Investigation of blood cells of Miniopterus schreibersii (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in Turkey

Abstract

This research was based on some characteristics of the erythrocyte and leukocyte cells of 9 Miniopterus schreibersii (♀♀)samples collected from Balıkesir Province in Turkey between July 2015 and September 2016. Bats were caught from an artificial caveusing special nets. Blood was taken in heparinized hematocrit tubes from the forearm or tail membrane in the laboratory and the bloodsmears were prepared. The erythrocyte and leukocyte counts, hemoglobin concentration, and hematocrit values in the blood weredetermined. In M. schreibersii, the number of erythrocytes in 1 mm3 of blood was between 7.5 and 10 million, and the mean value was8.8 million. The diameter values of the erythrocyte, monocyte, lymphocyte, eosinophil, neutrophil, and basophil cells were measured as5.65, 9.66, 8.4, 8.66, 10, and 8.5 µm, respectively. Blood values of M. schreibersii were recorded for the first time in this study in Anatolia.