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6 January 2020 Seasonal Cycles in Hematology and Body Mass in Free-Ranging Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) from Northeastern Minnesota, USA
L. David Mech, Deborah A. Buhl
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Abstract

Studies of captive gray wolves (Canis lupus) showed seasonal cycles in hematologic values and female body mass. We used a remotely controlled recapture collar to determine whether nine female and five male free-ranging wolves handled four to 17 times in NE Minnesota, US showed similar cycles. Hematocrit, hemoglobin, red blood cell count, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and body mass increased from summer toward a winter peak and then decreased again toward summer. Several hematologic values differed considerably from those of captive wolves, and the ranges in free-ranging wolves were much greater than those of captives.

© Wildlife Disease Association 2020
L. David Mech and Deborah A. Buhl "Seasonal Cycles in Hematology and Body Mass in Free-Ranging Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) from Northeastern Minnesota, USA," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 56(1), 179-185, (6 January 2020). https://doi.org/10.7589/2018-06-156
Received: 20 June 2018; Accepted: 6 July 2019; Published: 6 January 2020
KEYWORDS
body mass
Canis lupus
hematology
recapture collar
seasonal cycles
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