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Regnery J, Rohner S, Bachtin J, Möhlenkamp C, Zinke O, Jacob S, Wohlsein P, Siebert U, Reifferscheid G, Friesen A. First evidence of widespread anticoagulant rodenticide exposure of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in Germany. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167938. [PMID: 37866608 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Exposure of wildlife to anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) has been extensively documented for species directly or indirectly linked to pest rodents via the terrestrial food web. Recently, the scientific focus extended to a former blind spot, namely AR emissions to the aquatic environment, and provided clear evidence of AR residues in freshwater fish. As second-generation ARs are likely to be transferred along the aquatic food chain, a total of 122 Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) individuals found dead in Germany between 2005 and 2021 were investigated to shed more light on resultant environmental risks. Target analytes comprised one pharmaceutical and eight biocidal anticoagulants, as well as one suspected bait impurity. Notably, all target compounds were detected in the analyzed livers of otters, a primarily piscivorous top predator and indicator species for the aquatic environment, strictly protected by conservation laws. In regions with pronounced rodent control measures, otters were frequently exposed to biocidal ARs. The elevated AR levels measured in multiple otters, compared to freshwater fish, hinted at biomagnification of second-generation ARs within the aquatic food web. The results indicated that risk mitigation measures implemented in Germany within the biocidal product authorization may not be sufficient to protect aquatic non-target wildlife from AR exposure, challenging the effectiveness of current regulatory measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Regnery
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Department of Biochemistry and Ecotoxicology, 56068 Koblenz, Germany.
| | - Simon Rohner
- University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, 25761 Büsum, Germany
| | - Julia Bachtin
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Department of Biochemistry and Ecotoxicology, 56068 Koblenz, Germany
| | - Christel Möhlenkamp
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Department of Biochemistry and Ecotoxicology, 56068 Koblenz, Germany
| | - Olaf Zinke
- Museum of the Westlausitz Kamenz, Department of Zoology, 01917 Kamenz, Germany
| | - Stefanie Jacob
- German Environment Agency, Section IV 1.2 Biocides, 06844 Dessau-Rosslau, Germany
| | - Peter Wohlsein
- University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Department of Pathology, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | - Ursula Siebert
- University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, 25761 Büsum, Germany
| | - Georg Reifferscheid
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Department of Biochemistry and Ecotoxicology, 56068 Koblenz, Germany
| | - Anton Friesen
- German Environment Agency, Section IV 1.2 Biocides, 06844 Dessau-Rosslau, Germany
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Fusillo R, Romanucci M, Marcelli M, Massimini M, Della Salda L. Health and Mortality Monitoring in Threatened Mammals: A First Post Mortem Study of Otters ( Lutra lutra L.) in Italy. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12050609. [PMID: 35268178 PMCID: PMC8909196 DOI: 10.3390/ani12050609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Dead specimens provide valuable data for the conservation of threatened species, allowing investigations of mortality, health conditions, and demographic parameters. The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is a semiaquatic carnivore listed as endangered in Italy. In 2009, we started the first post mortem (PM) study of otters in Italy, through collaborative research between mammal ecologists and veterinary pathologists, using standardized protocols. Twenty-eight otters, mostly collected between 2009 and 2017, were examined. Most otters were males (67%), between 1 and 3 years old (64%), and predominantly in good nutritional condition. Adult males were significantly larger than adult females (p < 0.02), as expected for the species, although both sexes appeared to be smaller than otters examined in Central−northern Europe. The youngest sexually mature female was 3 years old. Road traffic collisions were the major cause of death, especially in young individuals, and mainly occurred in autumn−winter, particularly for females. Investigations of the scene of death contributed to revealing factors forcing otters to travel out of the water and move over the road, suggesting appropriate measures to reduce vehicle collision risk. Other causes of death included blunt chest trauma of uncertain origin, dog and conspecific attacks, or diseases of infectious or non-infectious origin, such as ulcerative gastritis, pleuropneumonia and peritonitis. Other diagnosed diseases included lymphoma. Ecto- and endoparasites were rarely detected, although we report the first documentation of heartworm and Ixodes hexagonus infestation in Italian otters. It is important to continue comprehensive, standardized PM investigations of otters in Italy to define baseline health, biometric and demographic parameters, collect biological samples for comparative analyses, and to reduce road-kill mortality. The present study suggests that the timely collection of carcasses and collaborative and coordinated research efforts are essential for obtaining useful data for the conservation of otters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romina Fusillo
- LUTRIA sas Wildlife Research and Consulting, 00173 Roma, Italy;
- Correspondence: (R.F.); (L.D.S.)
| | - Mariarita Romanucci
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (M.R.); (M.M.)
| | - Manlio Marcelli
- LUTRIA sas Wildlife Research and Consulting, 00173 Roma, Italy;
| | - Marcella Massimini
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (M.R.); (M.M.)
| | - Leonardo Della Salda
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (M.R.); (M.M.)
