Assessing Potential Risk to Alligators, Alligator mississippiensis, from Nutria Control with Zinc Phosphide Rodenticide Baits

Authors

Gary W. Witmer, USDA-APHIS-Wildlife ServicesFollow
John D. Eisemann, USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research CenterFollow
Thomas M. Primus, USDA/APHIS Wildlife Services
Jeanette R. O’Hare, USDA/APHIS Wildlife Services
Kelly R. Perry, USDA/APHIS Wildlife Services
Ruth M. Elsey, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Phillip L. Trosclair III, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Date of this Version

2010

Citation

Bull Environ Contam Toxicol (2010) 84:698–702; DOI 10.1007/s00128-010-9974-3

Abstract

Nutria, Myocastor coypus, populations must be reduced when they cause substantial wetland damage. Control can include the rodenticide zinc phosphide, but the potential impacts to American alligators, Alligator mississippiensis, must be assessed. The mean amount of zinc phosphide per nutria found in nutria carcasses was 50 mg. Risk assessment determined that a conservative estimate for maximum exposure would be 173 mg zinc phosphide for a 28 kg alligator, or 6.2 mg/kg. Probit analysis found an LD₅₀ for alligators of 28 mg/kg. Our studies suggest that the use of zinc phosphide to manage nutria populations would pose only a small risk to alligators.