Preliminary study and first evidence of presence of microplastics in terrestrial herpetofauna from Southwestern Paraguay

Abstract

ABSTRACT Microplastic pollution has become a worldwide threat and impacts various animal species that ingest them. However, current knowledge of terrestrial animals ingesting microplastics is insufficient. Here we present the first preliminary study to analyze the ingestion and presence of microplastics in South American terrestrial herpetofauna. From November 2019 to March 2020, we actively searched for herpetofauna in 13 transects and two selected locations in Pilar, Paraguay. Three species of terrestrial herpetofauna were studied: Rhinella diptycha (n = 128), Hemidactylus mabouia (n = 133), and Tropidurus torquatus (n = 50). We examined stomach contents from 311 individuals by either stomach flushing (n = 43), or fecal analysis (n = 268). We found the presence of ingested microplastics in all species (n = 81) at varying amounts (R. diptycha: 48.44%, H. mabouia: 12.03%, and T. torquatus: 6.00%). We also found that proximity to water sources did not have an effect on microplastic ingestion. These findings provide further evidence that microplastic contamination is rife in environments and species that have not been previously tested for.