Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) are considered one of the most significant vertebrate pests globally, because of their impacts on human and animal health. There are legal and moral obligations to minimise the impacts of wildlife management on animal welfare, yet there are few
data on the relative welfare impacts of rat trapping and baiting methods used in the UK with which to inform management decisions. Two stakeholder workshops were facilitated to assess the relative welfare impacts of six lethal rat management methods using a welfare assessment model. Fifteen
stakeholders including experts in wildlife management, rodent management, rodent biology, animal welfare science, and veterinary science and medicine, participated. The greatest welfare impacts were associated with three baiting methods, anticoagulants, cholecalciferol and non-toxic cellulose
baits (severe to extreme impact for days), and with capture on a glue trap (extreme for hours) with concussive killing (mild to moderate for seconds to minutes); these methods should be considered last resorts from a welfare perspective. Lower impacts were associated with cage trapping (moderate
to severe for hours) with concussive killing (moderate for minutes). The impact of snap trapping was highly variable (no impact to extreme for seconds to minutes). Snap traps should be regulated and tested to identify those that cause rapid unconsciousness; such traps might represent the most
welfare-friendly option assessed for killing rats. Our results can be used to integrate consideration of rat welfare alongside other factors, including cost, efficacy, safety, non-target animal welfare and public acceptability when selecting management methods. We also highlight ways of reducing
welfare impacts and areas where more data are needed.
Upper lethal temperature tolerance was determined for 26-81 mm, age 0 black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus of three size classes using both a rapid transfer and slow heating protocol. Rapid transfer protocols determined 24 50 values of 33·8, 35·1 and 31·5 C for size classes with mean total lengths of 30·2, 45·6 and 74·9 mm. A predictive model was generated from the slow heating protocols that relates lethal temperature to acclimation temperature, total length, and condition factor (K) as predictors. 1996 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles
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