Air-dropping Tylenol-stuffed mice carcasses

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/07/tylenol-loaded-mice-dropped-from-air-to-control-snakes/

by jancona • 16 years ago

21 14 16 years ago

news.blogs.cnn.com

zdw• 16 years ago

Well, that's one of the more interesting things I've read recently.

Hopefully it'll work better than attempts at rabbit control in Australia.

tomjen3• 16 years ago

This is an interesting idea, but it will properly end the first time some important persons cat eats them.

laurasbadideas• 16 years ago

Effects on cats were discussed in a USDA risk assessment of a similar program in 2002 (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/nwrc/publications/...) -- basically, it looks like cats are likely to die if they eat the poisoned mice, but cats didn't seem interested in them.

Also, if I'm reading the report correctly, then (at least in the 2002 program), the baits were prepared by inserting (somehow) acetaminophen tablets into mouse carcasses. I think a cat that began to eat one of these mice would be likely not to swallow the pills (just based on the fact that I've never managed to get a cat to take a pill hidden in cat food).

smackay• 16 years ago

Wikipedia has some useful information, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_tree_snake. In the invasive species section notice that the islands where the snake is spreading to all have US military bases of some form - the snakes seem adept at hiding in the undercarriage of the planes. The snake has the potential to devastate a lot of unique ecosystems across the Pacific and if it ever gets to Hawaii there will be endless opportunities for it to spread far and wide.

pierrefar3• 16 years ago

So... when will we see Tylenol-resistant snakes emerge? If some of the snakes on the island are already resistant, they're just selecting for them with this air-drop.

patrickgzill3• 16 years ago

I think the method by which acetaminophen kills the snake is by harming the liver. Thus resistance can not be acquired - it works as a poison.

If an adult human takes 4g (4000mg) or more liver damage can occur. Obviously much less is needed for a snake.

pierrefar3• 16 years ago

The mode of action is not relevant. Look at the antibiotics and how they all work. They have different modes of action and the resitance mechanisms are quite varied too.

So however acetaminophen works, you can imagine a resistance mechanism.

JangoSteve• 16 years ago

If anyone is curious, as I was, apparently brown tree snakes are venomous (neurotoxin), but because of their rear-facing fangs in the back of their mouths, humans only get a trivial dose if bitten. So they're not considered dangerous to adults.

gcheong2• 16 years ago

I always thought snakes didn't seek out and consume prey that was already dead but apparently that isn't so from this tactic.

jsean• 16 years ago

Yeah, that was what I thought too! I remember snakes having something more akin to heat vision - and thus meaning no dead prey. My facts might be outdated or just simply wrong. Better check my facts.

gcheong2• 16 years ago

I did some googling and it seems that on a lot of the reptile boards they say that the only safe way to feed your snake is with dead mice.

Air-dropping Tylenol-stuffed mice carcasses

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