- Correspondence: (R.F.); (L.D.S.)
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Rohner S, Wohlsein P, Prenger-Berninghoff E, Ewers C, Waindok P, Strube C, Baechlein C, Becher P, Wilmes D, Rickerts V, Siebert U. Pathological Findings in Eurasian Otters ( Lutra lutra) Found Dead between 2015-2020 in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Animals (Basel) 2021; 12:59. [PMID: 35011165 PMCID: PMC8749874 DOI: 10.3390/ani12010059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In times of massive biodiversity loss and ongoing environmental crises, it is extremely important to ensure long-term conservation efforts of threatened species like Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra). To gain insights into the status of Northern Germany's otter population, 92 otters found dead in Schleswig-Holstein between 2015-2020 were collected and underwent detailed dissection with the aim to establish a monitoring program for this population. Examinations followed a protocol especially designed for otters, including various biological data assessments and extended sampling. The finding sites showed a clear concentration in the Continental region. Seasonal concentration differed among the years, yet peaks were seen from fall to winter. Overall, more males than females were found, although this differed among the years. The majority of otters that could be aged were between 1-3 years. Placental scars and pregnancy were recorded in only few females. Nutritional status was good in most cases. Infectious diseases found included Vagococcus lutrae, Toxoplasma gondii, and Emmonsia spp. A major cause of death was roadkill. Known sample bias in studies focusing on roadkill was considered in the finding interpretation. Continuation of the population health investigations is mandatory to analyze potential trends and to establish an actual monitoring program for Eurasian otters in Schleswig-Holstein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Rohner
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany;
| | - Peter Wohlsein
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany;
| | - Ellen Prenger-Berninghoff
- Institute of Hygiene and Infectious Diseases of Animals, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35390 Giessen, Germany; (E.P.-B.); (C.E.)
| | - Christa Ewers
- Institute of Hygiene and Infectious Diseases of Animals, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35390 Giessen, Germany; (E.P.-B.); (C.E.)
| | - Patrick Waindok
- Centre for Infection Medicine, Institute for Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (P.W.); (C.S.)
| | - Christina Strube
- Centre for Infection Medicine, Institute for Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (P.W.); (C.S.)
| | - Christine Baechlein
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (C.B.); (P.B.)
- Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (LAVES), Food and Veterinary Institute Braunschweig/Hannover, 30173 Hannover, Germany
| | - Paul Becher
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (C.B.); (P.B.)
| | - Dunja Wilmes
- Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (D.W.); (V.R.)
| | - Volker Rickerts
- Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (D.W.); (V.R.)
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany;
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Fabrizio M, Di Febbraro M, Loy A. Where will it cross next? Optimal management of road collision risk for otters in Italy. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 251:109609. [PMID: 31557673 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Collisions with vehicles represent the main conflict between infrastructures and wildlife, causing damages to both humans and animals. As to the latter, road mortality is a growing phenomenon and the largest single cause of death for many vertebrates. When focusing on endangered species, the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is among the most vulnerable to road-kills, which represent the predominant cause of deaths recorded in Europe. We propose a large scale spatially-explicit assessment of road-kill risk for the Eurasian otter in Italy as a tool to identify road stretches at high collision risk, thus optimizing the location of mitigation measures. The modelling approach was produced for South Central Italy, hosting the only remnant viable population of otters in Italy. We used a maximum entropy approach including 56 road collision events recorded between 2004 and 2016 through a citizen science initiative, along with seven environmental predictors measured on 1 km grid cells. Four predictors were selected to describe roads characteristics, i.e. density of highways, and of state, regional and local roads. The remaining three variables referred to the quality of otter habitat in the surrounding of the collision sites, i.e. elevation, density of freshwater bodies, and a measure of landscape heterogeneity calculated on land-cover categories. The model achieved a good predictive accuracy (AUC > 0.8; Boyce index > 0.8). The collision probability was mostly affected by elevation, density of state roads, and density of freshwater bodies. Specifically, collision risk was higher in areas at low elevation and medium density of state roads located near rivers and wetlands. In addition, model predictions evidenced that implementing mitigation measures along 10% of road network in the study area could have potentially hampered ca. 50% of otter casualties recorded during the study period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Fabrizio
- Università degli Studi del Molise, Department of Biosciences and Territory, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090, Pesche, Isernia, Italy
| | - Mirko Di Febbraro
- Università degli Studi del Molise, Department of Biosciences and Territory, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090, Pesche, Isernia, Italy.
