Elevated Lead Levels in Farmed American AlligatorsAlligator mississippiensisConsuming NutriaMyocastor coypusMeat Contaminated by Lead Bullets

Heavy Metal and Selenium Concentrations in Liver Tissue From Wild American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis) Livers Near Charleston, South Carolina

“…The few alligators with very high concentrations of Pb could have ingested lead bulletcontaminated organisms. Camus et al (1998) found that lead poisoning due to accidental ingestion of lead bullet fragments from nutria (Myocastor coypus) was a leading cause of disease in captivereared, juvenile alligators. Seltzer et al could feed in an area that humans consistently hunt or fish and recently may have fed on an animal that contained a lead bullet or fishing weights.…”

“…Sources of heavy metals vary considerably. Mercury is generally thought to be linked to atmospheric deposition and sea currents (Yanochko et al, 1997), whereas lead is probably due to a direct source such as a lead bullet, smelter sites, and other historic sources such as wheel weights and leaded gasoline (Camus et al, 1998). Other heavy metals are released into the environment from fossil fuel combustion (e.g., Cr, Co), fertilizers (Cd), and other industrial uses (Adriano, 1986).…”

Heads in the sand: public health and ecological risks of lead-based bullets for wildlife shooting in Australia

“…2d) may also be affected, because they consume large amounts of carrion (Pascoe et al 2011). To our knowledge, few studies have investigated or demonstrated Pb exposure from ammunition in wild reptiles, whereas the study of Camus et al (1998) demonstrated Pb poisoning in farmed American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) fed carcasses shot with Pb-based bullets.…”

Non-lethal sampling for mercury evaluation in crocodilians

“…Related studies suggest that, in general, Alligatoridae are able to accumulate high concentrations of metals, showing great resistance to the acute effects of these elements, but are susceptible to chronic effects, showing permanent health effects in the long term and in their reproductive cycles (Brisbin et al, 2002;Yoshikane et al, 2006;Hammerton et al, 2003;Camus et al, 1998;Peters, 1983;Guillette et al, 2000;Lance et al, 2006).…”