Morphological characterization of the blood cells in the endangered Sicilian endemic pond turtle, Emys trinacris (Testudines: Emydidae).

In this study, measurements of morphological parameters, sizes and frequencies of peripheral blood cells (erythrocytes, leukocytes, thrombocytes) on blood smear preparation devices stained with May-Grünwald stain were evaluated for both sexes in 20Emys trinacris(Testudines: Emydidae) specimens. Erythrocytes were higher in male than in female specimens. The leukocyte ofE. trinacriscontains eosinophil, basophil, monocyte, heterophil and lymphocyte. The eosinophil was higher in males than in females whereas lymphocytes were higher in females than in males. The erythrocyte morphological parameters (EL [erythrocyte length], EW [erythrocyte width], L/W [length/width], ES [erythrocyte size]) were compared with the same data fromEmys orbiculariss.l, and from species belonging to other chelonian genera. The erythrocyte size did not vary within the studied PalearcticEmystaxa, whereas it proved to differ from that observed in other chelonians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]