HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF BLUE-FOOTED BOOBIES () DETERMINED BY HEMATOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY, BLOOD GASES, AND PHYSICAL EXAMINATION IN THE GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS.

The Galápagos blue-footed booby () is a sulid species endemic to the Galápagos archipelago. Here we present physical examination, breeding status, hematology, and blood chemistry results from 60 Galápagos blue-footed boobies that were captured by hand from their nesting site on North Seymour Island in June 2017 and July 2022. A portable blood analyzer (iSTAT) was used to obtain values in the field for hematocrit, hemoglobin, sodium, potassium, chloride, ionized calcium, total CO, glucose, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and anion gap for each bird.

Health status and morphometrics of Galápagos magnificent frigatebirds () determined by hematology, biochemistry, blood gas, and physical examination.

The magnificent frigatebird ( MFB) is a widely distributed seabird. It has breeding areas in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean (extending along Central America up to Baja California) (Schreiber & Burger, 2001). The (MFB-Gal) subspecies is native to the Galápagos Islands.

Investigating the etiology of ocular changes in Monodactylus argenteus housed in a shoaling ring exhibit.

Objective: To evaluate the pathologic ocular changes in a population of aquarium-housed Monodactylus argenteus and investigate potential underlying causes for the large number of affected fish in this exhibit.

Animals: 11 Monodactylus argenteus were evaluated from a shoaling ring exhibit within an aquarium, and 19 control fish without ocular abnormalities were obtained from commercial fish suppliers.

Methods: Physical and ocular examinations were performed antemortem.

Health status of the red-billed tropicbird () determined by hematology, biochemistry, blood gases, and physical examination.

The red-billed tropicbird, , is a species of seabird native to the Galápagos archipelago, and widely distributed across the neotropics. General health, blood chemistry, and haematology parameters have not been published for this species. Blood analyses were performed on samples drawn from 51 clinically healthy red-billed tropicbirds captured from their burrows at Islote Pitt on San Cristóbal Island in July, 2016 (21) and Daphne Major Island in June, 2017 (30).

Do we understand the prefrontal cortex?

Many suggestions have been made as to the functions of the prefrontal (PF) cortex. However, they involve labelling areas using psychological terminology. But what we need to know is how the PF cortex operates.