Evidence of hepatotoxicity in the sand lizard Acanthodactylus scutellatus from Kuwait's Greater Al-Burgan oil field

Thermal conditions determine lizards’ response to oil contamination in a desert habitat

“…This behavior can lead to negative consequences over time due to the toxic nature of crude oil. 17 To fully understand the long-term effects of habitat selection in oil-polluted, terrestrial, arid environments, a long-term field study is necessary.…”

“… 15 , 16 However, prolonged exposure to oil pollution also led to increased accumulation of contaminants and was shown to cause severe liver damage to lizards and other organisms. 17 This example shows that terrestrial oil pollution leads to both positive and negative consequences for lizards: on the one hand, oil pollution may increase ground temperatures, altering the environmental conditions and providing an additional source of heat for reptiles. In addition, the darker color of the soil may also provide improved camouflage for some species.…”

A new species of Acanthodactylus Fitzinger 1834 (Sauria: Lacertidae) from southern Iran

“…The genus Acanthodactylus has been studied in different aspects of biology so far. Some of theses studies include the seasonal differences in metabolic rate in Acanthodactylus boskianus for adaptation to staying active in harsh seasons (Zari, 1996), analysis femoral gland secretions in different sexes and different ages in Acanthodactylus boskianus (Khannoon et al 2011), and considering hepatotoxicity and liver pathology in Acanthodactylus scutellatus in gas and oil fields pollutant areas (Al-Hashem, 2011). Attractiveness of the genus in biological studies seems to be due to the presence of great diversity in its morphology, phylogeny, behavior and ecology.…”

Gill Histopathological Effects of PAHs on Adult Pearl Oyster, <i>Pinctada radiata</i> at Al-Khiran Coast in Kuwait

“…Laboratory studies applied on the fringe-toad lizard A. scutellatus which were affected by PAHs, and were collected from polluted sites that exhibited black substrate showed a clear preference for darker substrate compared to lizards collected from control sites that preferred light substrate [9]. Exposure to PAHs resulted from oil pollution may cause increased accumulation of contaminants and may lead to severe liver pathology in living organisms as confirmed in A. scutellatus from Kuwait [10]. There was a clear evidence that, PAHs detected in sea water, sediment and oyster tissues are one of the reasons for catastrophic oyster (Pinctada radiata) mortality at Al-Khiran beach in November 2013 [11].…”