U.S. Department of Agriculture: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

 

Date of this Version

2011

Citation

Integrative Zoology 2011; 6: 409-419; doi: 10.1111/j.1749-4877.2011.00247.x

Abstract

Grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) are an invasive species in Britain and Italy. They have replaced native red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) throughout most of Britain, and cause damage to trees. Currently, lethal control is used to manage grey squirrel populations in Britain, but nonlethal methods might be more acceptable to the public. One such method is contraception with 20,25-diazacholesterol dihydrochloride (DiazaConTM). DiazaConTM inhibits the conversion of desmosterol to cholesterol, resulting in increasing desmosterol concentrations and decreasing cholesterol concentrations. Because cholesterol is needed for the synthesis of steroid reproductive hormones, such as progesterone and testosterone, inhibition of cholesterol synthesis indirectly inhibits reproduction. Desmosterol is used as a marker of efficacy in laboratory studies with species that do not reproduce readily in captivity. Grey squirrels were gavaged with a DiazaConTM solution for 2 days, and then fed DiazaConTM- coated peanuts for an additional 8 days at target doses of 50 and 100 mg DiazaConTM per kg body weight. There was a significant difference in cholesterol concentrations in the treatment groups compared to the control group. Cholesterol was reduced by ≥40% for 2 months in both treatment groups. There were no differences among groups with respect to blood chemistry and hematology parameters, and mean values are reported. The mean overall dose of DiazaConTM received was 29.0 ± 1.6 and 55.3 ± 4.3 mg/kg in the low (50 mg/kg) and high dose (100 mg/kg) groups, respectively. DiazaConTM might provide an effective, acceptable alternative to lethal control.

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