The poison in Gastrolobium is sodium fluoroacetate (also known as 1080). In Australia, natural occurrences of sodium fluoroacetate occurs mostly in Gastrolobium species, and nearly all species in this genus are restricted in distribution to South-western Australia. Twigg & King (1991) found that Emus also had a high tolerance to the poison when feeding on Gastrolobium seeds, but I don’t know if it accumulates in the Emu’s body, is metabolised or excreted.
Stephen Ambrose Ryde, NSW
Reference:
Twigg, L.E. & D.R. King (1991). The impact of fluoroacetate-bearing vegetation on native Australian fauna: a review. Oikos 61: 412-430
Stephen, Carl
From what I can see in the literature: (a) Sodium fluoroacetate is partially metabolised to sodium fluorocitrate, which is 100 times more toxic than the fluoroacetate and this does the damage (b) The non-metabolised sodium fluoroacetate is rejected fairly rapidly, typically within 2 to 3 days (c) Sub-lethal doses of sodium fluoroacetate are typically metabolised and excreted within four days (d) There is uptake of fluoride into the bones, however this is probably in the form of calcium fluoride (CaF) rather than calcium fluoroacetate or calcium fluorocitrate (e) Birds can tolerate up to 400 times the level of sodium fluoroacetate (10 to 20mg/kg) of dogs which can only tolerate 0.05mg/kg
As there doesn’t appear to be any bioaccumulation of the fluoroacetates or fluorocitrates in the body, it would appear that a bird may be toxic to a fox/dog if it continually ingested the sodium fluoroacetate, however presumably a bird of prey eating another bird would not be affected, assuming both birds have a high tolerance to sodium fluoroacetate?
Some references: http://www.inchem.org/documents/pims/chemical/pim494.htm http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1032&context=vpc11 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_fluoroacetate
Regards, Bruce
Hi Carl, yes that’s certainly possible.
(Sorry for calling you Clifford in the earlier email. I’ve just noticed the mistake. I can only put that down to tiredness at the end of yesterday. Philip Veerman also sent me a private email yesterday, correcting my spelling of his first name!)
Cheers, Stephen
Stephen,
Perhaps sodium fluoroacetate is attracted to bone structure, so as to provide a readily available source of F for bone growth and regeneration? What do you think?
Cheers,
Carl Clifford
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Thanks Clifford, I thought that may be the case. But it doesn’t explain how sodium fluoroacetate can be stored in the bones of Bronzewing Pigeons, unless there is rapid uptake by the bones, i.e. before the compound is broken down.
I also recall from the time when I was a student at the University of WA (late 1970s/early 1980s) there was some research that suggested secondary poisoning from 1080 was responsible partly for the decline in the abundance of the Little Eagle in South-western Australia. I don’t know if that finding was eventually debunked. If it wasn’t, perhaps secondary poisoning occurred as a result of the consumption of the prey’s entrails where the 1080 had not yet been fully digested/broken down.
Kind regards, Stephen Ambrose
Stephen,
Sodium fluoroacetae, AKA 1080, breaks down very quickly once ingested, and has an extremely low risk of secondary poisoning. Very hard to detect post mortem, very bad for rich Grannies and Aunties.
Cheers,
Carl Clifford
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My understanding is that farmed emus are fed a diet similar to poultry feed, supplemented with lucerne and other pasture crops.
Stephen Ambrose Ryde NSW
Just to clarify my earlier statement – in the study by Twigg & King (1991), the emus were feeding on the Gastrolobium seeds, not the researchers!
(Thought I might clear that up before Phillip V has a chance to query it).
Cheers, Stephen
Hm! I must remember to ask where it came from next time Emu appears on a menu. “Hey garcon, has this bird been feeding on Gastrolobium ?” “Oh yes Sir, of course it has, that’s part of the regular diet at the Emu farm.”
Tony
Interesting observation Stephen – since Emu is not an uncommon meat in some of the “native game” restaurants in some parts of Aus then hopefully someone knows the answer – although I guess they are probably farmed rather than wild ones?
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