Caiman latirostris embryos exposed to pesticides in a field experiment simulating agrochemical application practices

G. L. POLETTA; E. KLEINSORGE; M. D. MUDRY, A. LARRIERA AND P. A. SIROSKI

Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

Congreso; XIX Working Meeting of Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG/SSC/UICN); 2008

Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG/SSC/UICN)

Roughly 85–90% of pesticides applied agriculturally never reach target organisms directly, but they disperse through the air, soil and water. In Argentina, some areas of the broad-snouted caiman habitat are situated near agricultural lands where high amounts of agrochemicals are applied. The practice of creating pesticide cocktails/mixtures can produce a potentiation of the individual properties of chemicals, such as genotoxic effects, which may be negligible when individual chemicals are considered. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of pesticides on C. latirostris exposed in ovo. We carried out a field experiment in which common agricultural pesticide applications were used to simulate the maximum environmental exposure that a caiman nest can receive in neighbouring croplands habitats. Three groups of artificial caiman nests were constructed and eggs placed inside. One group remained untreated, the second received an application of a glyphosate herbicide formulation and the third was spread with a pesticide mixture consisting on this herbicide and two insecticides: endosulfan and cypermethryn based products. Neonate caiman were examined using morphological endpoints (mass and length) and genotoxic effects were probed via the Micronucleus test and the Commet assay in order to compare data from caiman exposed to different pesticide applications with untreated animals.