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Musto C, Cerri J, Capizzi D, Fontana MC, Rubini S, Merialdi G, Berzi D, Ciuti F, Santi A, Rossi A, Barsi F, Gelmini L, Fiorentini L, Pupillo G, Torreggiani C, Bianchi A, Gazzola A, Prati P, Sala G, Apollonio M, Delogu M, Biancardi A, Uboldi L, Moretti A, Garbarino C. First evidence of widespread positivity to anticoagulant rodenticides in grey wolves (Canis lupus). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 915:169990. [PMID: 38232835 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.169990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Second-generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (ARs) can be critical for carnivores, due to their widespread use and impacts. However, although many studies explored the impacts of ARs on small and mesocarnivores, none assessed the extent to which they could contaminate large carnivores in anthropized landscapes. We filled this gap by exploring spatiotemporal trends in grey wolf (Canis lupus) exposure to ARs in central and northern Italy, by subjecting a large sample of dead wolves (n = 186) to the LC-MS/MS method. Most wolves (n = 115/186, 61.8 %) tested positive for ARs (1 compound, n = 36; 2 compounds, n = 47; 3 compounds, n = 16; 4 or more compounds, n = 16). Bromadiolone, brodifacoum and difenacoum, were the most common compounds, with brodifacoum and bromadiolone being the ARs that co-occurred the most (n = 61). Both the probability of testing positive for multiple ARs and the concentration of brodifacoum, and bromadiolone in the liver, systematically increased in wolves that were found at more anthropized sites. Moreover, wolves became more likely to test positive for ARs through time, particularly after 2020. Our results underline that rodent control, based on ARs, increases the risks of unintentional poisoning of non-target wildlife. However, this risk does not only involve small and mesocarnivores, but also large carnivores at the top of the food chain, such as wolves. Therefore, rodent control is adding one further conservation threat to endangered large carnivores in anthropized landscapes of Europe, whose severity could increase over time and be far higher than previously thought. Large-scale monitoring schemes for ARs in European large carnivores should be devised as soon as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmela Musto
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40064 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Jacopo Cerri
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
| | - Dario Capizzi
- Directorate for Environment, Latium Region, 00173 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Fontana
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Silva Rubini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Merialdi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Duccio Berzi
- Centro per lo Studio e la Documentazione sul Lupo, 50033 Firenze, Italy
| | - Francesca Ciuti
- Centro per lo Studio e la Documentazione sul Lupo, 50033 Firenze, Italy
| | - Annalisa Santi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Arianna Rossi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Filippo Barsi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Luca Gelmini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Laura Fiorentini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Pupillo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Camilla Torreggiani
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bianchi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Gazzola
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Paola Prati
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Sala
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Marco Apollonio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Mauro Delogu
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40064 Bologna, Italy
| | - Alberto Biancardi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Laura Uboldi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandro Moretti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Chiara Garbarino
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "B. Ubertini", 25124 Brescia, Italy
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Carrera A, Navas I, María-Mojica P, García-Fernández AJ. Greater predisposition to second generation anticoagulant rodenticide exposure in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) weakened by suspected infectious disease. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167780. [PMID: 37865245 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Anticoagulant rodenticide (AR) exposure in wild carnivores is a current and global concern due to continuous and widespread use worldwide. We studied the prevalence of ARs in liver samples of 25 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 3 European badgers (Meles meles) and 2 genets (Genneta genneta) from Alicante (Spanish Levante region) obtained in 2021 and 2022. In addition to trauma, poisoning by pesticides is the most frequent cause of death in wild carnivores in this region. The present research aims to explain a possible association between the fact of suffering from an infectious disease and the increase in ARs concentrations in the affected animals. Both first- and second-generation ARs were analysed by HPLC/MS/TOF in liver samples. Apart from the cause of death, the influence of other variables such as age, sex and body weight were also assessed on AR liver concentrations. Potential health risks for individuals and populations in the study area have also been studied. Our research detected higher AR concentrations in the group of red foxes clinically diagnosed with infectious disease compared to the group of apparently healthy red foxes, mostly killed by trauma. Furthermore, our results lead us to suggest that red fox could be considered a good sentinel species for the risk of exposure to ARs in other wild mammals. All the livers analysed contained ARs and the most detected compounds in red fox were difenacoum, bromadiolone, brodifacoum, present in all the samples analysed, and flocoumafen (in 96 %). Additionally, 53 % of the animals had at least one second generation anticoagulant rodenticide (SGAR) above the threshold value reported as triggering adverse health effects (200 ng/g). Regarding this, the level of risk in red fox in this area might be classified as high and worrying. Moreover, we suggest that individuals and populations with weakened health due to other diseases (for example, infectious or parasitic diseases) might be more prone to high exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides and, very probably, would be more sensitive to suffering serious effects at lower doses of ARs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Carrera
- Servicio de Toxicología y Veterinaria Forense, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Campus de Espinardo, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Isabel Navas
- Servicio de Toxicología y Veterinaria Forense, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Campus de Espinardo, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain; Toxicology and Risk Assessment Group, IMIB-Arrixaca, Campus de Ciencias de la Salud El Palmar, Universidad de Murcia, Spain.
