[url]http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/02/21724382-two-thousand-mice-dropped-on-guam-by-parachute-to-kill-snakes[/url]
[quote]They floated down from the sky Sunday — 2,000 mice, wafting on tiny cardboard parachutes over Andersen Air Force Base in the U.S. territory of Guam.
But the rodent commandos didn't know they were on a mission: to help eradicate the brown tree snake, an invasive species that has caused millions of dollars in wildlife and commercial losses since it arrived a few decades ago.
That's because they were dead. And pumped full of painkillers.
The unlikely invasion was the fourth and biggest rodent air assault so far, part of an $8 million U.S. program approved in February to eradicate the snakes and save the exotic native birds that are their snack food.[/quote]
[quote]That's because they were dead. And pumped full of painkillers.[/quote]
Why not just ship them normally and release them at certain points?
12/02/13
[IMG]http://fourvolleys.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/crying_eagle.jpg[/IMG]
never forget
I have the saddest image of parachuting dead mice in my head
[QUOTE=JDER14;43051976]Why not just ship them normally and release them at certain points?[/QUOTE]
Because then they won't kill any snakes :rolleyes:
These snakes cost the US 4 million a year? Thats pretty crazy.
It costed $8m to come up with this idea and execute it? You've got to be fucking kidding me
Then painkiller resistant brown tree snakes will emerge.
8 million dollars went into a plan where a couple thousand mice were thrown off a plane in parachutes. Who the fuck thinks of shit like this.
[QUOTE=Mr._N;43052023]Then painkiller resistant brown tree snakes will emerge.[/QUOTE]
then use a different painkiller. it isn't like there is only one out there.
we used this as a test question in biology and some middle school class about invasive species or something
Won't snakes prefer to eat the live birds instead of something that's dead?
[QUOTE=Crabpeople;43052034]8 million dollars went into a plan where a couple thousand mice were thrown off a plane in parachutes. Who the fuck thinks of shit like this.[/QUOTE]
I'm wondering why they even bothered with parachutes. Couldn't they have just flown lower, or in a chopper, and spot dropped the mice in known snake areas? That'd cost way less than what it did to parachute the little fuckers out of a plane.
[QUOTE=valkery;43052307]I'm wondering why they even bothered with parachutes. Couldn't they have just flown lower, or in a chopper, and spot dropped the mice in known snake areas? That'd cost way less than what it did to parachute the little fuckers out of a plane.[/QUOTE]
I'm going to say 'Dispersal'.
[QUOTE=valkery;43052307]I'm wondering why they even bothered with parachutes. Couldn't they have just flown lower, or in a chopper, and spot dropped the mice in known snake areas? That'd cost way less than what it did to parachute the little fuckers out of a plane.[/QUOTE]
maybe the parachutes serve another function? snakes like to go after live prey. they like moving mice more than still mice. maybe the parachutes catch wind and will tug the little guys across the ground enough to provide a tempting meal for the snakes?
Okay but seriously how the fuck did this cost eight million dollars?
[QUOTE=Dr. Evilcop;43052405]Okay but seriously how the fuck did this cost eight million dollars?[/QUOTE]
Figure everything else that went through the testing process and was rejected.
[QUOTE=Dr. Evilcop;43052405]Okay but seriously how the fuck did this cost eight million dollars?[/QUOTE]
Pay for poison, pay for rats, pay the plane crew, pay the ground crew, pay for fuel, pay for maintenance, pay for research, pay research center, pay researchers, etc etc.
Things add up.
[QUOTE=Dr. Evilcop;43052405]Okay but seriously how the fuck did this cost eight million dollars?[/QUOTE]
Steps to Complete 8mil Mouse Launch:
Have people come up with the idea, and the logistics.
Buy 2000 mice.
Have people inject them with tranquilizer and attach tiny parachutes to their stiffening corpses.
Put them into plane.
Fly plane over Guam and release payload. (need at least five people for this three hour task)
Land plane and refuel.
Grand total: $8,000,000
Yeah. I think that's reasonable. Totally. It's not as if our government is incompetent with money. I'm sure they made the right calls.
[QUOTE=OvB;43052462]Pay for poison, pay for rats, pay the plane crew, pay the ground crew, pay for fuel, pay for maintenance, pay for research, pay research center, pay researchers, etc etc.
Things add up.[/QUOTE]
the problem is they are spending $2 for a $1 problem. hopefully this is a long term solution but it seems like it's not really economically viable.
[QUOTE=valkery;43052470]Steps to Complete 8mil Mouse Launch:
Have people come up with the idea, and the logistics.
Buy 2000 mice.
Have people inject them with tranquilizer and attach tiny parachutes to their stiffening corpses.
Put them into plane.
Fly plane over Guam and release payload. (need at least five people for this three hour task)
Land plane and refuel.
Grand total: $8,000,000
Yeah. I think that's reasonable. Totally. It's not as if our government is incompetent with money. I'm sure they made the right calls.[/QUOTE]
The damage the mice cause is 4 million each year. This could be economical.
[QUOTE=valkery;43052307]I'm wondering why they even bothered with parachutes. Couldn't they have just flown lower, or in a chopper, and spot dropped the mice in known snake areas? That'd cost way less than what it did to parachute the little fuckers out of a plane.[/QUOTE]
the parachutes are designed to catch onto trees, which the snakes will then climb and supposedly consume the hanging mice.
[QUOTE=lxmach1;43053176]the parachutes are designed to catch onto trees, which the snakes will then climb and supposedly consume the hanging mice.[/QUOTE]
Does it work?
[QUOTE=Psychokitten;43053227]Does it work?[/QUOTE]
one would assume there was a little bit of forethought put into this
This can't possibly go wrong.
[QUOTE=Psychokitten;43053227]Does it work?[/QUOTE]
They most likely tested it.
So what if other animals manage to get to the mice before that specific snake species does? You're not telling me all of the 2000 mice are going to be eaten by a brown tree snake.
Biological environment analysis is very expensive.
[QUOTE=yawmwen;43052329]maybe the parachutes serve another function? snakes like to go after live prey. they like moving mice more than still mice. maybe the parachutes catch wind and will tug the little guys across the ground enough to provide a tempting meal for the snakes?[/QUOTE]
Parachutes are there to evenly distribute the mice as well as making sure they don't become red splotches of gore.
[QUOTE=Derposaurus;43052288]Won't snakes prefer to eat the live birds instead of something that's dead?[/QUOTE]
Why would they? This whole thrill of the hunt stuff doesn't exist. Food is food, whether it's caught or not. Besides, catching prey is pretty dangerous and time consuming as well as tiring, why would they want to do that?
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