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Mercury Concentrations in Invasive Burmese Pythons (Python bivitattus) of Southwest Florida

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Abstract

We determined mercury (Hg) concentrations in various tissues of Burmese pythons (Python bivitattus; n = 227) caught in southwest Florida from 2012–2018 as part of a program to control this invasive species. Mercury ranged as high as 4.86 mg/kg in liver tissue from a snake that was 4.7 m long but overall averaged 0.12 ± 0.19 mg/kg in tail tips (n = 123). These levels were relatively low as compared to concentrations reported in pythons from Everglades National Park, a recognized Hg hotspot. These results show that snakes, particularly watersnakes, present another opportunity to biomonitor Hg at the aquatic-terrestrial interface. Although capturing snakes presents obvious challenges, which differ from sampling other taxa typically used in monitoring programs, taking advantage of this program to control an invasive species was cost effective and alleviated concerns about sampling and possibly reducing native snake populations.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the staff of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida that provided field or laboratory support on this project as field technicians, paid interns or volunteers, including: Ian Easterling, Katie King, Ken Flute, Anthony Flannigan, Michelle Bassis, Monica Lasky, Jaimie Kittle, Leif Johnson and Cailin Prokop-Ervin. We would also very much like to thank William Lee, an FGCU, intern that spent much time in the laboratory processing and running samples. We also thank research partners at the U.S. Geological Survey, Naples Zoo, Rookery Bay NERR, Collier Seminole State Park and Big Cypress National Preserve for their collaboration and private donors for their project support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Florida Gulf Coast University, 0501 FGCU Blvd. South, Fort Myers, FL, 33965, USA

    Darren G. Rumbold

  2. Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Naples, FL, USA

    Ian A. Bartoszek

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  1. Darren G. Rumbold
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  2. Ian A. Bartoszek
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Correspondence to Darren G. Rumbold.

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Rumbold, D.G., Bartoszek, I.A. Mercury Concentrations in Invasive Burmese Pythons (Python bivitattus) of Southwest Florida. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 103, 533–537 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-019-02670-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-019-02670-6

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