Sexual differences in the morphometric profile of red blood cells in Erenis collaris (Menetries, 1832), living on the Sarykum site of the reserve “Dagestan” 

Aminat I. Rabadanova, Candidate of biological sciences, associate professor, associate professor of the sub-department of zoology and physiology, Dagestan State University (43a Magometa Hajiyeva street, Makhachkala, Russia), E-mail: phisiodgu@mail.ru
Zulfiya S. Ismailova, Candidate of biological sciences, associate professor of the sub-department of zoology and physiology, Dagestan State University (43a Magometa Hajiyeva street, Makhachkala, Russia), E-mail: ismailovazs@mail.ru
Asiyat M. Abdulkhalimova, Master’s degree student, Dagestan State University (43a Magometa Hajiyeva street, Makhachkala, Russia), E-mail: zolinan@list.ru 

Background. To understand the mechanisms of animal adaptation to living conditions, it is important to have an initial understanding of the quantitative and morphometric composition of blood components, primarily erythrocytes. This issue has not been sufficiently studied for all representatives of reptiles, and for some, in particular, Eirenis collaris, it has not been studied at all. The purpose of the work was to study sex differences in the cytomorphological characteristics of erythrocytes of E. collaris. The object of the study was sexually mature individuals of E. collaris living in the Sarykum section of the Dagestansky Nature Reserve. The morphometric profile was determined by measuring the length and width of red blood cells using a Toup Cam 14.0 MP video lens, which was built into an MSP-1 LOMO stereoscopic microscope. The resulting images were processed using Top View 3.7 software. Based on the obtained values, the area, volume and sphericity of the cells were calculated. The morphometric profile of E. collaris erythrocytes is characterized by sexual differences. Erythrocytes of E. collaris females have large values of area and volume, but their content in the blood is higher in males. The erythrocytes of E. collaris males have a more ellipsoid shape, compared to the erythrocytes of females. This is evidenced by the large values of the length/width ratio and the smaller values of the sphericity index. The sizes of E. collaris erythrocyte nuclei do not have significantly significant sexual differences. The data obtained by us indicate the presence of sex differences in the cytomorphological profile of E. collaris erythrocytes. 

erythrocytes, eireniscollaris, reptile blood, snakes 

Rabadanova A.I., Ismailova Z.S., Abdulkhalimova A.M. Sexual differences in the morphometric profile of red blood cells in Erenis collaris (Menetries, 1832), living on the Sarykum site of the reserve “Dagestan”. Izvestiya vysshikh uchebnykh zavedeniy. Povolzhskiy region. Estestvennye nauki = University proceedings. Volga region. Natural sciences. 2023;(4):40–53. (In Russ.). doi:10.21685/2307-9150-2023-4-3