{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]],"date-time":"2026-09-03T10:17:15Z","timestamp":1788430635342,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]],"date-time":"2026-07-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782950400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]],"date-time":"2026-07-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782950400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000203","name":"U.S. Geological Survey","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000203","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Ecotoxicology"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Mercury (Hg), and specifically methylmercury (MeHg), is a contaminant of global concern to humans and wildlife, but there is still limited understanding of its effects on many taxa. Amphibians are closely associated with water, where Hg is converted to MeHg, and high concentrations of MeHg can reduce survival of amphibians in the wild. However, limited non-lethal proxies exist for estimating MeHg bioaccumulation in amphibian larvae, which could be used to reduce destructive sampling and allow sampling of imperiled species. We evaluated whether tail clips were indicative of whole-body MeHg concentrations of larval amphibians, whether dragonflies were an effective bioindicator of Hg concentrations of larval amphibians, and compared MeHg bioaccumulation in predatory caudate (salamanders, newts) and non-predatory anuran (frogs, toads) larvae. Tail-clip and whole-body MeHg concentrations were strongly correlated, especially for caudates. There was high variability among sites and species, but caudates had higher MeHg than anurans, and MeHg concentrations of caudates and anurans were strongly correlated. Dragonflies were a weak indicator of MeHg for anurans but strong indicators for larval caudates, likely because caudates and dragonflies are carnivorous and occupy similar trophic positions. Our study revealed that sampling tails can be an effective non-destructive index of whole-body MeHg for larval amphibians and demonstrates differences in MeHg bioaccumulation related to trophic position in larval amphibians and dragonflies. All post-embryo life stages for a broad suite of amphibian species can now be sampled non-lethally for MeHg, allowing for a broader examination of population-level effects and focus on imperiled species that cannot be sampled destructively.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1007\/s10646-026-03090-z","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]],"date-time":"2026-07-02T12:11:50Z","timestamp":1782994310000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Non-destructive sampling of larval amphibians shows tail tissues reflect whole-body methylmercury concentrations and trophic-related differences in bioaccumulation"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"35","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2348-3119","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Brian J.","family":"Tornabene","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Blake R.","family":"Hossack","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniel A.","family":"Grear","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Thomas L.","family":"Anderson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Brad M.","family":"Glorioso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"J. Hardin","family":"Waddle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jon M.","family":"Davenport","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Collin A.","family":"Eagles-Smith","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Caitlin T.","family":"Rumrill","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kelly L.","family":"Smalling","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"3090_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"690","DOI":"10.1111\/jpn.13711","volume":"106","author":"I Ahmed","year":"2022","unstructured":"Ahmed I, Jan K, Fatma S, Dawood MA (2022) Muscle proximate composition of various food fish species and their nutritional significance: A review. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr 106:690\u2013719","journal-title":"J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr"},{"key":"3090_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bart\u00f3n K (2010) MuMIn: multi-model inference, 2010. R package version 1","DOI":"10.32614\/CRAN.package.MuMIn"},{"key":"3090_CR3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.18637\/jss.v067.i01","volume":"67","author":"D Bates","year":"2014","unstructured":"Bates D, M\u00e4chler M, Bolker B, Walker S (2014) Fitting linear mixed-effects models using lme4. J Stat Softw 67:1\u201348. