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Amphibians and Reptiles as Bioindicator Organisms: An Ecotoxicological and Ecological Review
Summary
Frogs, lizards, and other amphibians and reptiles act like living pollution detectors—because they soak up chemicals from both water and land, scientists can study them to spot harmful contaminants like pesticides, heavy metals, and microplastics building up in an ecosystem before they become a bigger problem. This matters for us too: if these creatures are absorbing dangerous pollutants, it's often a warning sign that the same contaminants could be moving through soil, water, and food supplies that eventually reach humans. This review pulls together existing research on the topic and calls for better, more standardized monitoring programs to catch environmental problems early
Amphibians and reptiles are increasingly recognized as highly effective bioindicator organisms for assessing environmental pollution and ecosystem health due to their unique physiological and ecological characteristics. This review provides a comprehensive and integrative evaluation of the biological, ecological, and methodological foundations underlying the use of herpetofauna in biomonitoring studies. Particular emphasis is placed on their dual habitat utilization, pollutant accumulation capacity, and sensitivity to both acute and chronic environmental stressors. The review synthesizes current knowledge on biomarker responses at multiple levels of biological organization, including biochemical, molecular, histopathological, and behavioral endpoints. The effects of major contaminant groups—such as pesticides, heavy metals, endocrine-disrupting compounds, and emerging pollutants like microplastics—are critically examined in relation to exposure pathways and species-specific responses. In addition, the role of amphibians as early-warning indicators and reptiles as long-term accumulation monitors is comparatively analyzed, highlighting their complementary value in integrated monitoring frameworks. Methodological approaches, including multi-biomarker strategies, genetic assays, and emerging omics-based techniques, are evaluated in terms of sensitivity, applicability, and limitations. The review also addresses key challenges in the field, such as the lack of standardization, variability among species and environments, and the need for long-term datasets. Finally, the study proposes a framework for the development of national biomonitoring programs with particular reference to the diverse and ecologically significant herpetofauna of Turkey. By integrating species selection, sampling design, and biomarker application, this review aims to contribute to the advancement of ecotoxicological monitoring and to support evidence-based environmental management and conservation policies.