Univ. of Georgia, Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Laboratory; Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); Savannah River Ecology Laboratory - University of Georgia
Univ. of Georgia, Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Laboratory; Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); US Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center at Patuxent Research Refuge Laurel, MD (United States)
Univ. of Georgia, Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Laboratory; Univ. of South Carolina, Spartanburg, SC (United States)
Univ. of Georgia, Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Laboratory; Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States)
Mercury (Hg) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant known to bioaccumulate in biota and biomagnify in food webs. Parasites occur in nearly every ecosystem and often interact in complex ways with other stressors that their hosts experience. Hepatozoon spp. are intraerythrocytic parasites common in snakes. The Florida green watersnake (Nerodia floridana) and the banded watersnake (Nerodia fasciata) occur syntopically in certain aquatic habitats in the Southeastern United States. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships among total mercury (THg) concentrations, body size, species,habitat type and prevalence and parasitemia of Hepatozoon spp. infections in snakes. In the present study, we sampled N. floridana and N. fasciata from former nuclear cooling reservoirs and isolated wetlands of the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. We used snake tail clips to quantify THg and collected blood samples for hemoparasite counts. Our results indicate a significant, positive relationship between THg and snake body size in N. floridana and N. fasciata in both habitats. Average THg was significantly higher for N. fasciata compared to N. floridana in bays (0.22 ± 0.02 and 0.08 ± 0.006 mg/kg, respectively; p < 0.01), but not in reservoirs (0.17 ± 0.02 and 0.17 ± 0.03 mg/kg, respectively; p = 0.29). Sex did not appear to be related to THg concentration or Hepatozoon spp. infections in either species. In conclusion, we found no association between Hg and Hepatozoon spp. prevalence or parasitemia; however, our results suggest that species and habitat type play a role in susceptibility to Hepatozoon spp. infection.
Brown, M. Kyle, et al. "Mercury bioaccumulation and <em>Hepatozoon</em> spp. infections in two syntopic watersnakes in South Carolina." Ecotoxicology, vol. 33, no. 2, Feb. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-024-02736-0
Brown, M. Kyle, Haskins, David Lee, Pilgrim, Melissa A., & Tuberville, Tracey D. (2024). Mercury bioaccumulation and <em>Hepatozoon</em> spp. infections in two syntopic watersnakes in South Carolina. Ecotoxicology, 33(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-024-02736-0
Brown, M. Kyle, Haskins, David Lee, Pilgrim, Melissa A., et al., "Mercury bioaccumulation and <em>Hepatozoon</em> spp. infections in two syntopic watersnakes in South Carolina," Ecotoxicology 33, no. 2 (2024), https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-024-02736-0
@article{osti_2350673,
author = {Brown, M. Kyle and Haskins, David Lee and Pilgrim, Melissa A. and Tuberville, Tracey D.},
title = {Mercury bioaccumulation and <em>Hepatozoon</em> spp. infections in two syntopic watersnakes in South Carolina},
annote = {Mercury (Hg) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant known to bioaccumulate in biota and biomagnify in food webs. Parasites occur in nearly every ecosystem and often interact in complex ways with other stressors that their hosts experience. Hepatozoon spp. are intraerythrocytic parasites common in snakes. The Florida green watersnake (Nerodia floridana) and the banded watersnake (Nerodia fasciata) occur syntopically in certain aquatic habitats in the Southeastern United States. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships among total mercury (THg) concentrations, body size, species,habitat type and prevalence and parasitemia of Hepatozoon spp. infections in snakes. In the present study, we sampled N. floridana and N. fasciata from former nuclear cooling reservoirs and isolated wetlands of the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. We used snake tail clips to quantify THg and collected blood samples for hemoparasite counts. Our results indicate a significant, positive relationship between THg and snake body size in N. floridana and N. fasciata in both habitats. Average THg was significantly higher for N. fasciata compared to N. floridana in bays (0.22 ± 0.02 and 0.08 ± 0.006 mg/kg, respectively; p < 0.01), but not in reservoirs (0.17 ± 0.02 and 0.17 ± 0.03 mg/kg, respectively; p = 0.29). Sex did not appear to be related to THg concentration or Hepatozoon spp. infections in either species. In conclusion, we found no association between Hg and Hepatozoon spp. prevalence or parasitemia; however, our results suggest that species and habitat type play a role in susceptibility to Hepatozoon spp. infection.},
doi = {10.1007/s10646-024-02736-0},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2350673},
journal = {Ecotoxicology},
issn = {ISSN 0963-9292},
number = {2},
volume = {33},
place = {United States},
publisher = {Springer},
year = {2024},
month = {02}}