Testing of Lithium Chloride Aversion to Mitigate Raccoon Depredation of Loggerhead Turtle Nests
Lithium chloride aversive conditioning to reduce raccoon (Procyon lotor) predation of loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) nests was tested under laboratory and field conditions. A total dosage of 1.0 g was determined to produce side effects (diarrhee and emesis) soon after ingestion, and the negative taste reaction to the drug was eliminated when a dosage level of 0.25 g/egg was administered. In separate phases of laboratory testing on 37 raccoons, an aversive conditioned response was observed in only a few individuals. During field testing, there was no significant difference (t = 1.11; P...
