morphology of peripheral blood cells in three bat species of Karelia during hibernation

Abstract

Pronounced leukopenia during hibernation was found in the bats (Chiroptera) of Karelia—brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritis), Brandt’s bat (Myotis brandtii) and northern bat (Eptesicus nilssoni). A higher count of lymphocytes, eosinophils and basophils was revealed in the northern bat distinguished by increased cold resistance versus the Brandt’s and brown long-eared bats. The differences in the leukocyte differential counts may be due to biological, ecological and physiological peculiarities of the species studied.