Subject(s)
Chiroptera/metabolism , Feces/analysis , Insecticides/analysis , Pesticide Residues/analysis , Animals , Body Burden , Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene/analysis , Dieldrin/analysis , Environmental Pollutants/analysis , Female , Heptachlor Epoxide/analysis , Male , Regression Analysis , United StatesABSTRACT
Lethal dieldrin concentrations were found in the brains of dead gray bats (Myotis grisescens) collected during 1976 and 1977 beneath a maternity roost in a Missouri cave. In addition, residues of heptachlor epoxide, oxychlordane, cis-chlordane, and trans-nonachlor increased significantly in both brains and carcasses of bats collected during 1977. These increases appear to reflect a switch by local farmers from aldrin, dieldrin's parent compound, to heptachlor for the control of cutworms. They also constitute an additional threat to this colony of this endangered bat species.
Subject(s)
Chiroptera/metabolism , Dieldrin/analysis , Heptachlor/analysis , Pesticide Residues/analysis , Animals , Birds/metabolism , Brain Chemistry , Lipids/analysis , Missouri , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Brains of juvenile gray bats, Myotis grisescens, found dead beneath maternity roosts in two Missouri caves contained lethal concentrations of dieldrin. One colony appeared to be abnormally small, and more dead bats were found a year after the juvenile bats had been collected. This is the first report to link the field mortality of bats directly to insecticide residues acquired through the food chain.
