Hematology and serum biochemistry of Indian spectacled cobra (Naja naja) and Indian rat snake (Ptyas mucosa)

Abstract

Aim:To study the hematology and serum biochemistry parameters of Indian spectacled cobra (Naja naja) and Indian rat snake (Ptyas mucosa) and to evaluate the differences in the same between captive and wild populations.Materials and Methods:Animals were categorized into four groups, viz., wild Indian spectacled cobra (n=10), wild Indian rat snakes (n=10), captive Indian spectacled cobra (n=10), and captive Indian rat snake (n=10). The snakes were restrained with restraint tubes, and 2 ml of blood was collected from either heart or ventral coccygeal vein. Hematological examinations were performed manually and serum biochemistry assays were performed on semi-automated clinical chemistry analyzer.Results:The values of total erythrocyte count, packed cell volume, and hemoglobin were slightly low in captive spectacled cobras and captive rat snakes compared to wild ones, whereas total leukocyte count was found to be slightly high in wild spectacled cobras compared to captive ones. All the recorded values of biochemical and electrolyte analytes were found to be well within expected range for snakes except for total protein and chloride levels in both the species which was slightly above the expected range.Conclusion:The hematology and serum biochemistry intervals of the two most common Indian snakes are presented here. The data will be useful in routine health evaluations and aiding in better medical management of the species studied. Since this study is the first to report complete hematologic and blood biochemical ranges for the study species, observations made here can also be used as referral intervals for future use.

First report of pentastomiasis and the lung histopathological changes in Oriental Rat Snake (Ptyas mucosa) in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia

“…Ptyas mucosa Linnaeus 1758 is a well-known snake species in Indonesia (Pranashinta et al 2017). This type of snake, known as the Oriental Rat Snake and Indian Rat Snake, belongs to the Colubridae family which is widely distributed throughout East, South, and Southeast Asia (Auliya 2010;Muliya and Bhat 2016;Yuan et al 2022). P. mucosa is a diurnal and semi-arboreal snake species that live on forest floors, agricultural fields, wet ground, and near human habitats.…”