| | - Pedro María-Mojica
- Servicio de Toxicología y Veterinaria Forense, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Campus de Espinardo, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain; Centro de Recuperación de Fauna Santa Faz (Alicante), VAERSA-Servicio de Vida Silvestre, Generalitat Valenciana, Spain
| | - Antonio J García-Fernández
- Servicio de Toxicología y Veterinaria Forense, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Campus de Espinardo, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain; Toxicology and Risk Assessment Group, IMIB-Arrixaca, Campus de Ciencias de la Salud El Palmar, Universidad de Murcia, Spain
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Herring G, Eagles-Smith CA, Wolstenholme R, Welch A, West C, Rattner BA. Collateral damage: Anticoagulant rodenticides pose threats to California condors. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 311:119925. [PMID: 35988680 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are widespread environmental contaminants that pose risks to scavenging birds because they routinely occur within their prey and can cause secondary poisoning. However, little is known about AR exposure in one of the rarest avian scavengers in the world, the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus). We assessed AR exposure in California condors and surrogate turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) to gauge potential hazard to a proposed future condor flock by determining how application rate and environmental factors influence exposure. Additionally, we examined whether ARs might be correlated with prolonged blood clotting time and potential mortality in condors. Only second-generation ARs (SGARs) were detected, and exposure was detected in all condor flocks. Liver AR residues were detected in 42% of the condors (27 of 65) and 93% of the turkey vultures (66 of 71). Although concentrations were generally low (<10 ng/g ww), 48% of the California condors and 64% of the turkey vultures exposed to ARs exceeded the 5% probability of exhibiting signs of toxicosis (>20 ng/g ww), and 10% and 13% exceeded the 20% probability of exhibiting signs toxicosis (>80 ng/g ww). There was evidence of prolonged blood clotting time in 16% of the free-flying condors. For condors, there was a relationship between the interaction of AR exposure index (legal use across regions where condors existed) and precipitation, and the probability of detecting ARs in liver. Exposure to ARs may complicate recovery efforts of condor populations within their current range and in the soon to be established northern California experimental population. Continued monitoring of AR exposure using plasma blood clotting assays and residue analysis would allow for an improved understanding of their hazard to condors, particularly if paired with recent movement data that could elucidate exposure sources on the landscape occupied by this endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garth Herring
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Collin A Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.
