title: Polymelia and Syndactyly in a Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni).
abstract: A hatch-year Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) recovered from Modoc County, California, US, on 12 August 2012 had malformations of the rear limbs consisting of bilateral polymelia and syndactyly. We describe the malformations and evaluate potential causes. Postmortem examination revealed varus rotation of both femurs and abnormal appendages originating from the distal medial surface of the tibiotarsi with two nonfunctional digits on the right leg and one digit on the left leg. There was syndactyly between digits III and IV of both feet. Avian pox viral dermatitis was present on the skin of the ventral abdomen. A definitive cause of the skeletal malformations was not identified.
authors.affiliation: 1  Wildlife Investigations Laboratory, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1701 Nimbus Road, Suite D, Rancho Cordova, California 95670, USA.
authors.forename: Krysta H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.affiliation: 2  California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, University of California, Davis, W Health Sciences Drive, Davis, California 95616, USA.
authors.forename: Aslı
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mete
authors.affiliation: 1  Wildlife Investigations Laboratory, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1701 Nimbus Road, Suite D, Rancho Cordova, California 95670, USA.
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McMillin
authors.affiliation: 3  California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 601 Locust Street, Redding, California 96001 USA.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shinn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050824:Carpal Joints / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology; D005241:Feathers / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D046428:Hawks / Q000002:abnormalities*; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000002:abnormalities*; D013576:Syndactyly / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Avian pox; Buteo swainsoni; Swainson’s Hawk; malformation; polymelia; syndactyly