Basic haematological values in antelopes--III. The Reduncinae and the Antelopinae

Basic haematological values were measured in 50 individuals of five species falling under the subfamily Reduncinae, including the mountain reedbuck (Reduncula fulvorufula), the eastern waterback (Kobus ellipsiprymnus ellipsiprymnus), the defassa waterbuck (Kobus ellipsipyrmnus defassa), the lechwe waterbuck (Kobus leche) and the Lady Gray's waterbuck (Kobus megaceros) and in 45 animals of three species of the subfamily Antelopinae, including the springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis), the Grant's gazelle (Gazella Granti) and the dama gazelle (gazella dama). The highest mean erythrocyte counts were found in the male springbok: 11.72 X 10(12)/l, the lowest in the lechwe waterbuck: 8.39 X 10(12)/l, the mean haematocrit values varied from 0.538 in the lechwe waterbuck to 0.443 in the defassa waterbuck and the mean haemoglobin content ranged from 181.2 g/l in the male springok to 151.8 g/l in the defassa waterbuck. Leukocyte counts were mostly shown to be in the human range, in the subfamily Reduncinae at the lower limit; only in the mountain reedbuck decreased values of about 3.5 X 10(9)/l were demonstrated. These results are compared with information from the literature and with the normal human range.