A Consideration of the Prothrombin Times of Several Amphibians, with Notes on Effects of Parasitization and Disease

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Abstract
The micro-prothrombin test of Kato (1940), designed for use with mammalian blood, was modified and used to ascertain the prothrombin times of several spp. of Amphibia: Gerinophilus porphyriticus-27.6 sec., Necturus meculosus-55.8 sec., Triturus viridescens-318 sec., Rana catesbeiana-86.3 sec., R. clamitans-81.0 sec, R. pipiens-81.3 sec., Bufo americanus-44.7 sec., and Scaphiopus holbrookii-46.8 sec. Only 2 specimens of the last-named sp. were tested but the test was applied to 6 or more specimens of each of the other forms. Wide individual variation in prothrombin time was encountered in T. viridescens but relatively constant values were obtained in each of the other spp. tested. It is suggested that variations in prothrombin times tend to follow phylogenetic lines. It was observed that prothrombin times of frogs infected with "red leg," a disease common among laboratory frogs, and frogs infested with lung flukes had elevated prothrombin times.
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