Author(s)

Zhivko Marinov Zhelev, Muhammad Arif, Georgi Sashev Popgeorgiev, Mamoona Rauf, Nikolai Hristov Mehterov

Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB), Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Plovdiv “PaisiiHilendarski”, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Department of Medical Biology, Medical University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.

Basic haematological parameters were studied in adult, sexually mature individuals of colour morphs (striata and maculata) in the populations of Pelophylax ridibundus living in biotopes with various degrees of anthropogenic pollution (control, domestic sewage pollution and heavy metal pollution) in Southern Bulgaria. We found that in the polluted biotopes in individuals of both morphs of P. ridibundus the blood parameters: erythrocyte (RBC) and leukocyte (WBS) count, haemoglobin concentration (Hb), haematocrit (PCV) were statistically reliably higher, the number of lymphocytes (Ly) decreased, and the parameters: mean cell haemoglobin (MCH), mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean cell volume (MCV) and differential blood formula changed considerably in comparison with the control group. In terms of anthropogenic pollution, the average values of RBC and Hb were higher in P. ridibundus of striata morph.

Striata and Maculata Morphs, Pelophylax ridibundus, Anthropogenic Pollution, Bio-Indication, Haematological Parameters, Southern Bulgaria

Zhelev, Z. , Arif, M. , Popgeorgiev, G. , Rauf, M. and Mehterov, N. (2014) Haematology of Pelophylax ridibundus (Amphibia: Ranidae) of Striata and Maculata Morphs in Populations Living in Conditions of Anthropogenic Pollution in Southern Bulgaria. Open Journal of Animal Sciences, 4, 206-216. doi: 10.4236/ojas.2014.44026.