Investigation on the blood cells of Triturus vulgaris (Urodela:Salamandridae) populations around Çanakkale

Triturus vulgaris have been known in Turkey for a long time. There are three different sub-species of Triturus vulgaris distributed in several region of Turkey. The majority of the references on the haematology of different amphibians are on blood cell count and on cell sizes. In Turkey, haematological studies have generally been conducted on humans and some economically important animals. There is only one haematological study of the Triturus vulgaris living in Turkey. But mis study gave blood cell morphology and sizes in some Triturus genus. The purpose of this study was determination of morphometric of different blood cells of Triturus vulgaris. The ten adult specimens (5$<$, 5 ŞŞ) collected from Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Terzioğlu Campus, were brought to the laboratory. The necessary blood samples were taken from ventriculus via heparinized hematocrit tube. The blood cell count were done utilizing a Neubauer Hemocytometer. Blood smears stained with Wright's stain were used in measurements of the blood cells erythrocytes, leucocytes and thrombocytes. There was no significant difference in the blood cells count between the genders. Within a 1 mm3 of blood; the minima and maxima counts of erythrocytes and leucocytes were 120000-208000 (avarege 164300), and 1360-2300 (avarege 1900), respectively. Blood cells are morphological similar among various species of Triturus. Means of the lengths, widths and sizes of the erythrocytes were 30,76 um, 17,76 um and 428,88 um2; while the mean lengths, widths and sizes of the nuclei were 14,10 um, 8,81 um and 98,78 um2, respectively. The mean diameters of the smaller lymphocytes, larger lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils were measured as 19,00 um, 25,75 um, 24,25 um, 25,75 um, 24,87 um and 18,50 um, respectively; while the mean lengths and widths of the thrombocytes were found to be 19,50 um and 11,38 um. Summarily, it can be said that in Triturus vulgaris no sexual dimorphism is present from the view points of the counts and the sizes of the blood cells, they have longer erythrocytes than those of the other Turkish anurans but have lower erythrocytes count. 24