The Control of the Mongoose in Puerto Rico

David Pimentel Communicable Disease Center, Public Health Service, San Juan, Puerto Rico

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Summary

Warfarin, red squill, barium carbonate, strychnine, ANTU, zinc phosphide, microfine arsenic trioxide, thallium sulfate, sodium fluoroacetate (“1080”), and ground glass were tested against a total of 208 mongooses. Only compound “1080” fed for one dose at 80 mg./kg., and thallium sulfate cumulatively fed at a dosage of 60 mg./kg. for three feedings were effective against the mongoose.

In two field control experiments in Puerto Rico, thallium sulfate on sun-dried fresh fish effected about a 90 per cent reduction of the mongoose population at an estimated cost of about 17 cents per acre. In another experiment on Pineros Island near Puerto Rico, all adult mongooses apparently were killed by the thallium sulfate poison bait method. Some very young animals survived, as indicated by trapping of several adolescent mongooses on the Island 4 months after the poisoning experiment.

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