Glossary & References / Haematology Normal Values - List / Definitions:
Ý ß Haem11- Normal Haematology Values for Ursus maritimus - Polar bear

Reference Values

(Please note that the references are given in the units in the original publication, that "SD" represents "Standard Deviation" and "SE" represents Standard Error. Reference ranges are only as good as the data entered, and as consistent as the laboratory standards allow.  Users should use their professional judgement in viewing these values

THIS BOX MAY SCROLL HORIZONTALLY WITH MORE REFERENCES)

Parameter

Units

Ref 1.
Mean +/- SE
Ref 1.
Range
Ref 2a. 
Mean (Range)
Ref 2b.  
Range
Ref 3.
Range
Ref 4.
Mean +/- SD
Ref 4.
Median (Range)
Ref 5.
Range
Ref 6.
Mean +/- 2 Sm
Ref 6.
Range
Ref 7.
Range
Ref 8.
Range

Units

Parameter
Haemoglobin g/litre                 10.2 +/- 0.6 mmol/L 8.4 - 12.7 mmol/L     g/litre Haemoglobin
g/dl 15.7 +/- 1.8 11.5 - 20.8 17.7 (17.0 - 18.9) 15.8 - 19.3 12.9 - 17.5 15.1 +/- 0.8 14.1 (12 - 15) 16 - 18 (mg%) 16.4 +/- 1.0 g%   8.1 - 21.35 g%   g/dl
RBC
(Erythrocyte)
count
x1012/l                 7.59 +/- 0.79 5.23 - 10.33     x1012/l RBC
(Erythrocyte)
count
x106/mm3         5.40 - 8.24 6.17 +/- 1.04 6.35 (4.46 - 8.56) 6         x106/mm3
x106/μl 6.92 +/- 0.91 3.90 - 9.97 6.22 (5.43 - 6.67) 6.28 - 7.69             12.51 - 7.18   x106/μl
PCV (Haematocrit) l/l                 0.576 +/- 0.38 0.47 - 0.68 0.2 - 0.54 SI   l/l PCV (Haematocrit)
% 44.4 +/- 4.9 32.0 - 59.7 53 (49 - 56) 48 - 56 36 - 53 44.5 +/- 3.2 43.8 (37 - 50) 50 - 55         %
MCV fl (or μm3) 65.5 +/- 6.3 47.7 - 120.5 86 (83 - 90) 71 - 74 62 - 73 72.1 +/- 11.0 70.0 (50 - 99)           fl (or μm3) MCV
MCH pg/cell 22.9 +/- 1.5 14.4 +/- 27.3 28 (27 - 30) 24 - 25 21 - 26 23.4 +/- 3.5 23.3 (17 - 31)           pg/cell MCH
mg/dl                         mg/dl
MCHC g/dl 34.9 +/- 1.6 28.0 - 41.9 33 (32 - 33) 35 - 36 33 - 37 31.5 +/- 2.2 31.6 (24 - 34.8)           g/dl MCHC
Tot. WBC
(Leukocytes)
x106/l                 7.7 +/- 0/7 5.6 - 12.4     x106/l Tot. WBC
(Leukocytes)
x103/μl (x103/mm3) 9.58 +/- 3.11 4.18 - 25.10 10.3 (6.3 - 14.8) 7.9 - 10.5 3.3 - 10.8 5.8 +/- 2.5 5.1 (2.8 - 11.6) 10-14     3.8 - 16.35   x103/μl (x103/mm3)
Neutrophils x109/l                         x109/l Neutrophils
%               75 64.4 +/- 2
(bands 1.1 +/- 0.5)
56 - 74
(bands 0 - 4)
33 - 88 
(bands 0 - 5)
  %
x103/μl 6.319 +/- 2.935 
(bands 0.213 +/- 0.409)
0.061 - 20.60 
(bands 0.0 - 2.44)
    1.955 - 6.405 
(bands 0.175 - 0.575)
              x103/μl
Lymphocytes x109/l                         x109/l Lymphocytes
%               12 24.1 +/- 1.9 18 - 34 1 - 61   %
x103/μl 1.564 +/- 0.795 0.01-4.58     0.64 - 2.095               x103/μl
Monocytes x109/l                         x109/l Monocytes
%               7 1.1 +/- 0.5 0 - 3 0 - 9   %
x103/μl 0.486 +/- 0.357 0.0 - 2.259     0.370 - 1.210               x103/μl
Eosinophils x109/l                         x109/l Eosinophils
%               6 9.1 +/- 1.6 3 - 14 0 - 13   %
x103/μl 0.777 +/- 0.691 0.0 - 4.238     0.130 - 0.420               x103/μl
Basophils x109/l                         x109/l Basophils
%               0 0.35 0 - 1 0   %
x103/μl 0.019 +/- 0.049 0.0 - 0.218     0.025 - 0.085               x103/μl
Platelets x109/l                         x109/l Platelets
x103/μl (x103/mm3) 426 +/- 124 174 - 859     107 - 513               x103/μl (x103/mm3)
Plasma protein g/dl         4.9 - 9.4 (serum)               g/dl Plasma protein
Plasma fibrinogen mg/dl                         mg/dl Plasma fibrinogen
Erythrocyte 
sedimentation 
rate (ESR)
%                         % Erythrocyte 
sedimentation rate 
(ESR)