| | - Rachel Wolstenholme
- Pinnacles National Park, Paicines, CA, 95043, USA; Current: National Park Service, Interior Regions 8, 9, 10, & 12, San Francisco, CA, 94104, USA
| | - Alacia Welch
- Pinnacles National Park, Paicines, CA, 95043, USA
| | - Chris West
- Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department, Klamath, CA, 95548, USA
| | - Barnett A Rattner
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
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Martin ME, Delheimer MS, Gabriel MW, Wengert GM, Moriarty KM. Combined field and clinical methods clarify mortality causes and survival patterns of Pacific martens. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marie E. Martin
- Oregon State University Institute for Natural Resources 2112 Southwest 5th Avenue Portland OR 97212 USA
| | - Matthew S. Delheimer
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station 2480 Carson Road Placerville CA 95667 USA
| | - Mourad W. Gabriel
- Integral Ecology Research Center 239 Railroad Avenue Blue Lake CA 95525 USA
| | - Greta M. Wengert
- Integral Ecology Research Center 239 Railroad Avenue Blue Lake CA 95525 USA
| | - Katie M. Moriarty
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. 227 3rd StreetCorvallis OR 97330 USA
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5
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Murray MH, Sánchez CA. Urban rat exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides and zoonotic infection risk. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210311. [PMID: 34376077 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) deployed to control rodent pest populations can increase the risk of pathogen infection for some wildlife. However, it is unknown whether ARs also increase infection risk for target rodents, which are common hosts for zoonotic (animal-to-human transmitted) pathogens. In this study, we tested whether rats exposed to ARs were more likely to be infected with zoonotic pathogens, specifically Leptospira spp. or Escherichia coli, after controlling for known predictors of infection (i.e. sex, age, body condition). We collected biological samples from 99 rats trapped in Chicago alleys and tested these for Leptospira infection, E. coli shedding and AR exposure. We found that rats that had been exposed to ARs and survived until the time of trapping, as well as older rats, were significantly more likely to be infected with Leptospira spp. than other rats. We found no significant association between E. coli shedding and any predictors. Our results show that human actions to manage rats can affect rat disease ecology and public health risks in unintended ways, and more broadly, contribute to a growing awareness of bidirectional relationships between humans and natural systems in cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen H Murray
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
| | - Cecilia A Sánchez
- EcoHealth Alliance, 520 Eighth Avenue, Suite 1200, New York, NY 10018, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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Schell CJ, Stanton LA, Young JK, Angeloni LM, Lambert JE, Breck SW, Murray MH. The evolutionary consequences of human-wildlife conflict in cities. Evol Appl 2021; 14:178-197. [PMID: 33519964 PMCID: PMC7819564 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-wildlife interactions, including human-wildlife conflict, are increasingly common as expanding urbanization worldwide creates more opportunities for people to encounter wildlife. Wildlife-vehicle collisions, zoonotic disease transmission, property damage, and physical attacks to people or their pets have negative consequences for both people and wildlife, underscoring the need for comprehensive strategies that mitigate and prevent conflict altogether. Management techniques often aim to deter, relocate, or remove individual organisms, all of which may present a significant selective force in both urban and nonurban systems. Management-induced selection may significantly affect the adaptive or nonadaptive evolutionary processes of urban populations, yet few studies explicate the links among conflict, wildlife management, and urban evolution. Moreover, the intensity of conflict management can vary considerably by taxon, public perception, policy, religious and cultural beliefs, and geographic region, which underscores the complexity of developing flexible tools to reduce conflict. Here, we present a cross-disciplinary perspective that integrates human-wildlife conflict, wildlife management, and urban evolution to address how social-ecological processes drive wildlife adaptation in cities. We emphasize that variance in implemented management actions shapes the strength and rate of phenotypic and evolutionary change. We also consider how specific management strategies either promote genetic or plastic changes, and how leveraging those biological inferences could help optimize management actions while minimizing conflict. Investigating human-wildlife conflict as an evolutionary phenomenon may provide insights into how conflict arises and how management plays a critical role in shaping urban wildlife phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Schell
- School of Interdisciplinary Arts and SciencesUniversity of Washington TacomaTacomaWAUSA
| | - Lauren A. Stanton
- Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
- Program in EcologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
| | - Julie K. Young
- USDA‐WS‐National Wildlife Research Center‐Predator Research FacilityMillvilleUTUSA
| | | | - Joanna E. Lambert
