Evidence and patterns of maternal transfer of metals and trace elements in Western tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus occidentalis) – a pilot study
Urban wildlife are regularly exposed to a variety of anthropogenic contaminants that have the potential to bioaccumulate in body tissues. As a consequence, developing embryos and offspring can be at risk from exposure to maternally accumulated contaminants, yet this has rarely been reported in repti...
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
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WILEY
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/83566 |
| _version_ | 1848764594992971776 |
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| author | Lettoof, Damian C. Van Dyke, J.U. Gagnon, Marthe Monique |
| author_facet | Lettoof, Damian C. Van Dyke, J.U. Gagnon, Marthe Monique |
| author_sort | Lettoof, Damian C. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Urban wildlife are regularly exposed to a variety of anthropogenic contaminants that have the potential to bioaccumulate in body tissues. As a consequence, developing embryos and offspring can be at risk from exposure to maternally accumulated contaminants, yet this has rarely been reported in reptiles. We opportunistically collected one pregnant Western tiger snake (Notechis scutatus occidentalis) from each of three wetlands with differing sediment metal contamination around Perth, and analysed maternal snake livers and three foetuses per litter for a suite of 17 elements representing either alkaline earth metals, transition metals or metalloids. We detected 14 elements, and compared their concentrations in maternal livers to foetus whole bodies to determine preliminary patterns of maternal transfer. Our results suggest antimony, arsenic, manganese, mercury, molybdenum and zinc are maternally transferred in Western tiger snakes. We urge further research to further quantify patterns of contaminant maternal transfer in viviparous snakes and determine their impacts on the development and health of contaminated offspring. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:21:51Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-83566 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:21:51Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | WILEY |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-835662021-06-16T03:31:39Z Evidence and patterns of maternal transfer of metals and trace elements in Western tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus occidentalis) – a pilot study Lettoof, Damian C. Van Dyke, J.U. Gagnon, Marthe Monique Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Ecology Environmental Sciences & Ecology bioaccumulation ecotoxicology embryonic development pollution urbanisation MERCURY CONTAMINANTS EXPOSURE SELENIUM TURTLES Urban wildlife are regularly exposed to a variety of anthropogenic contaminants that have the potential to bioaccumulate in body tissues. As a consequence, developing embryos and offspring can be at risk from exposure to maternally accumulated contaminants, yet this has rarely been reported in reptiles. We opportunistically collected one pregnant Western tiger snake (Notechis scutatus occidentalis) from each of three wetlands with differing sediment metal contamination around Perth, and analysed maternal snake livers and three foetuses per litter for a suite of 17 elements representing either alkaline earth metals, transition metals or metalloids. We detected 14 elements, and compared their concentrations in maternal livers to foetus whole bodies to determine preliminary patterns of maternal transfer. Our results suggest antimony, arsenic, manganese, mercury, molybdenum and zinc are maternally transferred in Western tiger snakes. We urge further research to further quantify patterns of contaminant maternal transfer in viviparous snakes and determine their impacts on the development and health of contaminated offspring. 2021 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/83566 10.1111/aec.12985 English WILEY fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Ecology Environmental Sciences & Ecology bioaccumulation ecotoxicology embryonic development pollution urbanisation MERCURY CONTAMINANTS EXPOSURE SELENIUM TURTLES Lettoof, Damian C. Van Dyke, J.U. Gagnon, Marthe Monique Evidence and patterns of maternal transfer of metals and trace elements in Western tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus occidentalis) – a pilot study |
| title | Evidence and patterns of maternal transfer of metals and trace elements in Western tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus occidentalis) – a pilot study |
| title_full | Evidence and patterns of maternal transfer of metals and trace elements in Western tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus occidentalis) – a pilot study |
| title_fullStr | Evidence and patterns of maternal transfer of metals and trace elements in Western tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus occidentalis) – a pilot study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evidence and patterns of maternal transfer of metals and trace elements in Western tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus occidentalis) – a pilot study |
| title_short | Evidence and patterns of maternal transfer of metals and trace elements in Western tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus occidentalis) – a pilot study |
| title_sort | evidence and patterns of maternal transfer of metals and trace elements in western tiger snakes (notechis scutatus occidentalis) – a pilot study |
| topic | Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Ecology Environmental Sciences & Ecology bioaccumulation ecotoxicology embryonic development pollution urbanisation MERCURY CONTAMINANTS EXPOSURE SELENIUM TURTLES |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/83566 |