Return to top of page

Reference 1.

Wildpro Data Source B336.51.w51
Ref Title Ursidae and Hyenidae. In: Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine Fifth Edition
Ref Author(s) Ramsay, E.C.
Animal Details --
Laboratory Techniques --
Comments Data from ISIS, October 1999

Return to top of page

Reference 2.

Wildpro Data Source J460.22.w1
Ref Title Hematology of the Ursidae
Ref Author(s) Seal, U.S., Swaim, W.R., Erickson, A.W.
Animal Details Bears in North American zoos.

a) Four adult females and one adult male, sampled in April.

b) Two adult females, sampled in November, and one sampled again in December. The highest values for RBC count, PCV and haemoglobin were obtained from a pregnant female eight days before she gave birth; values one day after delivery were closer to the values obtained from the other female.

Laboratory Techniques  
Comments  

Return to top of page

Reference 3.

Wildpro Data Source B379.19.w19
Ref Title Clinical Pathology. In: CRC Handbook of Marine Mammal Medicine Second Edition
Ref Author(s) Bossart, G.D., Reidarson, T.H., Dierauf, L.A. & Duffield, D.A.
Animal Details Wild polar bears, varying number of samples 18 to 151.
Laboratory Techniques --
Comments --

Return to top of page

Reference 4.

Wildpro Data Source J40.41.w1
Ref Title Some blood values of wild polar bears
Ref Author(s) Lee, J., Ronald, K. & Oritsland, N.A.
Animal Details Wild polar bears sampled October to November, immobilized at Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, by capture in a culvert trap or foot snare followed by injection of phencyclidine using remote injection or a pole syringe. Between 26 and 31 bears per value.
Laboratory Techniques Plasma and serum were stored frozen at - 20 °C, blood in EDTA tubes for hematology was stored at 4 °C. Time between sampling and analysis was four to eight days (mean five days).
Comments Snared bears had significantly higher leucocyte counts than culvert-trapped bears. 

Return to top of page

Reference 5.

Wildpro Data Source P1.1970.w2
Ref Title Report of Physiological Normals Committee
Ref Author(s) Solfer, F.
Animal Details Two bears.
Laboratory Techniques --
Comments --

Return to top of page

Reference 6.

Wildpro Data Source P5.30.w2
Ref Title Blood count and biochemistry of blood serum of polar bear (Thalarctos maritimus) and Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus)
Ref Author(s) Stuhrberg, E.
Animal Details Eight samples per value, bears at Tierpark Berlin.
Laboratory Techniques --
Comments --

Return to top of page

Reference 7.

Wildpro Data Source P5.30.w3
Ref Title Weitere Hamatologische und Biochemische Befunde von Gesunden und Kranken Ursiden (Thalarctos maritimus, Ursus arctos und Helarctos malayanus) [Additional heamatological and biochemical findings recorded from clinically intact and pathologically affected ursine animals (Thalarctos maritimus, Ursus arctos and Helarctos malayanus)]
Ref Author(s) Kuntze, A. & Hundsdorf, P.
Animal Details 42 samples per value.
Laboratory Techniques --
Comments --

Return to top of page

Reference 8.

Wildpro Data Source P5.27.w1
Ref Title Hamatologische und Biochemische Parameter von Gesunden und Kranken Eisbaren (Thalarctos maritimus) und Baunbaren (Ursus arctos) [Haematological and biochemical parameters of clinically intact and pathologically affected polar bears (Thalarctos maritimus) and brown bears (Ursus arctos)]
Ref Author(s) Kuntze, A. & Hundsdorf, P.
Animal Details Fifteen samples.
Laboratory Techniques --
Comments --

Return to top of page

Other Major Databases with Reference Values

Some database systems generate normal values on an on-going basis, and some organisations publish information within animal management guidelines. As the normal values do vary as more information is added, the links to these databases are provided, rather than incorporating the actual data.

Some of these databases do charge for access, or may have restricted access and enquiries should be made directly to the database providers.

Return to top of page