General Project Description
The Clemson Bobcat & Rodenticide Study is a collaborative research effort aimed at understanding the connection between human development, rodenticide use, and bobcat populations in the Southeastern US. This study spans two barrier islands along the South Carolina coast and is one of the few attempts to document and understand the prevalence of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGAs) in the Southeast, and the first of its kind in South Carolina. Further, this research aims to highlight the effect of SGAs on bobcat movement, habitat use, and prey preference, making it the first of its kind nationwide.
The study is housed within the Jachowski Lab at Clemson University and headed by PhD student Meghan Keating. This research is a collaborative effort between Clemson University, the Town of Kiawah Island, the Kiawah Conservancy, the Yawkey Foundation, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
The study is housed within the Jachowski Lab at Clemson University and headed by PhD student Meghan Keating. This research is a collaborative effort between Clemson University, the Town of Kiawah Island, the Kiawah Conservancy, the Yawkey Foundation, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
What are second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides?
SGAs are a category of pesticide used to control rodents in residential and commercial settings. This type of rodenticide functions by blocking vitamin K production, therefore preventing blood clotting, which interferes with organ function and leads to eventual death. Unlike other rodenticides, SGAs have a high risk of non-target exposure, or poisoning animals other than rodents. Because death is not immediate, target rodents can be preyed upon by animals such as bobcats, who then experience similar effects of the rodenticide.
Non-target exposure of SGAs is not a novel finding, however acute poisoning is rarely seen. Rather, exposed animals are often susceptible to other ailments such as mange, lethargy, and internal hemorrhaging. The findings on Kiawah Island represent one of few examples of acute poisoning by SGAs, catalyzing further efforts to understanding the relationship between SGA prevalence and bobcat ecology.
Non-target exposure of SGAs is not a novel finding, however acute poisoning is rarely seen. Rather, exposed animals are often susceptible to other ailments such as mange, lethargy, and internal hemorrhaging. The findings on Kiawah Island represent one of few examples of acute poisoning by SGAs, catalyzing further efforts to understanding the relationship between SGA prevalence and bobcat ecology.
In the News
The Grassroots effort to save Kiawah Island's bobcats. Sierra Magazine. May 2023.
Clemson Bobcat and Rodenticide Project. The Wildlife Society Southeastern Section. February 2023.
Positive trends among bobcat population on Kiawah Island. ABC 4 News Charleston. October 2022.
Clemson Bobcat and Rodenticide Project. The Wildlife Society Southeastern Section. February 2023.
Positive trends among bobcat population on Kiawah Island. ABC 4 News Charleston. October 2022.
