T4 PM Endangered Species and Environmental Contaminants: Status of the Science (Part 2)
Tuesday, 15 November 2005: 1:50 PM - 5:30 PM in Ballroom 4

(SPA-1117-746134) Results of Glypro® exposure to red-eared slider embryos.

Sparling, D.¹, ¹ Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA

ABSTRACT- The bog turtle is a threatened species in the Mid Atlantic States and Northeast U.S. It requires a mid successional habitat which must be actively managed to be maintained. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service desires to control woody vegetation through the use of selected herbicides including glyphosate. However, because of the species status, it is critical to ascertain the safety of broadcasted herbicides before it is used in a listed species habitat. We conducted a study on the effects of Glypro® and a surfactant, LI700, on embryos of the red-eared slider, a surrogate species. Eggs were dipped into Glypro + LI700 solutions that ranged from 0% to 95% Glypro. Control eggs were dipped into reconstituted soft water. All eggs were incubated at 27⁰C which should have produced 100% phenotypic males in this temperature dependent sex determination species. Two weeks post hatch the turtles were euthanized, livers were dissected for glutathione analysis, blood samples were sent to a laboratory for flow cytometry analysis of DNA content, and internal organs were fixed for histological examination. Hatching success was significantly lower for turtles exposed to 95% Glypro than controls. Body mass at hatching could not be distinguished among turtles but two weeks post hatch those that had been exposed to the highest concentrations of Glypro had lower body mass than did controls. Chromosomal damage, as determined by flow cytometry, showed a dose response relationship with turtles at higher concentrations of Glypro having greater evidence of damage. At the time of this abstract gonadal histology was still being examined.

Key words: glyphosate, red-eared sliders, embryos, turtle