Turtle Blood Cell Morphology

Blood cells from Pseudemys elegans, P. troostii, Emys blandingii, and Chrysemys bellii bellii were studied. Smears were stained with Wright\u27s stain and washed with citrate buffer and double distilled water. The RBC were typical. White cells, in order of frequency of occurrence, were large acidophil granulocytcs or eosinophils, 26-41%; small acidophils, 22-26%; neutrophil granulocytes, 19-32%; lymphocytcs, 11-22%; and monocytes, 0.3%. Thrombocytes were not measured or counted. Data on cell sizes are given for P. elegans