Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Influence of Atrazine on the Scalation of Marcy’s Checkered Gartersnake, Thamnophis m. marcianus (Baird and Girard, 1853)

  • Published:
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Atrazine is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the United States. Despite the effectiveness of atrazine in eliminating broadleaf and grassy weeds, there has been growing concern over the potential impacts this chemical may have on non-target organisms. Little research has been conducted on the exposure of reptiles to this chemical. Our study examined the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of atrazine on the scalation of Marcy’s checkered gartersnake (Thamnophis m. marcianus). Our results indicate that atrazine exposure influences scalation, in particular, cranial scale counts. In addition, this alteration of morphology happens during embryological development as the result of the environment the mother was raised in. Further research on additional species and developmental exposure of atrazine and how it influences fitness of reptiles is required.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beaupre SJ, Douglas LE (2009) Snakes as Indicators and Monitors of Ecosystem Properties. In: Mullin SJ and Siegel RA (Eds) Snakes: ecology and conservation. Comstock Publishing Associates pp 244–261

  • Biradar DP, Rayburn AL (1995) Chromosomal damage induced by herbicide contamination at concentrations observed in public water supplies. J Environ Qual 24:1222–1225

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bronikowski AM, Arnold SA (1999) The evolutionary ecology of life history variation in the garter snake Thamnophis elegans. Ecology 80:2314–2325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burghardt GM, Schwartz JM (1999) Geographic variations on methodological themes in comparative ethology: a natricine snake perspective. In: Foster SA, Endler JA (eds) Geographic variation in behavior: perspectives on evolutionary mechanisms. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 69–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell KR, Campbell TS (2002) A logical starting point for developing priorities for lizard and snake ecotoxicology: a review of available data. Environ Toxicol Chem 21:894–898

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chamberlain KT (2011) Effects of the herbicide atrazine on the behavior of the checkered gartersnake (Thamnophis marcianus). M.S. Thesis, University of Texas at Tyler

  • De Solla SR, Martin PA, Fernie KJ, Park BJ, Mayne G (2006) Effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of atrazine on gonadal development in snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina). Environ Toxicol Chem 25:520–526

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deeming DC (2004) Post-hatching phenotypic effects of incubation in reptiles. Reptilian incubation: environment, evolution and behavior. Nottingham University Press, England, pp 229–251

    Google Scholar 

  • Dewey SL (1986) Effects of the herbicide atrazine on aquatic insect community structure and emergence. Ecology 67:148–162

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dohm MR, Garland T Jr (1993) Quantitative genetics of scale counts in the garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis. Copeia 1993:987–1002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fabien A, Bonnet X, Maumelat S, Bradshaw D, Schwaner T (2004) Diet divergence, jaw size and scale counts in two neighbouring populations of tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus). Amphibia-Reptilia 25:9–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flynn K, Spellman T (2009) Environmental levels of atrazine decrease spatial aggregation in the freshwater mussel, Elliptio complanata. Ecotox Env Safe 72:1228–1233

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ford NB, Shuttlesworth GA (1986) Effects of variation in food intake on locomotory performance of juvenile garter snakes. Copeia 1986:999–1001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fox SF (1975) Natural selection on morphological phenotypes of the lizard Uta stansburiana. Evolution 29:95–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman JL, Rayburn AL (2009) Developmental impact of atrazine on metamorphing Xenopus laevis as revealed by nuclear analysis and morphology. Environ Toxicol Chem 24:1649–1653

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldman JM, Stoker TE, Cooper RL (1999) Neuroendocrine and reproductive effects of contemporary-use pesticides. Toxicol Ind Health 15:26–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graham JH, Emlen JM, Freeman DC (1993) Developmental stability and it’s applications in ecotoxicology. Ecotoxicology 2:175–184

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Graymore M, Stagnitti F, Allinson G (2001) Impacts of atrazine in aquatic ecosystems. Environ Int 26:483–495

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guillette L, Gunderson M (2001) Alteration in development of reproductive and endocrine systems of wildlife populations exposed to endocrine-disrupting contaminants. Reproduction 122:857–864

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes TB, Collins A, Lee M, Mendoza M, Noriega N, Stuart AA, Vonk A (2002) Hermaphroditic, demasculinized frogs after exposure to the herbicide atrazine at low ecologically relevant doses. Ecology 99:5476–5480

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes TB, Haston K, Tsui M, Hoang A, Haeffele C, Vonk A (2003) Atrazine-induced hermaphroditism at 0.1 ppb in American Leopard Frogs (Rana pipiens): laboratory and field evidence. Environ Health Persp 111:568–575