- Program in Environmental Studies and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Colorado‐BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | - Stewart W. Breck
- USDA‐WS‐National Wildlife Research CenterFort CollinsCOUSA
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Maureen H. Murray
- Urban Wildlife Institute and Davee Center for Epidemiology and EndocrinologyChicagoILUSA
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Olimpi EM, Baur P, Echeverri A, Gonthier D, Karp DS, Kremen C, Sciligo A, De Master KT. Evolving Food Safety Pressures in California's Central Coast Region. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2019.00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Serieys LEK, Bishop J, Okes N, Broadfield J, Winterton DJ, Poppenga RH, Viljoen S, Wayne RK, O'Riain MJ. Widespread anticoagulant poison exposure in predators in a rapidly growing South African city. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 666:581-590. [PMID: 30807948 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are used worldwide to control rodent populations. ARs bioaccumulate across trophic levels and threaten non-target wildlife. We investigated the prevalence of AR exposure in seven predator species in the rapidly developing Greater Cape Town region of South Africa - a mosaic of natural, urban, and agricultural areas within a global biodiversity hotspot. We focused sampling on caracals (Caracal caracal, n = 28) as part of a larger caracal ecology study, but also opportunistically sampled Cape Clawless otters (Aonyx capensis, n = 9), large-spotted genets (Genetta tigrina, n = 4), honey badger (Mellivora capensis, n = 1), water mongoose (Atilax paludinosus, n = 1), small gray mongoose (Galerella pulverulenta, n = 1), and Cape Eagle owl (Bubo capensis, n = 1). We tested livers from all species, and blood from ten caracals, for eight AR compounds to assess prevalence and amount of exposure for each compound. We used generalized linear models to test spatial, demographic, and seasonal risk factors for ten measures of AR exposure in caracals. We detected at least one of the four most toxic AR compounds in six species. Exposure was high for caracals (92%) and all species combined (81%). For caracals, proximity to vineyards was the most important AR exposure risk factor. Vineyards in Cape Town do not use ARs to protect their vines but do host commercial hospitality structures where ARs are used. Vineyards may thus link caracals that forage within vineyards to the rat poisons used in and around their commercial structures. Residue levels were unexpected in large-spotted genets and Cape Clawless otters, suggesting invertebrate vectors. ARs may present a cryptic threat to populations already vulnerable to increasing habitat loss, vehicle collisions, poachers and fire. Targeted mitigation should include a mix of environmentally responsible policies that reduce AR use, particularly in areas near wildlife habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel E K Serieys
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa; Cape Leopard Trust, P.O. Box 31139, Tokai, Cape Town 7966, South Africa; Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, Campus Mail Stop, 1153 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
| | - Jacqueline Bishop
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Nicola Okes
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Joleen Broadfield
- Cape Leopard Trust, P.O. Box 31139, Tokai, Cape Town 7966, South Africa
| | - Deborah Jean Winterton
- Cape Research Centre, South African National Parks, P.O. Box 216, Steenberg 7947, South Africa
| | - Robert H Poppenga
- Center for Animal Health and Food Safety, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Storme Viljoen
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Robert K Wayne
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - M Justin O'Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
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The intrepid urban coyote: a comparison of bold and exploratory behavior in coyotes from urban and rural environments. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2104. [PMID: 30765777 PMCID: PMC6376053 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-38543-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Coyotes (Canis latrans) are highly adaptable, medium-sized carnivores that now inhabit nearly every large city in the United States and Canada. To help understand how coyotes have adapted to living in urban environments, we compared two ecologically and evolutionarily important behavioral traits (i.e., bold-shy and exploration-avoidance behavior) in two contrasting environments (i.e., rural and urban). Boldness is an individual’s reaction to a risky situation and exploration is an individual’s willingness to explore novel situations. Our results from both tests indicate that urban coyotes are bolder and more exploratory than rural coyotes and that within both populations there are individuals that vary across both spectrums. Bolder behavior in urban coyotes emerged over several decades and we speculate on possible processes (e.g., learning and selection) and site differences that could be playing a role in this behavioral adaptation. We hypothesize that an important factor is how people treat coyotes; in the rural area coyotes were regularly persecuted whereas in the urban area coyotes were rarely persecuted and sometimes positively rewarded to be in close proximity of people. Negative consequences of this behavioral adaptation are coyotes that become bold enough to occasionally prey on pets or attack humans.
