One method burrowing animals are hypothesized to use in adapting to the presumed hypoxic subterranean environment is increasing the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. A number of recent studies have examined hematologic parameters in laboratory-reared naked mole-rats, but not in animals living under natural atmospheric conditions. To our knowledge, blood chemistry parameters have never been systematically assessed in a fossorial mammal. In this study we examined the blood of wild naked mole-rats in Kenya and Ethiopia to determine whether their blood chemistry differs significantly from naked mole-rats born and living in captivity. We also compared our results to published values for hystricomorphs, other subterranean rodents, and surface-dwelling rodents of similar size.

中文翻译：

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裸鼹鼠 Heterocephalus glaber (Ctenohystrica: Heterocephalidae) 对地下环境的血液学适应

据推测，穴居动物用于适应假定的缺氧地下环境的一种方法是增加血液的携氧能力。最近的一些研究检查了实验室饲养的裸鼹鼠的血液学参数，但没有检查生活在自然大气条件下的动物的血液学参数。据我们所知，从未在化石哺乳动物中系统地评估过血液化学参数。在这项研究中，我们检查了肯尼亚和埃塞俄比亚的野生裸鼹鼠的血液，以确定它们的血液化学是否与出生和生活在圈养环境中的裸鼹鼠有显着差异。我们还将我们的结果与 hystricomorphs、其他地下啮齿动物和类似大小的地表啮齿动物的公布值进行了比较。