Body fluid and hematological changes in a poikilothermic animal on cold exposure

Abstract

Body fluid and hematological values were compared in the toad (Bufo melanostictus), a poikilothermic animal, kept at 6 C for 48 hr, and in the same animal at 32 C. Exposure to cold caused a reduction in total body water but an increase in plasma volume. There was no significant difference in blood volume and thiocyanate space between the two groups. The red blood cell count in the control animals of this amphibian class was found to be markedly low compared to mammals, and a further reduction occurred on exposure to cold. No notable alteration could be observed in the hemoglobin levels and hematocrit values due to either difference in class of vertebrates or to temperature exposure.