Length of the willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) cecum in the Northern Krasnoyarsk Region

The birds’ caecum ferments the undigested nutrients and modulates the gut microbiom. In addition it is involved in the recycling of nitrogen and toxic compounds that enter the body with food items. We obtain new data on the morphometric parameters of the intestinal tract of willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus Linnaeus, 1758) in the north of Krasnoyarsk Region. The caecum length was reliably determined by the territorial factor and was significantly higher in areas contaminated with heavy metal compounds. The lead, cadmium, and iron content in the skeletal muscles of willow ptarmigan was also higher in impact sites compared to background sites. However, no statistically significant correlations were found between the lead, cadmium, iron, and copper content and the length of the caecum. The reasons for the differences in the caecum length in the impact and background areas may be either the direct effect of toxic elements on the bird’s body and the difference in the quality of feed, or the impact of contaminated feed on the abundance and composition of gut microbiom. Further research into this issue is needed. The obtained data can be used in the near and distant future for environmental monitoring of the study polar areas under high technogenic load on natural complexes. Consumption of partridge meat of willow ptarmigans by the population in the industrial areas of the northern Krasnoyarsk Region may pose a risk due to contamination with cadmium, lead and other pollutants, the content of which significantly exceeds permissible concentrations for food products.