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Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 21(4). 1985. pp. 391-395
EFFECTS OF PELLETIZED ANTICOAGULANT RODENTICIDES
ON CALIFORNIA QUAIL
Lawrence J. Blus, Charles J. Henny, and Robert A. Grove
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 480 SW Airport Road,
Corvallis, Oregon 97333, USA
ABSTRACT: A moribund, emaciated California quail (Callipepla californica) that was found in
an orchard in the state of Washington had an impacted crop and gizzard. Pellets containing the
anticoagulant chlorophacinone (Rozol#{174}, RO) were in the crop; the gizzard contents consisted of
a pink mass of paraffin that was selectively accumulated from the paraffinized pellets. The plasma
prothrombin time of 28 sec was near that determined for control quail. The signs of HO intoxi-
cation seen in the moribund wild quail were duplicated in captive quail given ad libitum diets
of either HO or another paraffinized chlorophacinone pellet (Mr. Hat Guard MRG).
Il#{174}, This left
little doubt that paraffin impaction of the gizzard was the primary problem. All captive quail fed
HO or MHG pellets showed no increases in prothrombin times compared to control values, died
in an emaciated condition, and had gizzards impacted with paraffin.
INTRODUCTION cle samples were sent to the Patuxent Wildlife
Research Center in Laurel, Maryland where
Voles (Microtus spp.) are capable of in- they were analyzed for residues of organochlo-
flicting considerable damage to fruit trees. rifle pollutants using electron capture gas chro-
As a result, a number of chemicals have matography (Cromartie et a!., 1975; Kaiser et
been used to control vole populations a!., 1980).
Groups of pen-reared adult male and female
(Byers et a!., 1982). Some of the rodenti-
California quail were placed together in cages
cides such as endrin are exceptionally tox- and given ad libitum diets consisting solely of
ic to non-target wildlife (Blus et a!., 1983). either paraffinized chlorophacinone pellets (Ho-
As a result there has been a shift to ro- zol#{174},
HO, Chempar Chemical Co., Inc., 660
denticides such as the anticoagulants chlo- Madison Ave., New York, New York 10021,
USA, or Mr. Hat Guard MHG, International
Il#{174},
rophacinone and diphacinone that are
2000, Inc., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111,
considered less hazardous to wildlife. Our USA) or diphacinone pellets (Hamik Brown#{174},
recovery of a wild California quail that RB, Velsico! Chemical Corporation, 341 East
apparently died as a result of ingesting Ohio St., Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA). Each
paraffinized ch!orophacinone pellets treatment group consisted of three or four birds.
Mr. Hat Guard is
Il#{174} similar to HO except for
prompted this investigation. The purposes
the gray coloration. Diphacinone is also an an-
of this paper are to describe the circum- ticoagulant that is used as a rodenticide in or-
stances related to mortality of the wild chards. The apple-flavored high protein HB
quail and to report the response of captive pellets contain 50 g/g active ingredient and
no paraffin.
California quail to diets consisting solely
The general procedures described by Quick
of chlorophacinone or diphacinone pe!-
(1957) were followed in determination of the
lets. one-stage prothrombin time using blood plas-
ma. Blood samples were taken from the bra-
MATERIALS AND METHODS
chial or jugular vein; samples were cooled to
On 1 December 1981, a moribund, adult fe- about 5 C and processed within several hr after
male California quail (025) was picked up by collection. Freeze-dried thromboplastin (Difco
an orchardist in Wenatchee, Washington. A Chick Embryo Extract EE100#{174}, Difco Labo-
blood sample was taken for evaluation of pro- ratories, P.O. Box 1058-A, Detroit, Michigan
thrombin time. The bird was killed the same 48232, USA) was placed in a 10-ml solution
day it was found. Brain, liver, and breast mus- containing 0.025 M CaC!2 in 0.85% NaCl and
incubated in a water bath for 45 mm at 39 C;
the thromboplastin mixture was refrigerated and
Received for publication 26 October 1984. used within 7 days of preparation. The throm-
391
392 JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES, VOL. 21, NO. 4, OCTOBER 1985
062 074
CENT I METERS
F I 1 ROZOL MR. RAT GUARD II
0 1 2
PEN PEN
CQ-C- 21 -WA--82 025 088
NORMAL ROZOL RAMIK BROWN
VI I L D WILD PEN
FIGURE 1. Gizzard contents of California quail. Paraffin impaction in a wild quail (025) and in two pen-
reared birds (062 and 074) fed chlorophacinone pellets. Contents of a bird (088) fed Ramik Brown#{174}and a
normal wild quail (CQ-C-21-WA-82) (gizzard linings attached) are included for comparison.