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.18637\/jss.v067.i01","journal-title":"J Stat Softw"},{"key":"3090_CR4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"980","DOI":"10.1002\/etc.121","volume":"29","author":"CM Bergeron","year":"2010","unstructured":"Bergeron CM, Bodinof CM, Unrine JM, Hopkins WA (2010) Mercury accumulation along a contamination gradient and nondestructive indices of bioaccumulation in amphibians. Environ Toxicol Chemistry: Int J 29:980\u2013988","journal-title":"Environ Toxicol Chemistry: Int J"},{"key":"3090_CR5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4746","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2011.07.036","volume":"409","author":"CM Bergeron","year":"2011","unstructured":"Bergeron CM, Hopkins WA, Bodinof CM, Budischak SA, Wada H, Unrine JM (2011a) Counterbalancing effects of maternal mercury exposure during different stages of early ontogeny in American toads. Sci Total Environ 409:4746\u20134752","journal-title":"Sci Total Environ"},{"key":"3090_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3781","DOI":"10.1021\/es104210a","volume":"45","author":"CM Bergeron","year":"2011","unstructured":"Bergeron CM, Hopkins WA, Todd BD, Hepner MJ, Unrine JM (2011b) Interactive effects of maternal and dietary mercury exposure have latent and lethal consequences for amphibian larvae. Environ Sci Technol 45:3781\u20133787","journal-title":"Environ Sci Technol"},{"key":"3090_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"26","DOI":"10.1007\/s00128-022-03653-w","volume":"110","author":"MA Bradford","year":"2023","unstructured":"Bradford MA, Mallory ML, O\u2019Driscoll NJ (2023) The Complex Interactions Between Sediment Geochemistry, Methylmercury Production, and Bioaccumulation in Intertidal Estuarine Ecosystems: A Focused Review. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 110:26","journal-title":"Bull Environ Contam Toxicol"},{"key":"3090_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2203","DOI":"10.1002\/etc.5620171110","volume":"17","author":"J Burger","year":"1998","unstructured":"Burger J, Snodgrass J (1998) Heavy metals in bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) tadpoles: Effects of depuration before analysis. Environ Toxicol Chem 17:2203\u20132209","journal-title":"Environ Toxicol Chem"},{"key":"3090_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"157","DOI":"10.1006\/enrs.2001.4245","volume":"86","author":"J Burger","year":"2001","unstructured":"Burger J, Snodgrass J (2001) Metal levels in southern leopard frogs from the Savannah River Site: location and body compartment effects. Environ Res 86:157\u2013166","journal-title":"Environ Res"},{"key":"3090_CR10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2733","DOI":"10.1021\/es8027567","volume":"43","author":"LC Chasar","year":"2009","unstructured":"Chasar LC, Scudder BC, Stewart AR, Bell AH, Aiken GR (2009) Mercury cycling in stream ecosystems. 3. Trophic dynamics and methylmercury bioaccumulation. Environ Sci Technol 43:2733\u20132739","journal-title":"Environ Sci Technol"},{"key":"3090_CR11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"135117","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2019.135117","volume":"711","author":"J Ch\u00e9telat","year":"2020","unstructured":"Ch\u00e9telat J, Ackerman JT, Eagles-Smith CA, Hebert CE (2020) Methylmercury exposure in wildlife: a review of the ecological and physiological processes affecting contaminant concentrations and their interpretation. Sci Total Environ 711:135117","journal-title":"Sci Total Environ"},{"key":"3090_CR12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4967","DOI":"10.1021\/es305071v","volume":"47","author":"CT Driscoll","year":"2013","unstructured":"Driscoll CT, Mason RP, Chan HM, Jacob DJ, Pirrone N (2013) Mercury as a global pollutant: sources, pathways, and effects. Environ Sci Technol 47:4967\u20134983","journal-title":"Environ Sci Technol"},{"key":"3090_CR13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.56021\/9780801847806","volume-title":"Biology of amphibians","author":"WE Duellman","year":"1994","unstructured":"Duellman WE, Trueb L (1994) Biology of amphibians. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD"},{"key":"3090_CR14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8779","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.0c01255","volume":"54","author":"CA Eagles-Smith","year":"2020","unstructured":"Eagles-Smith CA, Willacker JJ, Nelson SJ, Flanagan Pritz CM, Krabbenhoft DP, Chen CY, Ackerman JT, Grant EHC, Pilliod DS (2020) A national-scale assessment of mercury bioaccumulation in United States national parks using dragonfly larvae as biosentinels through a citizen-science framework. Environ Sci Technol 54:8779\u20138790","journal-title":"Environ Sci Technol"},{"key":"3090_CR15","unstructured":"EPA (1998) Mercury in solids or solutions by thermal decomposition, amalgamation, and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Method 7473. