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Hematologic adaptation to the subterranean environment by the naked mole-rat, Heterocephalus glaber (Ctenohystrica: Heterocephalidae)

2020; Oxford University Press; Volume: 101; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1093/jmammal/gyaa053

1545-1542

Susanne Holtze, Rosie Koch, Thomas B. Hildebrandt, Alemayehu Lemma, Karol Szafranski, Matthias Platzer, Fitsum Alemayehu, Frank Goeritz, Stan Braude,

Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies

Abstract One method burrowing animals are hypothesized to use in adapting to the presumed hypoxic subterranean environment is increasing the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. A number of recent studies have examined hematologic parameters in laboratory-reared naked mole-rats, but not in animals living under natural atmospheric conditions. To our knowledge, blood chemistry parameters have never been systematically assessed in a fossorial mammal. In this study we examined the blood of wild naked mole-rats in Kenya and Ethiopia to determine whether their blood chemistry differs significantly from naked mole-rats born and living in captivity. We also compared our results to published values for hystricomorphs, other subterranean rodents, and surface-dwelling rodents of similar size.