The Lizard Salvator merianae (Squamata, Teiidae) as a Valid Indicator in Toxicological Studies

SIROSKI, PABLO A.; POLETTA, GISELA L.; MUDRY, MARTA D.

Ecotoxicology and Genotoxicology: Non-traditional Terrestrial Models (Issues in Toxicology)

Royal Society of Chemistry

Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2017; p. 228 - 252

The saurian family Teiidae currently contains 9 genera and 116 species. Currently, the two species are present in Argentina, the black tegu (Salvator merianae formerly called Tupinambis merianae, and red tegu (Salvator rufescens). Salvator merianae lives in a variety of environments, including open spaces of primary and secondary forest, savannah with thorny bushes and enclosed spaces such as tropical rain forests, riverbanks and sandy coastal areas, and also found in disturbed habitats, including roadsides and agricultural areas. Habitat adjoining croplands are under a high pressure and the impact of pesticides into the wildlife associated is, in most of the cases, unknown.In the recent past, as a result of the expansion of the agricultural frontier, many areas of the natural geographic distribution of the local wildlife, among them lizards and particularly the tegus, are being exposed to contaminants. Juveniles and adults may be exposed through food, water and sediments presented in the natural environment where they live. Nesting material could be exposed to pesticides. In addition, pollutants accumulated in the mother could reach the embryo through the yolk, also affecting embryonic development in ovo. Frequently, females tegus build nests adjacent to crops. This chapter present the results obtained from studies conducted in order to evaluate genotoxicity of pesticides on tegu lizard under different conditions of exposure.