Hostname: page-component-7bb8b95d7b-cx56b Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-10-06T01:52:24.995Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of handling under anaesthetic on the recapture rate of wild ship rats (Rattus rattus)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

DM Prout  and
CM King
DM Prout
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
CM King*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
*
* Correspondence and request for reprints: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

This paper describes a two-part study of small predators in New Zealand forests. First, during 12 days of live-trapping, 31 wild ship rats were captured, tagged and released: 9 were handled while anaesthetised using halothane and 22 were handled while conscious using gloves. There was a significant difference between the two groups of ship rats in live-recapture rate: 4 out of 9 rats that had been handled while anaesthetised were recaptured alive, compared with 0 of 22 that were handled while conscious. Second, during 12 days of removal-trapping, 23 ship rats were killed, of which 6 were tagged, including 4 of the 9 that had been previously handled while anaesthetised (2 of which had also been recaptured alive during the live-trapping) and 2 that had previously been handled while conscious. These observations have implications for the statistical estimation of population density from capture-mark-recapture data and for the development of protocols for minimising stress in captured animals, especially nocturnal species released from traps in daylight.

Keywords

anaesthesiaanimal welfarecapture probabilityRattus rattusship rattrap avoidance
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 15 , Issue 1 , February 2006 , pp. 63 - 66
Copyright
© 2006 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Cunningham, DM and Moors, PJ 1983 A Guide to the Identification and Collection of New Zealand Rodents. New Zealand Wildlife Service: Wellington, New ZealandGoogle Scholar
Daniel, MJ 1972 Bionomics of the ship rat (Rattus r. rattus) in a New Zealand indigenous forest. New Zealand Journal of Science 15: 313–341Google Scholar
Dilks, P, Willans, M, Pryde, M and Fraser, I 2003 Large scale stoat control to protect mohua (Mohoua ochrocephala) and kaka (Nestor meridionalis) in the Eglinton Valley, Fiordland, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 27: 1–9Google Scholar
Dowding, JE and Murphy, EC 1994 Ecology of ship rats (Rattus rattus) in a kauri (Agathis australis) forest in Northland, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 18: 19–27Google Scholar
Hooker, S and Innes, J 1995 Ranging behaviour of forest-dwelling ship rats, Rattus rattus, and effects of poisoning with brodifacoum. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 22: 291–304CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Innes, JG 2005 Ship rat. In: King CM (ed) The Handbook of New Zealand Mammals, 2nd Edition pp 187-203. Oxford University Press: Melbourne, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Innes, JG and Hay, JR 1991 The interactions of New Zealand forest birds with introduced fauna. Proceedings of the International Ornithological Congress 20: 2523–2530Google Scholar
Innes, JG and Skipworth, JP 1983 Home ranges of ship rats in a small New Zealand forest as revealed by trapping and tracking. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 10: 99–110CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Innes, J, Warburton, B, Williams, D, Speed, H and Bradfield, P 1995 Large-scale poisoning of ship rats (Rattus rattus) in indigenous forests of the North Island, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 19: 5–17Google Scholar
King, CM 1973 A system for trapping and handling live weasels in the field. Journal of Zoology 171: 458–464CrossRefGoogle Scholar
King, CM and Edgar, RL 1977 Techniques for trapping and tracking stoats (Mustela erminea): a review, and a new system. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 4: 193–212CrossRefGoogle Scholar
King, CM, Davis, SA, Purdey, DC and Lawrence, B 2003 Capture probability and heterogeneity of trap response in stoats, Mustela erminea. Wildlife Research 30: 611–619CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krebs, CJ 1998 Ecological Methodology, 2nd Edition. Benjamin Cummings/Addison Wesley Longman: Menlo Park, CA, USAGoogle Scholar
Littin, KE, Mellor, DJ, Warburton, B and Eason, CT 2004 Animal welfare and ethical issues relevant to the humane control of vertebrate pests. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 52: 1–10CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lockie, JD and Day, MG 1964 The use of anaesthesia in the handling of stoats and weasels. In: Graham-Jones, O (ed) Small Animal Anaesthesia pp 187–189. Pergamon Press: New York, USAGoogle Scholar
Purdey, DC, King, CM and Lawrence, B 2004 Age structure, dispersion and diet of a population of stoats (Mustela erminea) in southern Fiordland during the decline phase of the beechmast cycle. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 31: 205–225CrossRefGoogle Scholar