Hematologic and plasma biochemical reference intervals for health monitoring of wild Australian tree frogs

Abstract

Background: Few hematologic and biochemical reference intervals for wild amphibians have been established. Reference values would aid in early detection of emerging infectious diseases, which are a significant problem for amphibian conservation efforts. Objective: We aimed to establish reference intervals for a wide range of hematologic and plasma biochemistry variables for 2 species of Australian tree frogs, describe morphologic features of leukocytes, and analyze the effects of season, year, and parasite status on blood values. Methods: Blood specimens were collected from reference populations of wild adult Australian tree frogs, Litoria caerulea and L infrafrenata, for analysis of hematol..