Could Exposure to Glyphosate Pose a Risk to the Survival of Wild Animals? A Case Study on the Field Lizard Podarcis siculus

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The use of the herbicide glyphosate in agriculture exposes wildlife to this substance. In this review, data obtained using the lizard Podarcis siculus as an unconventional model organism were collected and analyzed. This is to answer the question of whether occasional exposure to glyphosate can endanger the reproductive health of terrestrial vertebrates, shifting the balance of agricultural ecosystems, in which these animals play an important role by feeding on phytopathogenic organisms. The results state that glyphosate affects the liver and gonads, inducing many morphological and molecular alterations and acting as an endocrine disruptor. The data also validate the common field lizard as a valuable model organism that can provide an assessment of the toxic effect of environmental contaminants. By sharing physiological processes and reproductive mechanisms with many other animals, both aquatic and terrestrial, the information gleaned from the lizard can be transferred to other vertebrates and can serve as a starting point for the recovery of endangered wildlife. ABSTRACT: Soil contaminants (herbicides, pesticides, and heavy metals) are among the main causes of change in terrestrial ecosystems. These substances lead to a general loss of biodiversity, both of flora and fauna and being able to biomagnify and pass through the food chain, they can endanger the survival of terrestrial vertebrates at the top of this chain. This review analyzes the risks associated with exposure to glyphosate, the active principle of many herbicide products, for the reproductive health of the field lizard (Podarcis siculus) potentially exposed to the substance in its natural habitat; therefore, introducing it as a possible model organism. Data demonstrate that glyphosate is toxic for this animal, affecting the health of the reproductive organs, both in males and females, and of the liver, the main detoxifying organ and closely involved in the female reproductive process. Sharing structural and functional characteristics of these organs with many other vertebrates, the information obtained with this reptile represents a wake-up call to consider when analyzing the cost/benefit ratio of glyphosate-based substances. The data clearly demonstrate that the P. siculus lizard can be considered a good target organism to study the reproductive risk assessment and hazards of exposure to soil contaminants on wild terrestrial vertebrates.