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Freeze‐marking rodents with a pressurized refrigerant
Author(s) -
LAZARUS A. B.,
ROWE F. P.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
mammal review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.574
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1365-2907
pISSN - 0305-1838
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2907.1975.tb00185.x
Subject(s) - refrigerant , zoology , toxicology , chemistry , environmental science , chromatography , biology , thermodynamics , physics , gas compressor
The effectiveness of a pressurized refrigerant, dichlorodifluoromethane (CCl 2 F 2 ) for the freeze‐marking of rodents was investigated. Application for 4 sec or longer was equally effective in marking both shaven and unshaven laboratory mice ( Mus musculus ). Two species of wild iats, Rattus norvegicus and R. rattus , were also successfully marked by applying the refrigerant to unshaven animals for periods of 5–10 sec. Attempts at marking coypus ( Myocastor coypus ) were less successful. General anaesthesia was found to be unnecessary in the case of unshaven rats and mice since the refrigerant itself produced a local anaesthetic effect. The use of the refrigerant in conjunction with stencils to obtain more specific markings is discussed.