Effects of inorganic lead on Western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis).
Although anthropogenic pollutants are thought to threaten reptilian species, there are few toxicity studies on reptiles. We evaluated the toxicity of Pb as lead acetate to the Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis). The acute lethal dose and sub-acute (14-day) toxicity studies were used to narrow exposure concentrations for a sub-chronic (60-day) study. In the sub-chronic study, adult and juvenile male lizards were dosed via gavage with 0, 1, 10 and 20 mg Pb/kg-bw/day. Mortality was limited and occurred only at the highest dose (20 mg Pb/kg-bw/d). There were statistically significant sub-lethal effects of 10 and 20 mg Pb/kg-bw/d on body weight, cricket consumption, organ weight, hematological parameters and post-dose behaviors. Of these, Pb-induced changes in body weight are most useful for ecological risk assessment because it is linked to fitness in wild lizard populations. The Western fence lizard is a useful model for reptilian toxicity studies.
Salice
Christopher J
CJ
US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010, USA. chris.salice@ttu.edu
Suski
Jamie G
JG
Bazar
Matthew A
MA
Talent
Larry G
LG
D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity; D048788:Growth and Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008116:Lizards / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C008261:lead acetate