Morphology and Blood Value of Cuscus Spilocuscus papuensis Endemic to Waigeo Raja Ampat Island
Morphology and Blood Value of Cuscus Spilocuscus papuensis Endemic to Waigeo Raja Ampat Island
Febriza Dwiranti1, Nur Fadhilah2, Ursula Paulawati Maker2, Priyo Sambodo3*
ABSTRACT
The present study was carried out to determine morphology based on body hair patterns (spots) and physiology based on the blood values of adult males, adult females, and juvenile Spilocuscus papuensis (S. papuensis). In total, nine S. papuensis ex situ in the Manokwari Region of Papua (three adult males, three adult females, and three juveniles) were used in this study. Morphological observations of S. papuensis were based on body hair pattern and blood values, including erythrocyte count, leukocyte count, hemoglobin level, hematocrit number, platelet count, and leukocyte differentiation by laboratory analysis. Descriptive morphological data and quantitative data were analyzed using ANOVA testing. The adult cuscus appeared to have more spots (the male spotted pattern was larger than that of the female) than the juvenile cuscus, where the body pattern had not formed spots (spread). Based on such an obvious spot pattern, the sexes of S. papuensis could be distinguished by males having larger spots than females. The S. papuensis juveniles had few spots, and they were seen only in the fur pattern. However, the spots will grow as the cuscus age. The basic color of the body hair of S. papuensis in juveniles was yellowish white, but after adulthood, it changed to grayish white. Higher PCV and HB values in males and the number of erythrocytes and leukocytes (the highest number of neutrophils), respectively, were higher than the results in the foregoing study. Conclusion: There are different body hair patterns in male and female S. papuensis. Additionally, obvious differences in certain blood values of cuscus are generally assumed to be common phenomena in vertebrates, especially mammals.
Keywords | Blood value, cuscus, endemic, morphology, Papua
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