Potentially toxic elements in wild Agassiz's desert tortoises: tissue concentrations and association with disease.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) populations have continued to decline due to infectious and other diseases, predation, and habitat alteration. The potential contribution of minerals and heavy metals to tortoise health and susceptibility to disease remains uncertain.

Objective

The objective of this study was to evaluate the results of elemental analysis on trace minerals, macrominerals, and heavy metals in scute keratin, kidney, and liver from ill and dying desert tortoises salvaged for necropsy between 1993 and 2000.

Methods

Salvaged tortoises were categorized by size (adult, juvenile), geographic location, and primary disease based on necropsy findings. A subset of tortoises that were injured or killed by vehicular trauma or predation but with

SUBMITTER: Berry KH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11617541 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature