Reproduction in eastern screech-owls fed selenium
Journal of Wildlife Management
By: Stanley N. Wiemeyer and D. J. Hoffman
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Abstract
Raptors are occasionally exposed to excessive selenium from contaminated prey, but the effects of this exposure on reproduction are unknown. Therefore, we fed captive eastern screech-owls (Otus asio) diets containing 0, 4.4, or 13.2 ppm (wet wt) added selenium in the form of seleno-DL-methionine. Adult mass at sacrifice and reproductive success of birds receiving 13.2 ppm selenium were depressed (P < 0.05) relative to controls. Parents given 4.4 ppm selenium produced no malformed nestlings, but femur lengths of young were shorter (P = 0.015) than those of controls. Liver biochemistries indicative of oxidative stress were affected (P < 0.05) in 5-day-old nestlings from parents fed 4.4 ppm selenium and included a 19% increase in glutathione peroxidase activity, a 43% increase in the ratio of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) to reduced glutathione (GSH), and a 17% increase in lipid peroxidation. Based on reproductive effects relative to dietary exposure, sensitivity of eastern screech-owls to selenium was similar to that of black-crowned night-herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) but less than that of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos).
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Reproduction in eastern screech-owls fed selenium |
| Series title | Journal of Wildlife Management |
| Volume | 60 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Year Published | 1996 |
| Language | English |
| Contributing office(s) | Patuxent Wildlife Research Center |
| Description | 332-341 |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Journal of Wildlife Management |
| First page | 332 |
| Last page | 341 |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |