Conditioned food aversion to eggs in captive-reared ferrets, Mustela furo : a test of seven potential compounds
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| Category | Journal Articles |
|---|---|
| Abstract |
Much of New Zealand's native fauna is threatened by introduced mammalian predators. We tested whether conditioned food aversion (i.e. avoidance of particular prey items subsequent to exposure to the same foods that contain an illness-inducing compound) could reduce consumption of birds' eggs by introduced ferrets (Mustela furo). We used captive-reared ferrets, and tested single doses of seven illness-inducing compounds (ethinyl oestradiol, paracetamol, potassium antimony tartrate, sodium monofluoroacetate, thiabendazole, lithium chloride, levamisole hydrochloride). None of the compounds tested induced a consistent aversion to eggs in ferrets. The proportion of ferrets (n=4-10) that refused to eat untreated eggs 7 days after eating treated eggs ranged from 0 to 20 |
| Date | 2005 |
| Publication Title | Applied Animal Behaviour Science |
| Volume | 93 |
| Issue | 1/2 |
| Pages | 111-121 |
| ISBN/ISSN | 0168-1591 |
| Language | English |
| Author Address | Landcare Research, PO Box 282, Alexandra, New Zealand. norburyg@landcareresearch.co.nz |
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