"Navy Airdrops Dead, Drugged Mice in Battle With Snake Species"

"In its effort to rid the island territory of Guam of an invasive snake species, the US Navy has enlisted the help of an unlikely set of allies: Dead mice stuffed with a common painkiller.

The mice are stuffed with acetaminophen (known more commonly by its brand name, Tylenol), attached to little biodegradable "parachutes," and then airdropped into the treetops of Guam's jungle.

The idea is that the mice will be eaten by the brown tree snake -- a deadly species that was accidentally introduced to Guam after World War II and has since caused the extinction of several local species.

The dead-mouse airdrops, which began last month, are part of a plan hatched a decade ago by the US Department of Agriculture and the EPA to rid the island of brown tree snakes, reports Stars and Stripes."

Daniel Tencer reports for Raw Story October 2, 2010.