Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
Sci Rep. 2021 Aug 5;11(1):15932. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-95544-z.
Platypuses (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) inhabit the permanent rivers and creeks of eastern Australia, from north Queensland to Tasmania, but are experiencing multiple and synergistic anthropogenic threats. Baseline information of health is vital for effective monitoring of populations but is currently sparse for mainland platypuses. Focusing on seven hematology and serum chemistry metrics as indicators of health and nutrition (packed cell volume (PCV), total protein (TP), albumin, globulin, urea, creatinine, and triglycerides), we investigated their variation across the species' range and across seasons. We analyzed 249 unique samples collected from platypuses in three river catchments in New South Wales and Victoria. Health metrics significantly varied across the populations' range, with platypuses from the most northerly catchment, having lower PCV, and concentrations of albumin and triglycerides and higher levels of globulin, potentially reflecting geographic variation or thermal stress. The Snowy River showed significant seasonal patterns which varied between the sexes and coincided with differential reproductive stressors. Male creatinine and triglyceride levels were significantly lower than females, suggesting that reproduction is energetically more taxing on males. Age specific differences were also found, with juvenile PCV and TP levels significantly lower than adults. Additionally, the commonly used body condition index (tail volume index) was only negatively correlated with urea, and triglyceride levels. A meta-analysis of available literature revealed a significant latitudinal relationship with PCV, TP, albumin, and triglycerides but this was confounded by variation in sampling times and restraint methods. We expand understanding of mainland platypuses, providing reference intervals for PCV and six blood chemistry, while highlighting the importance of considering seasonal variation, to guide future assessments of individual and population condition.
鸭嘴兽（Ornithorhynchus anatinus）栖息于澳大利亚东部的永久性河流和小溪中，从北昆士兰州到塔斯马尼亚岛，但它们正面临着多种协同的人为威胁。健康的基线信息对于有效监测种群至关重要，但目前对于大陆鸭嘴兽来说却很少。我们关注了七个血液学和血清化学指标作为健康和营养的指标（红细胞压积（PCV）、总蛋白（TP）、白蛋白、球蛋白、尿素、肌酐和甘油三酯），研究了它们在该物种分布范围内和不同季节的变化情况。我们分析了来自新南威尔士州和维多利亚州三个河流集水区的 249 个独特样本。健康指标在种群分布范围内存在显著差异，最北部集水区的鸭嘴兽 PCV、白蛋白和甘油三酯浓度较低，球蛋白水平较高，这可能反映了地理变异或热应激。雪河显示出显著的季节性模式，这些模式在性别之间有所不同，与不同的生殖应激因素相吻合。雄性肌酐和甘油三酯水平明显低于雌性，这表明雄性在生殖过程中消耗的能量更多。还发现了年龄特异性差异，幼体 PCV 和 TP 水平明显低于成年个体。此外，常用的身体状况指数（尾体积指数）仅与尿素和甘油三酯水平呈负相关。对现有文献的荟萃分析显示，PCV、TP、白蛋白和甘油三酯与纬度之间存在显著的关系，但这受到采样时间和约束方法变化的影响。我们扩展了对大陆鸭嘴兽的了解，提供了 PCV 和六种血液化学的参考区间，同时强调了考虑季节性变化的重要性，以指导未来对个体和种群状况的评估。
