An experimental test of the toxicity of cereal pellets containing brodifacoum to the snails of Henderson Island, South Pacific

An experimental test on Henderson Island found no significant toxicity of brodifacoum-laced cereal pellets to endemic snails. The study, conducted by Brooke et al. (2011), involved housing snails in captivity for up to 10 days with and without access to the poisoned pellets. Results showed no detectable differences in survival rates between the two groups, nor were there significant differences in brodifacoum concentrations among those that died or survived, with the toxin detected in only a few samples. This suggests that brodifacoum, commonly used for invasive rodent eradication on islands, does not pose a risk to Henderson Island's snails. While caution is advised before applying these findings to other sites due to potential variability, the study provides valuable insights into the ecological impacts of this anti-coagulant poison.

Brooke, M. d. L., Cuthbert, R. J., Mateo, R., & Taggart, M. A. (2011). An experimental test of the toxicity of cereal pellets containing brodifacoum to the snails of Henderson Island, South Pacific. Wildlife Research, 38(1), 34–38. https://doi.org/10.1071/wr10132