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency., Washington, DC"},{"key":"3090_CR16","first-page":"183","volume":"16","author":"KL Gosner","year":"1960","unstructured":"Gosner KL (1960) A simplified table for staging anuran embryos and larvae with notes on identification. Herpetologica 16:183\u2013190","journal-title":"Herpetologica"},{"key":"3090_CR17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hossack, Blake R., Jon M. Davenport, C. Kabryn Mattison, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, LeeAnn Fishback, Brian J. Tornabene, and Kelly L. Smalling. \"Methylmercury in subarctic amphibians: environmental gradients, bioaccumulation, and estimated flux.\" Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 44, no. 3 (2025): 698-709.Hossack BR, Davenport JM, Mattison CK, Eagles-Smith CA, Fishback L, Tornabene BJ, Smalling KL (2025) Methylmercury in subarctic amphibians: environmental gradients, bioaccumulation, and estimated flux. Environ Toxicol Chem :vgae064","DOI":"10.1093\/etojnl\/vgae064"},{"key":"3090_CR18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"17314","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-025-99839-3","volume":"15","author":"MP Kain","year":"2025","unstructured":"Kain MP, Hossack BR, Smalling KL, Halstead BJ, Grear DA, Miller AD, Adams MJ, Backlin AR, Barichivich WJ, Eagles-Smith CA, Emery CS, Fleming J, Fisher RN, Gallegos EA, Lor DJ, Kleeman PM, Muths E, Pan T, Pearl CA, Robinson CW, Rumrill CT, Tornabene BJ, Waddle JH, Walls SC, Grant EHC (2025) Independent and interactive effects of disease and methylmercury on demographic rates across multiple amphibian populations. Sci Rep 15:17314. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-025-99839-3","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"issue":"1","key":"3090_CR37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"915","DOI":"10.1007\/BF01189744","volume":"80","author":"RP Mason","year":"1995","unstructured":"Mason RP, Reinfelder JR, Fran\u00e7ois MMM (1995) Bioaccumulation mercury methylmercury. Water Air Soil Pollution 80(1):915\u2013921","journal-title":"Water Air Soil Pollution"},{"key":"3090_CR19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"645","DOI":"10.1016\/j.baae.2010.09.003","volume":"11","author":"AL Nunes","year":"2010","unstructured":"Nunes AL, Cruz MJ, Tejedo M, Laurila A, Rebelo R (2010) Nonlethal injury caused by an invasive alien predator and its consequences for an anuran tadpole. Basic Appl Ecol 11:645\u2013654","journal-title":"Basic Appl Ecol"},{"key":"3090_CR20","unstructured":"Petranka, J. W. (1998). Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 587 pp"},{"key":"3090_CR21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"574","DOI":"10.1007\/s10646-016-1616-z","volume":"25","author":"AZ Pfleeger","year":"2016","unstructured":"Pfleeger AZ, Eagles-Smith CA, Kowalski BM, Herring G, Willacker JJ, Jackson AK, Pierce JR (2016) From tails to toes: developing nonlethal tissue indicators of mercury exposure in five amphibian species. Ecotoxicology 25:574\u2013583","journal-title":"Ecotoxicology"},{"key":"3090_CR22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1420","DOI":"10.1002\/jwmg.596","volume":"77","author":"RL Polich","year":"2013","unstructured":"Polich RL, Searcy CA, Shaffer HB (2013) Effects of tail-clipping on survivorship and growth of larval salamanders. J Wildl Manag 77:1420\u20131425","journal-title":"J Wildl Manag"},{"key":"3090_CR24","volume-title":"R: A language and environment for statistical computing","author":"R Core Team","year":"2025","unstructured":"R Core Team (2025) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria"},{"key":"3090_CR23","unstructured":"RStudio: Integrated Development Environment for R. Posit Software, Posit team, Boston PBC (2025) MA. URL http:\/\/www.posit.co\/"},{"issue":"3","key":"3090_CR25","first-page":"57","volume":"35","author":"CT Rumrill","year":"2026","unstructured":"Rumrill CT, Kelly L, Smalling C, Emery BR, Hossack, Brian J, Halstead MJ, Adams, Adam R, Backlin et al (2026) Estimating mercury exposure amphibians using non-lethal tissue Sampl Ecotoxicol 35(3):57","journal-title":"Estimating mercury exposure amphibians using non-lethal tissue Sampl Ecotoxicol"},{"key":"3090_CR26","volume-title":"Ecotoxicology of mercury in fish","author":"AM Scheuhammer","year":"2012","unstructured":"Scheuhammer AM, Basu N, Evers DC, Heinz G, Sandheinrich MB, Bank MS (2012) Ecotoxicology of mercury in fish. Recent advances, and wildlife"},{"key":"3090_CR27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1579\/0044-7447(2007)36[12:EOEMOT]2.0.CO;2","volume":"36","author":"AM Scheuhammer","year":"2007","unstructured":"Scheuhammer AM, Meyer MW, Sandheinrich MB, Murray MW (2007) Effects of environmental methylmercury on the health of wild birds, mammals, and fish. AMBIO: J Hum Environ 36:12\u201319","journal-title":"AMBIO: J Hum Environ"},{"key":"3090_CR28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1027","DOI":"10.1139\/z90-149","volume":"68","author":"RD Semlitsch","year":"1990","unstructured":"Semlitsch RD (1990) Effects of body size, sibship, and tail injury on the susceptibility of tadpoles to dragonfly predation. Can J Zool 68:1027\u20131030","journal-title":"Can J Zool"},{"key":"3090_CR29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Smalling, Kelly L., Emily B. Oja, Danielle M. Cleveland, Jon M. Davenport, Collin Eagles-Smith, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Patrick M. Kleeman et al. \"Metal accumulation varies with life history, size, and development of larval amphibians.