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COAGULATION ASSESSMENT: UNDERUTILIZED DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS IN ZOO AND AQUATIC ANIMAL MEDICINE. J Zoo Wildl Med 2018; 48:947-953. [PMID: 29297814 DOI: 10.1638/2016-0145r.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Veterinarians specializing in nondomestic species are faced with unique challenges regarding research and diagnostic capabilities given the wild and frequently dangerous nature of their patients. Standard diagnostic techniques used in small or large animal practice are not always possible due to anatomical constraints, size, tractability, or the inherent risk of anesthesia in highly valued, rare species. Diagnostic modalities that utilize simple, relatively noninvasive techniques show promise in evaluating nondomestic species and elucidating the pathophysiology behind poorly characterized disease processes in both wild and captive populations. Coagulation profiles, which may include prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), D-dimer concentration, platelet count, and thromboelastography (TEG) are frequently used in domestic species but often overlooked in exotic medicine due to lack of normal reference values and/or availability. Whenever possible, coagulation profiles should be utilized in the evaluation of various disease processes including neoplasia, sepsis, trauma, inflammation, toxin exposure, and envenomation. There are several reports of coagulopathies in both wild and captive species; however, few studies on coagulation profiles have been published on nondomestic species. Clinicians should consider coagulation testing as part of the diagnostic work-up in nondomestic species. A review of available coagulation diagnostic tests is provided here in addition to summarizing the pertinent coagulation disorders currently established in the literature.
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Ecological Factors Driving Uptake of Anticoagulant Rodenticides in Predators. EMERGING TOPICS IN ECOTOXICOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-64377-9_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Alomar H, Chabert A, Coeurdassier M, Vey D, Berny P. Accumulation of anticoagulant rodenticides (chlorophacinone, bromadiolone and brodifacoum) in a non-target invertebrate, the slug, Deroceras reticulatum. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 610-611:576-582. [PMID: 28822925 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/12/2017] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are used worldwide to control populations of agricultural and urban rodents, but these pesticides may be accumulated in and poisoned non-target species of wildlife. Slugs may feed on rodenticide bait following field applications. Thus, it can be assumed that their predators are exposed to rodenticides through food chain transfer. However, AR exposure in the slugs has not been systematically studied. We investigated the accumulation of three ARs (chlorophacinone, bromadiolone or brodifacoum) in the slug Deroceras reticulatum exposed for a period of 5days followed by depuration time of 4days in the laboratory. Moreover, we studied the exposure of slugs to brodifacoum in the field. In the laboratory exposure, the slugs consumed rodenticide baits, but no mortality was observed. After 1day, their concentrations were stable over the time and no differences were detected between the concentrations of the three ARs. After 5days of exposure, mean concentrations in slugs were 1.71, 1.91 and 0.44mg/kg wet weight for chlorophacinone, bromadiolone and brodifacoum respectively. A significant decrease of bromadiolone and brodifacoum in slugs was observed in the post exposure period. In the field study, brodifacoum was detected in >90% of analyzed slugs after application of brodifacoum baits. Then, based on a toxicity-exposure ratio approach, we found that slug consumption may represent a risk of secondary poisoning for three of their predators under acute, repeated or subchronic exposure scenarios. These results suggest that the slugs are not only the potential subject to primary exposure, but also the source of secondary exposure for their predators following application of rodenticide baits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussein Alomar
- USC1233 INRA-VetAgro-Sup Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, 1 avenue Bourgelat, 69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France.
