Dead mice dropped from helicopters

Over in Guam, researchers are dropping dead mice out of helicopters. The idea is that the mice, which have been doped up with acetaminophen, will land in trees and be eaten by snakes. The snakes will then die, because acetaminophen is poisonous to them. It's an experiment to see if this method will work at reducing the snake population, which is growing out of control. The video shows some of the mice falling from the skies. [NPR]

     Posted By: Alex - Mon Dec 16, 2013
     Category: Science | Experiments





Comments
"As God is my witness I swore turkeys could fly" - WKRP in Cincinnati
Posted by BrokeDad in Midwest US on 12/16/13 at 01:12 PM
"The mice are hitting the ground like little tea bags of wet cement! Oh, not since the Hindenberg tragedy has there been anything like this. Oh, the humanity!"

The same scene crossed my mind, BD.
Posted by KDP on 12/16/13 at 02:24 PM
As a non scientific poll, how many male WUvians prefered Bailey to Jenifer. I'm for Bailey, but Mrs Peel was my first love.
It's up to female WUvians to compare their own.
Posted by Bmn on 12/16/13 at 03:28 PM
I guess I didn't get the words exactly right .. watch here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf3mgmEdfwg

@BMN .. It's like the Ginger or Maryanne(sp) conundrum eh ?
Posted by BrokeDad in Midwest US on 12/16/13 at 04:16 PM
That was the funniest episode of the show! :lol:
Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 12/16/13 at 07:17 PM
Bailey??? Bailey??? BAILEY??? Are you out of your cotton-pickin' mind!?!
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 12/17/13 at 01:43 AM
Q: Why do the snakes on Guam climb into brown trees?
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 12/17/13 at 01:49 AM
When I watched BD"s post, I got a longer vesion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeCGURWzjwE

And turkeys can flly.
Posted by Bmn on 12/17/13 at 01:53 AM
Didn't anybody ever tell these geniuses that snake only eat LIVE prey? Critters they kill themselves...
Posted by tadchem on 12/17/13 at 05:30 AM
@tadchem...From a very unrealiable source, the mice are live,but neutered. The dead bit is to keep yahoos from YAHOOING.
Posted by Bmn on 12/17/13 at 07:14 AM
And as a bonus, paracetamol is also deadly to @#^&# cats, which have a very similar effect on other islands' birdlife as the snakes have had on Guam's. We should try this trick there, as well.
Posted by Richard Bos on 12/17/13 at 08:57 AM
You could run all the 'live' mice you want past these cats down here and, in the end, you'd have more mice and the same number of cats. I just spotted (at least) 6 of them in the park waiting at the backdoor of a neighbor for supper to be supplied.
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 12/17/13 at 09:45 AM
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