\" Environmental Pollution 287 (2021): 117638.Smalling KL, Oja EB, Cleveland DM, Davenport JM, Eagles-Smith C, Grant EHC, Kleeman PM, Halstead BJ, Stemp KM, Tornabene BJ, Bunnell ZJ, Hossack BR (2021) Metal accumulation varies with life history, size, and development of larval amphibians. Environ Pollut :117638","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envpol.2021.117638"},{"key":"3090_CR30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2277","DOI":"10.1002\/etc.617","volume":"30","author":"BD Todd","year":"2011","unstructured":"Todd BD, Bergeron CM, Hepner MJ, Hopkins WA (2011) Aquatic and terrestrial stressors in amphibians: a test of the double jeopardy hypothesis based on maternally and trophically derived contaminants. Environ Toxicol Chem 30:2277\u20132284","journal-title":"Environ Toxicol Chem"},{"key":"3090_CR31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.3c05549","author":"BJ Tornabene","year":"2023","unstructured":"Tornabene BJ, Hossack BR, Halstead BJ, Eagles-Smith CA, Adams MJ, Backlin AR, Brand AB, Emery CS, Fisher RN, Fleming J, Glorioso BM, Grear DA, Grant EHC, Kleeman PM, Miller DAW, Muths E, Pearl CA, Rowe JC, Rumrill CT, Waddle JH, Winzeler ME, Smalling KL (2023) Broad-Scale Assessment of Methylmercury in Adult Amphibians. Environ Sci Technol. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.est.3c05549","journal-title":"Environ Sci Technol"},{"key":"3090_CR32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Tornabene BJ, Kain MP, Breuner CW, Eagles-Smith CA, Eby LA, Hinderer RK, Smalling KL, Hossack BR (2025) Decoupling the Roles of Corticosterone in Mediating Effects of Methylmercury and Chytrid Fungus (Bd) on Amphibian Survival. Wildlife Letters. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/wll2.70015","DOI":"10.1002\/wll2.70015"},{"key":"3090_CR33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2964","DOI":"10.1897\/03-696.1","volume":"23","author":"JM Unrine","year":"2004","unstructured":"Unrine JM, Jagoe CH, Hopkins WA, Brant HA (2004) Adverse effects of ecologically relevant dietary mercury exposure in southern leopard frog (Rana sphenocephala) larvae. Environ Toxicol Chemistry: Int J 23:2964\u20132970","journal-title":"Environ Toxicol Chemistry: Int J"},{"key":"3090_CR34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.1163\/156853800507336","volume":"21","author":"S Watson","year":"2000","unstructured":"Watson S, Russell AP (2000) A posthatching developmental staging table for the long-toed salamander, Ambystoma macrodactylum krausei. Amphibia-Reptilia 21:143\u2013154","journal-title":"Amphibia-Reptilia"},{"key":"3090_CR35","volume-title":"The ecology and behavior of amphibians","author":"KD Wells","year":"2010","unstructured":"Wells KD (2010) The ecology and behavior of amphibians. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL"},{"key":"3090_CR36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wilbur HM, Semlitsch RD (1990) Ecological consequences of tail injury in Rana tadpoles. Copeia :18\u201324 Vol. 1990, No. 1","DOI":"10.2307\/1445817"}],"container-title":["Ecotoxicology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s10646-026-03090-z.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s10646-026-03090-z","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s10646-026-03090-z.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]],"date-time":"2026-09-03T09:42:17Z","timestamp":1788428537000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/10.1007\/s10646-026-03090-z"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]]},"references-count":37,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]}},"alternative-id":["3090"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10646-026-03090-z","relation":{},"ISSN":["0963-9292","1573-3017"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0963-9292","type":"print"},{"value":"1573-3017","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]]},"assertion":[{"value":"19 November 2025","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"8 April 2026","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"2 July 2026","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":1,"name":"Ethics","label":"Conflict of interests","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}}],"article-number":"138"}}