| | - André Chabert
- ACTA, ICB-VetAgro-Sup, 1 avenue Bourgelat, 69280 Marcy l'étoile, France
| | - Michael Coeurdassier
- Laboratoire Chrono-Environnement UMR UFC/CNRS 6249 USC INRA, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, 25000 Besançon, France
| | - Danièle Vey
- USC1233 INRA-VetAgro-Sup Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, 1 avenue Bourgelat, 69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - Philippe Berny
- USC1233 INRA-VetAgro-Sup Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, 1 avenue Bourgelat, 69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France
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Smith LL, Liang B, Booth MC, Filigenzi MS, Tkachenko A, Gaskill CL. Development and Validation of Quantitative Ultraperformance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Assay for Anticoagulant Rodenticides in Liver. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2017; 65:6682-6691. [PMID: 28699743 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b02280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are used to control rodent populations; however, exposure to nontarget animals occurs. A sensitive and rugged quantitative method was developed, optimized, and validated for eight ARs in liver. Target analytes comprised two chemical classes: hydroxycoumarins (warfarin, coumachlor, dicoumarol, bromadiolone, brodifacoum, and difethialone) and indanediones (diphacinone and chlorophacinone). In this method, liver extracts were cleaned using dispersive solid phase extraction (d-SPE) to remove matrix interferences and analyzed by reverse phase ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Electrospray ionization in negative ion mode combined with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) using a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer provided simultaneous confirmation and quantitation. Detection limits spanned 0.75-25 ng/g, and lower quantitation limits were established as 50 ng/g. Interassay method accuracy ranged from 92 to 110% across the analytical range (50-2500 ng/g) using matrix-matched calibrants with good repeatability (relative standard deviations 2-16%). Successful method transfer to another laboratory utilizing an Orbitrap mass analyzer, providing high mass accuracy, was assessed by good method reproducibility during blinded study analyses (6-29%; Horwitz ratios (HORRAT) ≤ 1.5).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lori L Smith
- University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Toxicology Laboratory, University of Kentucky , Lexington, Kentucky 40511, United States
| | - Boying Liang
- University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Toxicology Laboratory, University of Kentucky , Lexington, Kentucky 40511, United States
| | - Marcia C Booth
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System, Toxicology Laboratory, University of California , Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Michael S Filigenzi
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System, Toxicology Laboratory, University of California , Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Andriy Tkachenko
- United States Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine , 8401 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, Maryland 20708, United States
| | - Cynthia L Gaskill
- University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Toxicology Laboratory, University of Kentucky , Lexington, Kentucky 40511, United States
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14
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Murray MH, St. Clair CC. Predictable features attract urban coyotes to residential yards. J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maureen H. Murray
- University of Alberta; Department of Biological Sciences; 11455 Saskatchewan Drive Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Colleen Cassady St. Clair
- University of Alberta; Department of Biological Sciences; 11455 Saskatchewan Drive Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
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15
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Ruiz-Suárez N, Melero Y, Giela A, Henríquez-Hernández LA, Sharp E, Boada LD, Taylor MJ, Camacho M, Lambin X, Luzardo OP, Hartley G. Rate of exposure of a sentinel species, invasive American mink (Neovison vison) in Scotland, to anticoagulant rodenticides. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 569-570:1013-1021. [PMID: 27387798 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.06.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Revised: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are highly toxic compounds that are exclusively used for the control of rodent pests. Despite their defined use, they are nonetheless found in a large number of non-target species indicating widespread penetration of wildlife. Attempts to quantify the scale of problem are complicated by non-random sampling of individuals tested for AR contamination. The American mink (Neovison vison) is a wide ranging, non-native, generalist predator that is subject to wide scale control efforts in the UK. Exposure to eight ARs was determined in 99 mink trapped in NE Scotland, most of which were of known age. A high percentage (79%) of the animals had detectable residues of at least one AR, and more than 50% of the positive animals had two or more ARs. The most frequently detected compound was bromadiolone (75% of all animals tested), followed by difenacoum (53% of all mink), coumatetralyl (22%) and brodifacoum (9%). The probability of mink exposure to ARs increased by 4.5% per month of life, and was 1.7 times higher for mink caught in areas with a high, as opposed to a low, density of farms. The number of AR compounds acquired also increased with age and with farm density. No evidence was found for sexual differences in the concentration and number of ARs. The wide niche and dietary overlap of mink with several native carnivore species, and the fact that American mink are culled for conservation throughout Europe, suggest that this species may act as a sentinel species, and the application of these data to other native carnivores is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norberto Ruiz-Suárez
- Toxicology Unit, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Yolanda Melero
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, Scotland, UK; CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallés 08193, Spain
| | - Anna Giela
- Pesticides & DWMB Branches, Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, Roddinglaw Road, Edinburgh EH12 9FJ, Scotland, UK
| | - Luis A Henríquez-Hernández
- Toxicology Unit, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Elizabeth Sharp
- Pesticides & DWMB Branches, Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, Roddinglaw Road, Edinburgh EH12 9FJ, Scotland, UK
| | - Luis D Boada
- Toxicology Unit, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Michael J Taylor
- Pesticides & DWMB Branches, Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, Roddinglaw Road, Edinburgh EH12 9FJ, Scotland, UK
| | - María Camacho
- Toxicology Unit, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Xavier Lambin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, Scotland, UK
| | - Octavio P Luzardo
- Toxicology Unit, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Gill Hartley
- Pesticides & DWMB Branches, Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, Roddinglaw Road, Edinburgh EH12 9FJ, Scotland, UK.
