Date of Award:

5-1951

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Wildland Resources

Department name when degree awarded

Zoology

Committee Chair(s)

Jessop B. Low

Committee

Jessop B. Low

Committee

D. M. Hammond

Committee

J. S. Stanford

Committee

Wayne Binns

Abstract

The most destructive animals in the world are rats (Rattus sp.). The annual destruction caused by rats in the United States is not known. but it has been estimated to be $189,000,000, according to Silver (1942) of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Silver states that our nation’s farmers lose approximately $6,000,000 annually. Rats not only eat vast amounts of food meant for human and livestock consumption, but they contaminate and waste as much or more than they eat. Rats are able to gnaw into buildings, grain bins, and other places were food and shelter are available to them. Other feeding habits may be more destructive, such as the killing of baby chicks, baby pigs, lambs, and at times, full-grown hens and ducks. Several hundred baby chicks have been known to be killed in a single night. With today' s need for increased human and livestock food throughout the world, we cannot afford to feed millions or rats.

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