On the Web Aflatoxin Alert W ith the specter of drought still hanging over most parts of Texas, many TWA'ers and other friends of wildlife are beginning to consider supplemental feeding to help see deer, turkey, quail and other wildlife through the unrelenting heat and dry weather. As in the 1996 drought, one insidious danger may be lurking out there to foil our best - aflatoxin.
Aflatoxin is a carcinogenic mycotoxin.
Mycotoxins are chemicals produced during the growth of certain fungi, specifically Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. These two fungi can grow on a variety of plants that enter both our human and animal food supplies. Growth of these fungi and the presence of Aflatoxin are often triggered on plants under stress such as drought. There is considerable concern among wildlife biologists as to the hidden effects of Aflatoxin on deer reproduction and mortality on super-sensitive game birds, especially turkey. Quail can also be affected, especially when subjected to other environmental stresses such as rough weather.