Taxonomy, distribution, biology, population dynamics, economic importance and control measures regarding Cricetus cricetus (L.) are reviewed on the basis of available data, including recent developments and some unpublished work. The common hamster is a significant pest in central and eastern Europe and, supposedly, modern agricultural technology provides favourable conditions for it. Besides field crop losses, other types of damage and hygienic hazards are also conspicuous when the hamster occurs at peak densities. At present, the best method of control is fumigation, e.g. the use of hydrogen phosphide. There is a lack of information about this hamster and more research is needed confirming its ethology, population dynamics and some methodological problems. Control techniques which are suitable for simultaneous application on large surfaces and which are innocuous to the environment are urgently needed.
Ildikó KEMENES and Gábor NECHAY Kemenes I. and Nechay G. 1990. The food of otters Lutra lutra in different habitats in Hungary. Acta theriol. 35: 17 -24.The diet of otters was studied by the method of spraint analysis. Remains of over 800 prey items were found in 270 spraints. Among these the proportion of fish was over 80%. We found no preference for any particular species of fish but small or medium-sized specimens were the most frequent in the diet. The composition of the otter's diet may reflect that of the fish stock in a particular pond or lake rather than selective predation. Nearly half of the consumed fish were considered as economically unimportant and about 20% of them were classed as economical pests.
This paper reports on some laboratory methods for evaluating the toxicity of rodenticides to the common vole. Test conditions including the experimental animals used, their housing, feeding and handling (measuring body weight, marking of the individuals, route of administering the toxicant), test materials and observations are presented.
New toxicants were screened simultaneously on white rats and on voles. For each compound, the following data were determined: a) the acute (single dose) approximate LD50 (= ALD50), b) the acute (single dose) LD50, as well as the multiple dose toxicity for anticoagulants, c) the approximate 5‐day LD50 and d) the 5‐day LD50.
For the determination of a) and c), about 6 animals were used. The LD50 values were determined by giving 6–8 doses to each of 10 rats and 4 doses to each of 4–6 voles.
A brief report is given on the determination of the joint toxic action of the 2 chemicals.
Rodenticidal formulations were tested on voles in various no‐choice and choice feeding tests. No‐choice tests with compounds having an acute toxicity were carried out for 24 h, those with anticoagulants for 5 × 24 h and those with narcotics for 2 × 24 h. The corresponding periods for choice tests were 2 × 24 h, 5 × 24 h and 4 × 24 h, respectively.
Preference and repellency tests were also carried out.
The stability of a rodenticide in baits exposed to weather, as well as the effectiveness of fumigants on solid carriers were investigated under simulated environmental conditions.
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