POTENTIAL OF 3 RODENTICIDES TO INDUCE CONDITIONED AVERSION TO THEIR BAITS IN THE INDIAN MOLE-RAT, BANDICOTA-BENGALENSIS

The Indian mole rat, Bandicota bengalensis, after ingestion of a suble thal (SLB) amount of zinc phosphide in bait, developed conditioned ave rsion (CA) toward its lethal bait (LB) for variable periods ranging fr om 7 to 474 days. The maximum period for which it retained memory of s ublethal poisoning was 58 days. With successive exposures to LB the av ersive response became stronger. Four out of 20 rats that developed CA with zinc phosphide showed individual variations in food preferences and susceptibility to LB. Ingestion of a SLB single dose of the antico agulant rodenticides brodifacoum and bromadiolone did not prevent any rat ingesting lethal amounts, but did affect the consumption of LB of brodifacoum. Unlike other species of rodents, B. bengalensis readily r eturns to feed on the bait in which it ingested the poison.