| | - Anna Loy
- Università degli Studi del Molise, Department of Biosciences and Territory, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090, Pesche, Isernia, Italy
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Lampa S, Mihoub JB, Gruber B, Klenke R, Henle K. Non-Invasive Genetic Mark-Recapture as a Means to Study Population Sizes and Marking Behaviour of the Elusive Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125684. [PMID: 25973884 PMCID: PMC4431875 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2014] [Accepted: 03/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantifying population status is a key objective in many ecological studies, but is often difficult to achieve for cryptic or elusive species. Here, non-invasive genetic capture-mark-recapture (CMR) methods have become a very important tool to estimate population parameters, such as population size and sex ratio. The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is such an elusive species of management concern and is increasingly studied using faecal-based genetic sampling. For unbiased sex ratios or population size estimates, the marking behaviour of otters has to be taken into account. Using 2132 otter faeces of a wild otter population in Upper Lusatia (Saxony, Germany) collected over six years (2006-2012), we studied the marking behaviour and applied closed population CMR models accounting for genetic misidentification to estimate population sizes and sex ratios. We detected a sex difference in the marking behaviour of otters with jelly samples being more often defecated by males and placed actively exposed on frequently used marking sites. Since jelly samples are of higher DNA quality, it is important to not only concentrate on this kind of samples or marking sites and to invest in sufficiently high numbers of repetitions of non-jelly samples to ensure an unbiased sex ratio. Furthermore, otters seemed to increase marking intensity due to the handling of their spraints, hence accounting for this behavioural response could be important. We provided the first precise population size estimate with confidence intervals for Upper Lusatia (for 2012: N = 20 ± 2.1, 95% CI = 16-25) and showed that spraint densities are not a reliable index for abundances. We further demonstrated that when minks live in sympatry with otters and have comparably high densities, a non-negligible number of supposed otter samples are actually of mink origin. This could severely bias results of otter monitoring if samples are not genetically identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Lampa
- UFZ—Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Conservation Biology, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Ecology, Dornburger Strasse 159, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Jean-Baptiste Mihoub
- UFZ—Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Conservation Biology, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Bernd Gruber
- University of Canberra, Institute for Applied Ecology and Collaborative Research Network for Murray-Darling Basin Futures, ACT 2601 Canberra, Australia
| | - Reinhard Klenke
- UFZ—Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Conservation Biology, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Klaus Henle
- UFZ—Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Conservation Biology, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
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Lampa S, Henle K, Klenke R, Hoehn M, Gruber B. How to overcome genotyping errors in non-invasive genetic mark-recapture population size estimation-A review of available methods illustrated by a case study. J Wildl Manage 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Lampa
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research; Department of Conservation Biology; Permoserstrasse 15 04318 Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Ecology; Friedrich Schiller University Jena; Dornburger Strasse 159 07743 Jena Germany
| | - Klaus Henle
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research; Department of Conservation Biology; Permoserstrasse 15 04318 Leipzig Germany
| | - Reinhard Klenke
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research; Department of Conservation Biology; Permoserstrasse 15 04318 Leipzig Germany
| | - Marion Hoehn
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research; Department of Conservation Biology; Permoserstrasse 15 04318 Leipzig Germany
| | - Bernd Gruber
- Institute for Applied Ecology and Collaborative Research Network for Murray-Darling Basin Futures; University of Canberra; ACT 2601 Canberra Australia
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Prevalence of embedded shotgun pellets in protected and in legally hunted medium-sized carnivores in Denmark. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-012-0621-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Fournier-Chambrillon C, Bifolchi A, Mazzola-Rossi E, Sourice S, Albaret M, Bray Y, Ceña JC, Maya FU, Agraffel T, Fournier P. Reliability of stained placental scar counts in farmed American mink and application to free-ranging mustelids. J Mammal 2010. [DOI: 10.1644/09-mamm-a-297.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Koelewijn HP, Pérez-Haro M, Jansman HAH, Boerwinkel MC, Bovenschen J, Lammertsma DR, Niewold FJJ, Kuiters AT. The reintroduction of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) into the Netherlands: hidden life revealed by noninvasive genetic monitoring. CONSERV GENET 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-010-0051-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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