Martin Nowak
Active member
Do we need urban rat snakes ?
Avoid the dangers of poisons ?
Not a direct citation about herps ... but perhaps modeling the peregrine falcon releases to control urban pigeons ... urban rat snakes ?
“If we are, as some city officials have said, in a war with rats, we are clearly losing. We’ve been losing for years.
Although cities have ramped up their use of poisons and traps, the number of rats in places like New York City, San Francisco, and Toronto has increased in recent years, according to a new study published in the journal Science Advances. The researchers analyzed rat complaints and inspection reports for 16 cities that had consistent, long-term data available. More than two-thirds of those cities saw a significant increase in rat sightings.” (1)
Much like peregrine falcons have been introduced to cities to control urban pigeons.
“That’s why peregrine falcons tend to be welcomed (and even introduced) into urban settings! By controlling the pigeon population, they help keep the cities’ structures from being damaged by the chemicals in pigeon poop.” (3)
https://www.biographic.com/the-futu...ail&utm_term=0_b27a691814-65192fafeb-49193211 (1)
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articl...=email&utm_campaign=Daily newsletter 2/5/2025 (2)
https://openbooks.library.umass.edu/thefalconproject/chapter/prey-and-hunting/ (3)
Avoid the dangers of poisons ?
Not a direct citation about herps ... but perhaps modeling the peregrine falcon releases to control urban pigeons ... urban rat snakes ?
“If we are, as some city officials have said, in a war with rats, we are clearly losing. We’ve been losing for years.
Although cities have ramped up their use of poisons and traps, the number of rats in places like New York City, San Francisco, and Toronto has increased in recent years, according to a new study published in the journal Science Advances. The researchers analyzed rat complaints and inspection reports for 16 cities that had consistent, long-term data available. More than two-thirds of those cities saw a significant increase in rat sightings.” (1)
Much like peregrine falcons have been introduced to cities to control urban pigeons.
“That’s why peregrine falcons tend to be welcomed (and even introduced) into urban settings! By controlling the pigeon population, they help keep the cities’ structures from being damaged by the chemicals in pigeon poop.” (3)
https://www.biographic.com/the-futu...ail&utm_term=0_b27a691814-65192fafeb-49193211 (1)
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articl...=email&utm_campaign=Daily newsletter 2/5/2025 (2)
https://openbooks.library.umass.edu/thefalconproject/chapter/prey-and-hunting/ (3)
