Finding effective bait for trapping small Indian mongoose in Haiti

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Authors
Coolman, Audrey
Advisor
Carter, Timothy C.
Issue Date
2016-05
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (B.?)
Department
Honors College
Other Identifiers
Abstract

The small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropuncatus) was introduced to Haiti in the late 19th and early 2Qth centuries (Barun, Hanson, Campbell, & Simberloff, 2011) and quickly became an invasive species that have destroyed the natural ecosystem on this island. Recently there has been speculation that the mongoose is a vector in the rabies endemic within Haiti but no official data had been collected to verify this information. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) decided to collect data by trapping mongoose, drawing blood and testing the blood for rabies antibodies. In order to figure out the most effective bait for capturing mongoose, three different baits were tested; dog food, peanut butter, and fish. However, no mongoose were caught at the first site after three days, the bait and traps were moved to a new location. At the new location, the peanut butter was replaced with fresh coconut. While no mongooses were caught at either site, the general knowledge gained from this study can inform future work with this species.