The Use of Tail as a Minimal-Invasive Method to Detect a Large Set of Biochemical Responses in the Italian Wall Lizard Podarcis siculus (Rafinesque, 1810)

Conventional methods to analyze biochemical processes related contaminant toxicity usually require the sacrifice of animals collect tissues and organs. However, for ethical reasons especially endangered species, non- or minimal-invasive should be preferred. Among vertebrates, reptiles show a general decline worldwide therefore use measure some in these are encouraged. It is well known that most lizards common safety behavior implying natural loss tail case predation events. Therefore, if analyses testing could performed tissue, this method, not animals, considered as good method. The aim study test on wild Italian wall lizard Podarcis siculus detect large set biomarkers including oxidative stress (TOSCAROO, TOSCAOH, CAT, tGSH, MDA), biotransformation (EROD, GSTs) neurotoxicity (AChE, BChE). All responses, excluding EROD MDA, resulted analytically detectable P. siculus, although mean values obtained with method were significantly lower than those invasive one.