Anticoagulant rodenticide concentrations in caracal (Caracal caracal) livers from the greater Cape Town area, South Africa
Data files
Jul 29, 2026 version files 11.45 KB
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2026_liver_ARs_caracal_for_dryad.csv
9.40 KB
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README.md
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Abstract
Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are used globally to control rodent populations; however, exposure of non-target wildlife is a growing conservation concern. Generalist predators are particularly vulnerable to both lethal and sublethal effects of ARs via bioaccumulation. Caracals (Caracal caracal) in and around Cape Town are attracted to forage on the urban edge, where they face AR exposure risk. We use generalized linear models to investigate the liver concentration and diversity of ARs in 102 caracals within a global biodiversity hotspot. This dataset is for concentrations (ng/g) of ten anticoagulant rodenticide compounds detected in these caracal livers sampled from the greater Cape Town area. We assess sex and age relationships, as well as their association with habitat types and urban features to identify exposure routes and landscape drivers of risk. Exposure patterns follow global trends in carnivores, with high exposure (78%) and a median of three compounds detected per individual, suggesting repeated, long-term exposure. Highly toxic second-generation compounds dominated the exposure profile. AR burdens varied across the population, peaking in older individuals, likely due to bioaccumulation and multiple exposure events. Caracals using more vegetated, greener urban areas with urban amenities such as food service outlets were more likely to be exposed and have higher AR diversity and concentrations. The sublethal effects of ARs are currently unknown for caracals; however, subadult caracals in poorer condition exhibited higher total rodenticide loads. ARs present a cryptic threat to urban wildlife populations already vulnerable to increasing habitat loss and anthropogenic sources of mortality. This study supports global trends suggesting targeted mitigation should include policies that reduce AR use, particularly for rodent control and food waste management near wildlife habitat.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.stqjq2cj7
Description of the data and file structure
Data were collected to assess exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides in a peri-urban caracal (Caracal caracal) population to understand demographic variation and spatial exposure pathways
Files and variables
File: 2026_liver_ARs_caracal_for_dryad.csv
Description: Caracal demographics and liver concentrations of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) sampled in the greater Cape Town area, South Africa
Variables
- Caracal_ID: the unique identifier for individual caracals
- Age_class: the categorical age class for individual caracals
- Sex: the categorical sex class for individual caracals
- Age: the age of individual caracals in years
- Longitude: the x GPS coordinate of the sampling location
- Latitude: the y GPS coordinate of the sampling location
- Death_Date: the date of death for individual caracals in yyyy_mm_dd format
- Difethialone: the liver concentration in ng/g of the anticoagulant rodenticide difethialone
- Warfarin: the liver concentration in ng/g of the anticoagulant rodenticide warfarin
- Coumatetralyl: the liver concentration in ng/g of the anticoagulant rodenticide coumatetralyl
- Diphacinone: the liver concentration in ng/g of the anticoagulant rodenticide diphacinone
- Coumachlor: the liver concentration in ng/g of the anticoagulant rodenticide coumachlor
- Chlorophacinone: the liver concentration in ng/g of the anticoagulant rodenticide chlorophacinone
- Bromadiolone: the liver concentration in ng/g of the anticoagulant rodenticide bromadiolone
- Flocoumafen: the liver concentration in ng/g of the anticoagulant rodenticide flocoumafen
- Difenacoum: the liver concentration in ng/g of the anticoagulant rodenticide difenacoum
- Brodifacoum: the liver concentration in ng/g of the anticoagulant rodenticide brodifacoum
