Effect of Season, Sex, and Age on Hematological Constituents in Healthy Egyptian Aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) in Giza Zoo, Egypt

Abstract

Egyptian aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) is a native antelope in Egypt and is listed as vulnerable according to the IUCN-Red List of threatened species. Little previous research data about the normal hematology of Aoudad are available. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the normal blood constituents in healthy Egyptian Aoudad kept in Giza Zoo under the effect of season, sex, and age. One hundred and forty animals were used in this study and divided according to seasons into 35 animals in each season, according to sex into 60 females, 45 males, and 35 males in rutting season, and according to age into 50 young and 90 adult animals. The results showed a significant increase (P<0.05) of erythrocytes and hemoglobin in winter. Males in the rutting season showed significantly (P<0.05) higher levels of erythrocytes (14.34±0.58x106cells/mm3) than non-rutting males (12.26±0.38x106cells/mm3) and females (11.96±0.36x106cells/mm3). The influence of age was clear in erythrocyte count, which increased significantly (P<0.05) in young Aoudads. To conclude, this study shows the significant effect of seasons, sex, and age on the blood constituents of Aoudad that should be taken into consideration during the interpretation of laboratory results in healthy and diseased cases.