Abandoned Seabird Eggs as a Calcium Source for Terrestrial Gastropods.

Bond, Alexander L.; Diamond, Antony W.

The article provides information on a research about gastropods that use avian eggshells as a source of calcium. On July 22, 2006, the researchers collected tern eggs from Machias Seal Island, Bay of Fundy in Canada. The surface of eggshells attended by snails, those which are unattended, and those with no snails at all were visually compared via electron microscopy. Research results showed that individual eggs had approximately 1 to 14 gastropods called Cionella lumbria. Based from linear regression, there is no relationship between snail abundance and egg size. It concludes that the gastropods' use of seabird eggs as a calcium source reverses the distinctive relationship between birds and molluscs since birds often consume molluscs to supplement calcium production for their eggs.

BAY of Fundy; MACHIAS Seal Island; MAINE; CANADA; CALCIUM in animal nutrition; BIRD eggs; GASTROPODA; TERNS

Canadian Field-Naturalist, 2007, Vol 121, Issue 4, p433

0008-3550

Academic Journal

10.22621/cfn.v121i4.521