Induction and survival of hemoglobin-less and erythrocyte-less tadpoles and young bullfrogs

Injection of two 25-microgram-per-gram doses of the hemolytic agent phenylhydrazine reduced the hemoglobin level and the erythrocyte count to less than 1 percent of normal tadpole and young blullfrog blood. These anemic animals survive for weeks with little change in overall metabolism. A slow recovery of hemoglobin levels was observed. The implications of this observation for comparative biochemistry are considered.