Mercury Concentrations and Light Stable Isotope Values for Invasive Black and White Tegus from the Greater Everglades, 2022-2024

This dataset details mercury (Hg) concentrations and carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotopes for Black and White tegus (Salvator merianae) collected in and around Everglades National Park between 2022 and 2024. Tegus (n = 115) were collected from 54 sites. Mercury in tegu muscle tissue ranged from 4.1 to 1200 ng g-1. Additional matrices such as livers and blood were measured on a subset of tegus (n = 29) to examine internal Hg detoxification. It was observed that liver tissues (182 ± 224 ng g-1) were substantially higher than paired muscle tissues (50 ± 81 ng g-1), and that females had higher Hg concentrations in their livers compared to males or undetermined sex (primarily sexually immature juveniles). Sulfur isotopes and mercury concentrations in tegu muscles demonstrated a spatial gradient.