New Zealand plans to wipe out every last rat, possum and stoat. Can the plan work?
  • WaterWaiver@aussie.zoneEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    The rat trap pictured in the article is interesting. Small CO2 cylinder releases gas into a capture chamber.

    From my basic understanding of mammal physiological responses to gases: wouldn’t nitrogen gas (as an oxygen displacer) be less stressful than CO2 (as an oxygen displacer)?

    • withersailor@aussie.zoneOPEnglish
      3·
      1 year ago

      I didn’t look closely at the picture. The article was talking about crushing the head and dropping the body to decay on the ground.

    • fubo@lemmy.worldEnglish
      01·
      1 year ago

      The CO2 cylinder you see there is not to release CO2 into the rat’s breathing atmosphere. It is more like the use of CO2 in an air pistol.

      The depicted product is a Goodnature A24 self-reloading rat trap. According to the manual:

      The A24 is powered by a CO2 gas canister and will last for 24 kills. The trigger is placed directly below the lure, so that when the rodent moves the trigger, the trap fires a piston directly into the back to the rodent’s head, killing the rodent swiftly and humanely.

      PDF link.

      • lntl@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
        11·
        1 year ago

        I’m not saying I’m against it. If NZ believes they need to get rid of some undesirables, I trust the decision. I just think they should own it.