Distribution of metals in tissues of beaver, raccoon and otter from Ontario, Canada.

Mercury and selenium concentrations were positively correlated in liver tissue of beaver, raccoon and otter from an undisturbed watershed in south central Ontario. Selenium accumulation in piscivorous mammals may represent a protective mechanism against methylmercury toxicity to animals exposed to high mercury levels in their diet. This paper also reports the levels of several other metals in tissues of three wild fur-bearing mammal species.