Hematologic and serum biochemical reference intervals for the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) categorized by age and sex

Normal reference range intervals for hematologic and serum biochemical valu es in the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) have seldom been reported. The few s tudies that have been conducted either report values on the basis of a smal l number of animals, report values for all age groups or both sexes combine d, or were designed specifically to document the effect of a particular con dition on the normal range of hematologic and serum biochemical values. On the basis of data collected from 133 chimpanzees over a 17-year period, emp irically based clinical reference ranges were derived to provide a guide fo r basic diagnostic and clinical care of chimpanzees. For either sex within each of four age groups, there is a table that summarizes serum biochemical and a table that summarizes hematologic values. These values are compared with prior values, and their importance in the care and well being of capti ve chimpanzee populations is discussed.