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16
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Murray M, Edwards MA, Abercrombie B, St Clair CC. Poor health is associated with use of anthropogenic resources in an urban carnivore. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20150009. [PMID: 25876843 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Rates of encounters between humans and wildlife are increasing in cities around the world, especially when wildlife overlap with people in time, space and resources. Coyotes (Canis latrans) can make use of anthropogenic resources and reported rates of conflict have increased in cities across North America. This increase may be linked to individual differences in the use of human food and developed areas. We compared the relationships between coyote age, sex or health and the use of anthropogenic resources, which we defined as using developed areas over large home ranges, being active during the day, and consuming anthropogenic food. To do so, we applied GPS collars to 19 coyotes and sampled hair for stable isotope analysis. Eleven coyotes appeared to be healthy and eight were visibly infested with sarcoptic mange (Sarcoptes scabiei), a mite that causes hair loss. Diseased coyotes used more developed areas, had larger monthly home ranges, were more active during the day, and assimilated less protein than coyotes that appeared to be healthy. We speculate that anthropogenic food provides a low-quality but easily accessible food source for diseased coyotes, which in turn may increase reliance on it and other anthropogenic resources to promote encounters with people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen Murray
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9
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Fancourt BA. Diagnosing species decline: a contextual review of threats,causes and future directions for management and conservation of the eastern quoll. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2016. [DOI: 10.1071/wr15188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Diagnosing the cause of a species’ decline is one of the most challenging tasks faced by conservation practitioners. For a species approaching extinction, it is not possible to go back in time to measure the agents that operated at various stages of the decline. Accordingly, managers are often restricted to measuring factors currently affecting residual populations, which may not be related to factors that operated earlier in the decline, and inferring other mechanisms from different lines of evidence. In this review, I adopt a methodical diagnostic framework to comprehensively evaluate the potential causal factors for the decline of the eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus) in Tasmania, and propose a hypothesis as to the cause of decline. Potential causal agents were gleaned from two key sources: factors implicated in the eastern quoll’s historical demise on the Australian mainland, and factors that changed during the recent period of quoll decline in Tasmania. The three most likely candidate causal agents were investigated over 4 years to evaluate their likely contribution to the decline. Here, I synthesise the findings from this recent research to advance a hypothesis as to the cause of the eastern quoll decline in Tasmania. I suggest that a period of unsuitable weather reduced quoll populations to an unprecedented low abundance, and that populations are now too small to overcome established threat intensities to which they were robust when at higher densities. Residual small populations are inherently more susceptible to demographic, environmental and genetic stochasticity and are unlikely to recover without management intervention. I propose a study design to experimentally test this hypothesis, and outline priority areas for future research and actions to guide in the future management and conservation of the species. This case study illustrates an approach by which practical species conservation problems might be solved and recovery strategies may be better informed, thereby ensuring positive conservation outcomes for threatened species.
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Poisoning of cats and dogs by the carbamate pesticides aldicarb and carbofuran. Res Vet Sci 2015; 102:142-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2015.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Revised: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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