boplastin mixture (0.2 ml) and oxalated blood (hatchet-breasted). All lipid reserves in-
plasma (0.1 ml) were transferred to separate cluding coronary fat had apparently been
chambers on a fibrometer (Fibrosystem, BBL,
mobilized. The impacted crop was full and
Division of Becton, Dickinson and Company,
Cockeysville, Maryland 21030, USA) where they
contained about equal parts of seeds and
were warmed to reaction temperature (37 C). a pink material subsequently identified as
The plasma was then pipetted into the throm- RO pellets that are broadcast in orchards
boplastin mixture and the timer activated. The in late fall to control voles. The cylindrical
fibrometer automatically stopped when the first
pellets (5 mm diameter and irregular
fibrin strand was formed; the prothrombin time
was displayed on a digital readout. Prothrom-
lengths up to about 20 mm) contain inert
bin time was determined for one or more con- ingredients (primarily grain and paraffin)
trol birds each day that samples were run. and 50 sg/g of the anticoagulant chloro-
For quail on toxic diets, one-way analysis of
phacinone. The gizzard was impacted
variance was used to compare pre- and post-
(Fig. 1), and the contents consisted of a
test mean body weights and to compare mean
prothromhin times with the control value. Con- pink compact mass that contained little
sidering both body weight and prothrombin grit.
time, means were separated b’ a multiple range The prothrombin time of 28 sec for
test (Kramer, 1956). A paired t-test was also
quail 025 was slightly above the mean
used in comparing pre- and post-test body
prothrombin time of 21.2 sec (range 19 to
weights of individual birds on each toxic diet.
The level of statistical significance for all tests 23 sec) determined for 19 control Califor-
is P 0.05. nia quail in this study. Residues of organo-
ch!orines in tissues (Table 1) were all well
RESULTS
below levels associated with mortality or
Necropsy of California quail 025 re- sublethal effects.
vealed that it was extremely emaciated A!! seven captive California quail that
BLUS ET AL-EFFECTS OF ANTICOAGULANTS ON CALIFORNIA QUAIL 393
TABLE 1. Organochlorine residues in tissues of a wild California quail (025).
sg/g (fresh wet wt.)’
Tissue DDE Dieldrin HE OXY TNCH Endrin PCB’s
Brain 10.0 0.11 0.03 NDb 0.06 0.07 0.48
Breast
muscle 2.1 ND ND ND ND ND ND
Liver 12.0 0.19 0.04 0.03 ND 0.93 ND
DDE = dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, HE = heptachlor epoxide, OXY = oxychiordane, TNCH = trans-nonachior,
PCB’s = polychiorinated biphenyls resembling Aroclor 1260.
“ND = no residue detected.
were fed chlorophacinone pellets con- after 7 to 11 days even though most of
sumed approximately 0.4 to 0.7 g pellets! these determinations were made when the
bird/day and were severely emaciated birds were near death (Table 3).
when they died after 7 to 12 days on the The quail given the RB diet ingested
toxic diet (Table 2). These birds lost a sig- approximately 8.3 g of pellets/bird/day
nificant amount (27 to 60%) of their pre- and generally maintained their body
treatment body weights (paired t-test). weight. Birds were killed after 14 to 36
The gizzards of a!! birds were impacted days on the toxic diets; post-treatment
(Fig. 1); coloration of the contents was pink weights (Table 2) ranged from -11 to
in those fed RO and gray in those fed +9% of pretreatment values, and were not
MRG. The gizzard impaction was related significantly different (paired t-test). Crops
to the selective accumulation of paraffin and gizzards of all birds on the RB diet
from the pellets into a compacted mass. appeared normal (Fig. 1).
The gizzard contents of four birds on Prothrombin times of four quail fed RB
chlorophacinone diets melted when heat- ranged from 17 to 28 sec (80 to 132% of
ed with a lighted match. Gizzards of these our control values). There were no signifi-
birds contained abnormally
an low quan- cant changes in prothrombin time through
tity of grit. The body condition of the cap- 36 days on the RB diet, and prothrombin
tive California quail fed ch!orophacinone values were not significantly different
pellets was similar to that noted in quail from those of birds fed RO (Table 3).
