Heavy Metals in the Blood Serum and Feces of Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Iran

Gholamhosseini, Amin; Banaee, Mahdi; Soltanian, Siyavash; Sakhaie, Fahimeh

doi:10.1007/s12011-021-02916-7

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Apart from water scarcity, its quality is also an issue, with heavy metal contamination in known crocodile habitats [ 65 ]. As aquatic apex predators with a long lifespan, crocodiles are highly susceptible to bioaccumulation.…”

Section: Country Summariesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Current State of Mugger Populations

Bors,

Gowri Shankar,

Gruszczyńska

2024

Animals

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The mugger (Crocodylus palustris) is a medium-sized crocodilian inhabiting South Asia. As a result of intensive hunting, its range declined drastically up till the 1970s. Currently, the world mugger population is fragmented and threatened mainly by habitat loss and the consequences of human–crocodile conflict, being classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. The goal of this paper is to comprehensively determine the mugger’s current range, and assess risks in notable habitats of the species across its range. To determine the range and notable habitats, extensive literature covering surveys, monitoring, population studies and reports of human–crocodile conflict was examined. Habitat suitability and risk assessment were performed by evaluating selected habitats using eight factors: the legal status of the area, elevation, surface water availability, water quality, salinity, availability of nesting and basking sites, interaction with humans and interspecific competition. Based on our findings, the chances of the mugger’s survival varies greatly across its range and the threats they face are complex and often site-specific. Defining these threats is the first step for determining suitable risk mitigation efforts, some of which are explored in this review.

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Section: Country Summariesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Current State of Mugger Populations

Bors,

Gowri Shankar,

Gruszczyńska

2024

Animals

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“…Furthermore, animal gut microbiota vary across species, as gastrointestinal tract morphology differs from animal to animal, thereby offering a broader range of bacteria to be considered. Moreover, since the external environment affects the constitution of host microbiota, it is noteworthy that animals that flourish in environments that may be damaging for humans, such as those laden with heavy metals where crocodiles reside and consume rotten meat [ 31 ]; or unhygienic environments, such as sewers or drains, where cockroaches thrive [ 32 , 33 ]; or the diet consumed by snakes and water monitor lizards, which may comprise live rodents and carcasses [ 34 , 35 ]. We hypothesize that these animals may possess various mechanisms to ward off disease, allowing them to thrive for years in these conditions [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ].…”

Section: The Importance Of the Gut Microbiomementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Extant non-avian reptiles are ectothermic amniotes and vertebrates that reside on every continent except Antarctica, and inhabit almost all biomes, including terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitats, which may expose them to a variety of microorganisms, radiation, and/or heavy metals [ 31 , 37 ]. At present, there are limited studies on the gut microbiome composition of reptiles; however, with the availability of next-generation sequencing technologies, it has been revealed that the core gut microbiome of reptiles consists of Proteobacteria , Firmicutes , and Bacteroidetes , and that reptile gut bacterial communities are more comparable to those of birds than those of mammals [ 28 ].…”

Section: The Importance Of the Gut Microbiomementioning

confidence: 99%

Novel Sources of Bioactive Molecules: Gut Microbiome of Species Routinely Exposed to Microorganisms

Siddiqui

Soopramanien

Alharbi

et al. 2022

Veterinary Sciences

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The development of novel bioactive molecules is urgently needed, especially with increasing fatalities occurring due to infections by bacteria and escalating numbers of multiple-drug-resistant bacteria. Several lines of evidence show that the gut microbiome of cockroaches, snakes, crocodiles, water monitor lizards, and other species may possess molecules that are bioactive. As these animals are routinely exposed to a variety of microorganisms in their natural environments, it is likely that they have developed methods to counter these microbes, which may be a contributing factor in their persistence on the planet for millions of years. In addition to the immune system, the gut microbiota of a host may thwart colonization of the gastro-intestine by pathogenic and/or foreign microorganisms through two mechanisms: (i) production of molecules with antibacterial potential targeting foreign microorganisms, or (ii) production of molecules that trigger host immunity targeting foreign microorganisms that penetrate the host. Herein, we discuss and deliberate on the current literature examining antibacterial activities that stem from the gut bacteria of animals such as crocodiles, cockroaches, and water monitor lizards, amongst other interesting species, which likely encounter a plethora of microorganisms in their natural environments. The overall aim is to unveil a potential library of novel bioactive molecules for the benefit of human health and for utilization against infectious diseases.

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“…Conversely, Homo sapiens are merely a single species in the midst of millions of other species, as well as being a relatively contemporary addition to planet Earth. With the gaining momentum of the concept of ‘One Health’, which connects human and animal health with the ecosystem (Bonilla‐Aldana et al, 2020), it makes sense to look to reptiles who have displayed abilities evolve, adapt, thrive and survive successfully over millions of years, dwelling in environments which may comprise radiation and/or heavy metals (Gholamhosseini et al, 2021). Reptiles also possess greater longevity than similar‐sized land mammals, for example crocodiles are long‐lived reptiles sometimes living up to 100 years, advocating that we ought to learn from these species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gut microbiome–immune system interaction in reptiles

Siddiqui

Maciver

Khan

2022

Journal of Applied Microbiology

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Reptiles are ectothermic amniotes in a world dominated by endotherms. Reptiles originated more than 300 million years ago and they often dwell in polluted environments which may expose them to pathogenic micro-organisms, radiation and/or heavy metals. Reptiles also possess greater longevity and may live much longer than similar-sized land mammals, for example, turtles, tortoises, crocodiles and tuatara are long-lived reptiles living up to 100 years or more. Many recent studies have emphasized the pivotal role of the gut microbiome on its host; thus, we postulated that reptilian gut microbiome and/or its metabolites and the interplay with their robust immune system may contribute to their longevity and overall hardiness. Herein, we discuss the composition of the reptilian gut microbiome, immune system-gut microbiome cross-talk, antimicrobial peptides, reptilian resistance to infectious diseases and cancer, ageing, as well the current knowledge of the genome and epigenome of these remarkable species. Preliminary studies have demonstrated that microbial gut flora of reptiles such as crocodiles, tortoises, water monitor lizard and python exhibit remarkable anticancer and antibacterial properties, as well as comprise novel gut bacterial metabolites and antimicrobial peptides. The underlying mechanisms between the gut microbiome and the immune system may hold clues to developing new therapies overall for health, and possible extrapolation to exploit the ancient defence systems of reptiles for Homo sapiens benefit.

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Heavy Metals in the Blood Serum and Feces of Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Iran

Cited by 9 publications

References 34 publications

Current State of Mugger Populations

Current State of Mugger Populations

Novel Sources of Bioactive Molecules: Gut Microbiome of Species Routinely Exposed to Microorganisms

Gut microbiome–immune system interaction in reptiles

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