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Henry CJK, Ulijaszek SJ (eds) (1996) Long-term consequences of early environment. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Hopkins W (2000) Reptile toxicology: challenges and opportunities on the last frontier in vertebrate ecotoxicology. Environ Toxicol Chem 19:2391–2393

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jayne BC (1988) Mechanical behavior of snake skin. Journal of Zoology, London 214:125–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kiely T, Donaldson D, Grube A (2004) Pesticide industry sales and usage: 2000 and 2001 market estimates, EPA-733-R-04-001. U.S Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Leary RF, Allendorf FW (1989) Fluctuating asymetry as an indicator of stress: implications for conservation biology. Trends Ecol Evol 4:214–217

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lutz KW, Springer T, Krueger H, Holden L, Hosmer A (2009) Does atrazine influence larval development and sexual differentiation in Xenopus laevis? Toxicol Sci 107:376–384

    Google Scholar 

  • Maina JN, Veltcamp CJ, Henry J (1999) Study of spatial organization of the gas exchange components of a snake lung-The sandboa Eryx colubrinus (Reptilia: Ophidia: Colubridae)- by latex casting. J Zool 247:81–90

    Google Scholar 

  • Mell R (1929) Beitrage zur fauna sinica IV. Grundzuge einer okologie der chinesischen reptilien und einer herpetologischen tiergeographie Chinas. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, Germany

    Google Scholar 

  • Mell R (1931) Preliminary contributions to an ecology of East Asiatic reptiles, especially snakes. Lingnan Sci J 8:187–197

    Google Scholar 

  • Neuman-Lee LA, Janzen FJ (2011) Atrazine exposure impacts behavior and survivorship of neonatal turtles. Herpetologica 67:23–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neuman-Lee LA, Gaines KF, Baumgartner KA, Voorhees JR, Novak JM, Mullin SJ (2013) Assessing multiple endpoints of atrazine ingestion on gravid northern watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon) and their offspring. Environ Toxicol. doi:10.1002/tox.21837

    Google Scholar 

  • Parsons PA (1992) Fluctuating assymetry: a biological monitor of environmental and genomic stress. Heredity 68:361–364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Placyk JS Jr (2012) The role of innate and environmental influences in shaping antipredator behavior of mainland and insular gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis). J Ethol 30:101–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Placyk JS Jr, Burghardt GM (2011) Evolutionary persistence of chemically elicited ophiophagous antipredator responses in gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis). J Comp Psychol 125:134–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossman DA, Ford NB, Siegel RA (1996) The gartersnakes: evolution and ecology. University of Oklahoma Press, Oklahoma

    Google Scholar 

  • Scahill JL (2008) Effects of atrazine on embryonic development of fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) and Xenopus laevis. BIOS 79:139–149

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shine R (2002) Do dietary habits predict scale counts in snakes? J Herpetol 36:268–272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shine R, Olson MM, LeMaster MP, Moore IT, Mason RT (2000) Are snakes right handed? Assymetry in hemipenis size and usage in gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis). Behav Ecol 11:411–415

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soule ME, Cuzin-Roudy J (1982) Allomeric variation 2. Developmental instability of extreme phenotypes 120:765–786

    Google Scholar 

  • Sparling DW, Linder G, Bishop CA (eds) (2000) Ecotoxicology of amphibians and reptiles. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), Pensacola, FL

    Google Scholar 

  • Storrs SI, Semlitsch RD (2008) Variation in somatic and ovarian development: predicting susceptibility of amphibians to estrogenic contaminants. General and comparative endocrinology and chemistry (SETAC)

  • Tischer W, Strotmann H (1977) Relationship between inhibitor binding by chloroplasts and inhibition of photosynthetic electron transport. BBA- Bioenergetics 460:113–125

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weir SM, Suski JG, Salice CJ (2010) Ecological risk of anthropogenic pollutants to reptiles: evaluating assumptions of sensitivity and exposure. Environ Pollution 158:3596–3606

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wiegand C, Krause E, Steinberg C, Pflugmacher S (2001) Toxicokinetics of atrazine in embryos of the Zebrafish (Danio rerio). Ecotox Environ Safe 49:199–205

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao E, Adler K (1993) Herpetology of China. Ohio, Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Department of Biology at the University of Texas at Tyler and was conducted under an Institutional Animal Care and Use (IACUC) protocol issued to JSP (Protocol #SP 2009-03).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to John S. Placyk Jr..

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Walters, A.D., Chamberlain, K., Ford, N.B. et al. Influence of Atrazine on the Scalation of Marcy’s Checkered Gartersnake, Thamnophis m. marcianus (Baird and Girard, 1853). Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 92, 1–5 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-013-1147-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-013-1147-8

Keywords

Navigation