025 except that their crops contained little Quail 025 was the only wild California
or no food and were not impacted. Pro- quail of 59 examined in the Wenatchee
thrombin times of four quail fed chloro- area in 1981 to 1983 that had ch!oropha-
phacinone pellets ranged from 21 to 25 cinone pellets in its crop. We found RB
sec (99 to 118% of the mean control value) pellets in crops of two wild quail found
TABLE 2. Body weight relations of pen-reared California quail given no-choice diets of anticoagulant
pellets.
Mean body wt. (g)’
Treat- Days on
ment’ n Sex Statusb diet Pre Post % Weight change
RO 3 2M, iF D 8-12 175 AB 106 C -27 to -48
MRG 4 2M, 2F D 7-10 195 A 85 C -53 to -60
RB 4 2M, 2F K 14-36 173 AB 167 B -ii to +9
RO = Rozol#{174}, MRG = Mr. Rat Guard RB
Il#{174}, = Ramik Brown#{174}.
D = died on dosage, K = killed.
‘A significant difference is indicated for those means not sharing a common letter.
394 JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES, VOL. 21, NO. 4, OCTOBER 1985
TABLE 3. Plasma prothrombin time of pen-reared from chlorophacinone pellets were related
California quail given ad libitum diets of chloropha-
cinone and diphacinone pellets relative to control to paraffin impaction
values. This is apparently the first record of
birds dying from impaction of their giz-
% of co ntrol value zards with paraffin from anticoagulant
Treat- Days on
ment’ diet n Meanb Range pellets. The observations that some wild
RO 7 3 109 99-118
birds are ingesting these toxicants and that
RB 7 4 109 95-132 one of these birds suffered almost certain
RB 14 4 103 80-110 lethal effects indicate that there is some
RB 23 3 109 103-111
hazard to individuals. Adverse effects of
RB 36 2 98 92-105
these anticoagulant pellets on wildlife
#{149}
RO = Rozol#{174},
RB = Ramik Brown#{174}. Prothrombin time (108% populations are probably minima!, a!-
of control value) for a quail on the Mr. Rat Guard diet
Il#{174} though the evidence is inconclusive.
for 11 days not included in the statistical analysis.
Means not significantly different.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank the many individuals who helped
dead in 1980-1981 and in crops of two
us including P. H. Albers, R. C. Anthony, P. L.
ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus coichi-
Hegda!, and E. F. Hill for manuscript review;
cus) obtained from hunters in 1979. J. Davis for assistance and use of EPA labora-
tory space; R. McKeel and other Washington
DISCUSSION Dept. of Game employees for assistance and
provision of office space; and P. J. Savarie, P.
The duplication of signs of RO intoxica-
L. Hegdal, and other employees of the Denver
tion of California quail 025 in captive birds Wildlife Research Center for advice and assis-
leaves little doubt that the moribund con- tance.
dition of the wild California quail was
caused by impaction of the gizzard LITERATURE CITED
through selective accumulation of paraffin
BLUS, L. J., C. J. HENNY, T. J. KAISER, AND R. A.
from the pellets. Digestion of food seemed GROVE. 1983. Effects on wildlife from use of
impossible in those birds with impacted endrin in Washington State orchards. Trans. N.
gizzards. Am. Wildl. Nat. Resour. Conf. 48: 159-174.
BYERS, R. E., M. H. MERSON, AND S. D. PALMATEER.
According to Fitzek (1978), the toxicity
1982. Control of orchard voles with broadcast
of all anticoagulants is due to depression
baits. J. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci. 107: 613-619.
of prothrombin level of blood that leads CROMARTIE, E., W. L. REICHEL, L. N. LOCKE, A. A.
to uncontrollable bleeding. One-stage pro- BELISLE, T. E. KAISER, T. G. LAMONT, B. M.
thrombin time provides a means of de- MULHERN, R. M. PROUTY, AND D. M. SwINE-
FORD. 1975. Residues of organochlorine pes-
tecting changes in prothrombin level
ticides and polychlorinated biphenyls and au-
(Quick, 1957). Even large changes in pro-
topsy data for bald eagles, 1971-72. Pestic. Monit.
thrombin time in animals ingesting anti- J. 9: 11-14.
coagulants are difficult to interpret. Sev- FITzEK, A. 1978. Pharmacokinetics of 2-pivaloyliri-
eral golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) fed dan-i,3-dione in dogs. Acta Pharmacol. Toxicol.
