New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts

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Effects of sampling date, gender, and tick burden on peripheral blood cells of captive and wild tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)

D. Kim Burnham

Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater
OK 74078, USA
burnham@okstate.edu

Susan N. Keall
Nicola J. Nelson
Charles H. Daugherty

School of Biological Sciences
Victoria University of Wellington
Wellington 6012, New Zealand

Abstract  The aims of this study were: (1) to examine changes in immune parameters in tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) sampled three times between winter and spring and (2) to examine the possible effects of gender and tick burden on peripheral blood cells. The three blood samples were taken from each of two male and two female captive tuatara at 4- to 6-week intervals from July through October 2003. A single blood sample was also obtained from each of 39 wild tuatara captured on Stephens Island in October of the same year. For each blood sample of captive and wild tuatara, total leukocyte and erythrocyte counts were made with the aid of a haemacytometer and differential leukocyte counts were made from Giemsa stained blood smears. Among captive tuatara, counts of total leukocytes (WBC), heterophils, and lymphocytes varied between samples but with an insignificant increase from winter into spring. Wild tuatara had lower numbers of erythrocytes (RBC) compared with captive tuatara, accompanied by a larger number of erythrocyte precursors, more so in wild females than males. In wild tuatara

Keywords  Sphenodon punctatus; reptile; leukocytes; erythrocytes; tick; gender; lymphocyte

Z05036; Online publication date 19 September 2006; Received 19 December 2005; accepted 30 July 2006
New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 2006, Vol. 33: 241–248
0301–4223/06/3304–0241 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2006

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