Laboratory evaluation of a toxicant-sterilant, alpha-chlorohydrin, for the control of Indian mole rat Bandicota bengalensis

A toxicant-sterilant, alpha-chlorohydrin, was evaluated against the Indian mole rat Bandicota bengalensis and the ship or house rat Rattus rattus. It caused 100% mortality of B. bengalensis at 100 mg/kg but no mortality was observed in R. rattus even at 300 mg/kg. The acute oral LD₅₀ for B. bengalensis was found to be 82 mg/kg. The survivors of B. bengalensis, which received 60 - 90 mg/kg of alpha-chlorohydrin by oral intubation, showed dose-dependent decreases in testicular weight, and cauda epididymal sperm concentration, live sperm count and sperm motility. The values of these parameters indicated that mole rats receiving the above doses would be sterile. In contrast, these changes were observed in R. rattus only at doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg. The toxic and antifertility effects of alpha-chlorohydrin observed on B. bengalensis suggest that it should be evaluated for the management of this species under held conditions.