| Abstract: | Mallard ducks were fed a control diet or a diet containing 0.5 or 3 ppm mercury (as methylmercury dicyandiamide) based on the dry feed. These mercury diets are approximately equivalent to 0.1 and 0.6 ppm mercury in a natural succulent diet. I measured for the ducklings the approach behavior in response to a tape-recorded maternal call and the avoidance of a frightening stimulus....There were no significant differences among controls and ducklings from mercury-treated parents in the percentage of ducklings that approached the tape-recorded call. Control ducklings, however, moved back and forth toward the call more than ducklings from mercury-treated parents and also spent more time in the end of the runway near the loudspeaker than ducklings whose parents were fed a diet containing 0.5 ppm mercury....Compared to control ducklings, ducklings from parents fed a diet containing 0.5 or 3 ppm mercury were hyper-responsive in the test of avoidance of a frightening stimulus....Mallard eggs collected in the wild have been found to contain levels of mercury exceeding the 1 ppm (wet-weight) found in the eggs of hens fed a diet containing 0.5 ppm, but there are no reports of mallard eggs collected in the wild that were found to contain as much mercury (6 to 9 ppm) as eggs from hens fed a diet containing 3 ppm mercury. On a dry-weight basis, the concentration of mercury in the eggs was about 6 times as great as that in the feed for ducks fed the 0.5 ppm mercury diet and about 6 to 9 times as great for ducks fed the 3 ppm mercury diet. |
| Genre: | Article |
| ProdID: | 5221349 |
| Citation Author: | Heinz, G.H. |
| Citation Contributing Office: | Patuxent Wildlife Research Center |
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| Citation End Page: | 564 |
| Citation Issue: | 5 |
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| Citation Language: | English |
| Citation Larger Work Title: | Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology |
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| Citation Number Of Pages: | 11 |
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| Citation Phsyical Description: | 554-564 |
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| Citation Search Results Text: | Effects of methylmercury on approach and avoidance behavior of mallard ducklings; 1975; Article; Journal; Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; Heinz, G.H. |
| Citation Start Page: | 554 |
| Citation Volume: | 13 |
| Citation Year: | 1975 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | Effects of methylmercury on approach and avoidance behavior of mallard ducklings; 1975; Article; Journal; Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; Heinz, G.H. |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/outside_thumb.jpg |
| URL (DOCUMENT): | http://www.springerlink.com/content/w868184026044770/?p=1252b13eb86a42289e3d7b17c0c11803&pi=8 |
| Date Other: | Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:17 -0500 |
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