Thank you for your analysis. I am wondering if you were able to obtain the report from the necropsy of the sanctuary rat? Working on sterilization programs for feral cats, we found that colonies that reached a density of 20 or more animals were far more likely to succumb to ringworm, mange mites, feline panleukopenia, feline leukemia, and so on. As with cats, people wait until a population has already reached critical mass to implement programs by which time natural controls are already in play. The need for alternatives to rodenticides is dire, and your recommendation for well-controlled field studies is right on target.
Thank you for your analysis. I am wondering if you were able to obtain the report from the necropsy of the sanctuary rat? Working on sterilization programs for feral cats, we found that colonies that reached a density of 20 or more animals were far more likely to succumb to ringworm, mange mites, feline panleukopenia, feline leukemia, and so on. As with cats, people wait until a population has already reached critical mass to implement programs by which time natural controls are already in play. The need for alternatives to rodenticides is dire, and your recommendation for well-controlled field studies is right on target.