Reference data of haematology and serum biochemistry in adult wild-caught Libyan jird (Meriones libycus) from central Saudi Arabia

The baseline haematological and biochemical data for adult individuals of the Libyan jird (Meriones libycus) collected during March/April 2012 from Janadriya area near Riyadh in central Saudi Arabia were determined during this study. Blood samples were collected from 46 animals (21 males and 25 females) using sterile capillary tubes from the orbital sinus and evaluated for haematological and biochemical parameters using HM5 haematology analyser and VS2 Vetscan biochemistry analyser. Haematological parameters investigated did not reveal any sex-associated clinically significant differences with the exception of the platelet counts and the plateletcrit which was found to be significantly higher in males compared to the females (p < 0.05). There was no significant intersex differences in the biochemical parameters investigated with the exception of the Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) and the BUN/Ctreatinine ratio values being significantly higher in males compared to females (p < 0.05). Haematological and serum biochemical parameters presented in this study are considered representative for healthy adult wild-caught M. libycus. Such data may provide valuable information for veterinarians and scientists using adult Libyan jirds in research on diseases or other experimental studies.