# US gov't to air-drop toxic mice on Guam snakes **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 22, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104 "2013-02-22T20:11:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/41 "2013-02-23T17:11:56Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > Wait, do snakes eat dead mice? That was my first thought as well; I know that many reptiles and amphibians only eat (or even see; their eyes only really see movement) moving prey. I have kept toads as pets before and they only eat something that is moving (not necessarily alive), although perhaps this isn’t a problem if the mice are dangling from the trees and moving in the wind. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/42 "2013-02-23T17:18:53Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > Wait, do snakes eat dead mice? From the article: “Unlike most snakes, brown tree snakes are happy to eat prey they didn’t kill themselves…” ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/43 "2013-02-23T17:19:45Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > Wait, do snakes eat dead mice? Brown tree snakes do. Most snakes don’t. Which actually works out pretty well in this case, since brown tree snakes are the target. [Brown tree snakes are one of very few snake species that eat the corpses of dead animals that they didn’t kill themselves.](http://rt.com/usa/us-snake-guam-mice-308/) ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/44 "2013-02-23T17:28:38Z")
“I always get the shakes before a drop. I’ve had the injections, of course, and hypnotic preparation, and it stands to reason that I can’t really be afraid. Plus, I’ve been stuffed with enough acetaminophen to kill a capybara, so I’m already dead. But the fact is: I’m scared silly, every time.” _Come on, you rats! Do you wanta live forever?!?_ ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/45 "2013-02-23T17:35:25Z")
It’s a shame they didn’t go with my plan to introduce snake-eating gorillas. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/46 "2013-02-23T18:09:39Z")
I cannot believe the depths that Columbia pictures will sink to generate PR for their latest entry in the _Stuart Little_ franchise. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/47 "2013-02-24T01:30:05Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > _Come on, you rats! Do you wanta live forever?!?_ That was [Dan Daly in WWI](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Daly). ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/48 "2013-02-24T01:48:55Z")
I heard about this years ago, and the damage these snakes do is pretty horrible. I was going to say “nuke 'em from space” but then I realized that’s probably the one thing that could actually be harder on the ecosystem than the snakes. Maybe. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/49 "2013-02-24T15:42:33Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > Pfff… silly, they just need to set up a state-of-the-art passenger screening system in the airport and the snakes will be discouraged from air travel altogether. It won’t work. What discourages passengers are things like emptying their pockets and taking off their shoes. Snakes, by and large, don’t wear shoes, or have pockets. They’ll breeze right through TSA checkpoints. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/50 "2013-02-24T17:23:05Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > they’re testing or considering a number of different ideas, including snake contraception. Just stuffing those things into the condoms is a nightmare. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/51 "2013-02-24T17:25:45Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > It’s a shame they didn’t go with my plan to introduce snake-eating gorillas. The best part being that the gorillas won’t even survive through the winter, thus pre emptively solving the snake eating gorilla problem. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/52 "2013-02-26T14:53:44Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > And does a parachuting mouse squeak “Mickey!” as it plummets towards the ground? Nope. “Geronimouse!” ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/53 "2013-02-27T03:40:52Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > …are you pondering what I’m pondering? Well, I think so, Brain. But “Mice on a Plane”? _Poit!_ Won’t people think it’s just too derivative? ---
**Author:** ![sbunny8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@sbunny8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sbunny8)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/54 "2013-03-06T16:03:09Z")
> [@Tully\_Mars](#): > > “With god as my witness, I thought mice could fly.” > – apologies to Les Nessman That was Arthur Carlson, and he was talking to Randy Travis. Les wasn’t in the room. ---
**Author:** ![Thuringwethil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@Thuringwethil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thuringwethil)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/55 "2013-03-06T16:06:50Z")
> [@solosam](#): > > And for years the forest canopy will be littered with tiny mouse parachutes. Maybe the parachutes will be biodegradable. ---
**Author:** ![Thuringwethil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@Thuringwethil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thuringwethil)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/56 "2013-03-06T16:09:57Z")
> [@Tully\_Mars](#): > > “With god as my witness, I thought mice could fly.” > > – apologies to Les Nessman Actually that was Arthur Carlson’s line, addressed to Andy (not Randy) Travis. ---
**Author:** ![Fenshaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Fenshaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenshaw)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/57 "2013-03-07T16:28:28Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Here’s the USDA web page about this. Along with the toxic mice (acetaminophen is very toxic to brown treesnakes) they’re testing or considering a number of different ideas, including snake contraception. Ooo! Ooo! Tiny little snake condoms with squiggly snake instructions on how to use them. I imagine that if any of the parachuting mice yell (squeak) anything, it will be “Idonwannago,” just like fledgling paratroopers do now. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/58 "2013-03-13T15:34:04Z")
> [@solosam](#): > > Drone warfare! Think of all those poor, innocent baby snakes! It’s not their fault they’re snakes! Several hundred million Hindus disagree. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/59 "2013-03-13T20:58:34Z")
I’m seeing a new Pacific island religion starting. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2013, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/60 "2013-03-14T13:42:45Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > It won’t work. What discourages passengers are things like emptying their pockets and taking off their shoes. Snakes, by and large, don’t wear shoes, or have pockets. They’ll breeze right through TSA checkpoints. This sounds like a job for… [del]RACIAL[/del] SPECIES PROFILING! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104.md?page=4)