Gl. Robel et al., ENVIRONMENTAL, AGE, AND SEX EFFECTS ON COTTON RAT (SIGMODON HISPIDUS)HEMATOLOGY, Journal of wildlife diseases, 32(2), 1996, pp. 390-394
We determined the effects of sex, age, and environment (inbred, captiv
e-wild, and wild animals) on selected blood parameters of the cotton r
at (Sigmodon hispidus) in central Oklahoma (USA) from 1990 to 1994. Ma
le and female cotton rats had similar blood profiles. Age-related diff
erences were confined to differential white blood cell counts where ad
ults possessed greater numbers of neutrophils and lower numbers of lym
phocytes compared to juveniles. Environment had a strong influence on
many hematological parameters. Hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, R
BC count, and eosinophil number were generally greater for wild stocks
compared to inbred animals, and differences were more pronounced for
adults than juveniles.