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Evaluating the susceptibility of invasive black rats (Rattus rattus) and house mice (Mus musculus) to brodifacoum as a prelude to rodent eradication on Lord Howe Island

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Abstract

The use of anticoagulant rodenticides to eradicate invasive rodents from islands has become a powerful tool to prevent species extinctions and to restore degraded ecosystems. Success is dependent on all targeted individuals consuming rodenticide and dying as a result. Because susceptibility to anticoagulants can vary among rodent populations, it is important when planning an eradication to understand the efficacy of the proposed rodenticide on the target animals, particularly where there has been historic exposure to anticoagulants. The aims of this study were to investigate brodifacoum-susceptibility of black rats Rattus rattus and house mice Mus musculus on Lord Howe Island (LHI), Australia, where an eradication program is being planned. Black rats and house mice were subjected to various dosages of brodifacoum in a series of laboratory feeding trials. The results showed that rats on LHI died after consuming doses of rodenticide within expected ranges (60% died at 0.5 mg kg−1 and 100% died at 0.8 mg kg−1) when exposed to bait for 24 h. Mice, on the other hand, were more tolerant of the rodenticide, with 82% of individuals surviving doses of up to 2.0 mg kg−1 consumed over 24 h and some individuals needing 6.0 mg kg−1 consumed over 4 days to ingest a lethal dose. A laboratory experiment designed to simulate field application showed that all mice tested succumbed to brodifacoum poisoning when given the opportunity to consume sufficient bait (at least 6 days of exposure to toxic bait), although some individuals took 22 days to die. The results of these studies will help inform the Lord Howe Island rodent eradication.

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Acknowledgements

This study was conducted under Animal Ethics approvals 100621/02 and 160202/02 issued by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. Penny Fisher, Keith Broome, Pete McClelland and two anonymous reviewers kindly provided comments on an earlier draft of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Office of Environment and Heritage, PO Box 1967, Hurstville, NSW, 2220, Australia

    Robert Wheeler, David Priddel, Terence O’Dwyer, Nicholas Carlile & Dean Portelli

  2. School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia

    Terence O’Dwyer

  3. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, PO Box 1231, Bunbury, WA, 6231, Australia

    Ian Wilkinson

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  1. Robert Wheeler
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  2. David Priddel
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  3. Terence O’Dwyer
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Correspondence to Terence O’Dwyer.

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Wheeler, R., Priddel, D., O’Dwyer, T. et al. Evaluating the susceptibility of invasive black rats (Rattus rattus) and house mice (Mus musculus) to brodifacoum as a prelude to rodent eradication on Lord Howe Island. Biol Invasions 21, 833–845 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-018-1863-4

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