Erythrocytes and erythrocyte morphologies of healthy and colony-born owl monkeys (Aotus lemurinus griseimembra).

Inadequate availability of hematological reference data seriously restricts optimal utilization of the owl monkey (Aotus lemurinus griseimembra) as an experimental model. The current study investigated erythrocytic morphology in peripheral blood of healthy, colony-born owl monkeys. The blood of the subjects contained discoid erythrocytes, poikilocytes, and showed considerable anisocytosis. Also observed were nucleated erythrocytes, erythrocytes with Howell-Jolly bodies, and reticulocyte types I, II, and III. Heinz bodies were not detected.