42: 81-87.
diphacinone-contaminated meat for 5 to
KAISER, T. E., W. L. REICHEL, L. N. LOCKE, E. Cno-
10 days experienced increases in pro-
MARTIE, A. J. KRYNITSKY, T. G. LAMONT, B. M.
thrombin time from a control value of 23 MULHERN, R. M. PROUTY, C. J. STAFFORD, AND
sec up to 900 sec (Savarie et a!., 1979). All D. M. SWINEFORD. 1980. Organochlorine pes-
eagles survived, but several experienced ticides, PCB, and PBB residues and necropsy data
weakness and hemorrhaging wounds. This for bald eagles from 29 states-1975-77. Pestic.
Monit. J. 13: 145-149.
indicates that chlorophacinone and dipha-
KRAMER, C. Y. 1956. Extension of multiple range
cinone had little effect on the vascular sys- tests to group means with unequal numbers of
tem of California quail and that problems replications. Biometrics 12: 307-310.
BLUS ET AL-EFFECTS OF ANTICOAGULANTS ON CALIFORNIA QUAIL 395
QUICK, A. J. 1957. Hemorrhagic diseases. Lea and phacinone as a predacide. In Avian and Mam-
Febiger, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 451 pp. malian Wildlife Toxicology, E. E. Kenaga (ed).
SAVARIE, P. J., D. J. HAYES, R. T. MCBRIDE, AND J. Am. Soc. Test. Mat. Spec. Tech. Publ. No. 693,
D. ROBERTS. 1979. Efficacy and safety of di- pp. 69-79.
Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 21(4), 1985. p. 395
BOOK REVIEW.
The Ticks of California (Acari: Ixodida), of each species includes taxonomy, diagnosis,
Deane P. Furman and Edmond C. Loomis. Bull. bionomics, and medical importance. Each
Calif. Insect Survey 25: i-viii, 1-239, Univer- species review is supported by a map of distri-
sity of California Press, Berkeley, California bution in California and by one or more plates
94720, USA. $25.00 US. of illustrations (a total of 356 figures). The first
four of the 75 plates are line drawings with
A total of 49 described species (seven genera) explanations of structural details. The remain-
of ticks are recorded from California. One ing 71 plates consist of scanning electron mi-
species [Argas (A.) cooleyi] consists of popula- croscope illustrations of definitive characters.
tions typical of this species plus a population of There are eight pages of references.
a species in the process of being described as The illustrations are excellent and outstand-
new. Two other species have been introduced ingly useful. The smoothly flowing text contains
repeatedly into California. In this state, ticks a wealth of easily managed detail. The entire
harm wildlife, livestock, and man by causing monograph is marked by a high degree of ac-
irritation, anemia, toxemia, allergic sensitiza- curacy, meticulous attention to detail, clarity,
tion, and paralysis. They transmit five serolog- and intimate knowledge of the variety of sub-
ically distinct strains of spotted-fever-group jects treated. It is a model for workers else-
rickettsiae and the agents causing Q fever (Cox- where and a boon to entomologists, parasitolo-
lella burneti), bovine anaplasmosis (Anaplasma gists, zoologists, epidemiologists, and specialists
marginale), Colorado tick fever (CTF) (an ap- in human and veterinary medicine.
parently new CTF-related virus), Powassan en- A good deal of effort is being made by sev-
cephalitis (POW virus), tularemia (Francisella eral California specialists, independently and in
tularensis), tickborne relapsing fevers (Borrelia collaboration with others elsewhere, to answer
hermsi, B. parkeri), Lyme disease (B. burgdor- fascinating questions regarding several tick-
feri), canine jaundice and possibly human bab- borne agents and their epidemiology in this
esiosis (Babesia microti), an uncharacterized state. Much information is presented for a num-
malaria-like disease of rodents and lagomorphs, ber of species of ticks in California, but other
and epizootic bovine abortion (agent and wild- poorly known species, as well as some Califor-
life associations undetermined). To aid in tick nia tick-associated infections, cry for more in-
identification, the first section of the mono- tensive field and laboratory investigations.
graph briefly reviews the six species most com-
monly encountered in California, lists taxonom-
ic characters and their definitions, and keys to Harry Hoogstraal, United States Naval Medical
tick families, genera, and species by adult and Research Unit Number Three (NAMRU-3), Ameri-
immature stages. The obviously expert review can Embassy, Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt.
