Alpha-Chloralose
Definition
A narcotic compound used legally for bird capture at low doses; at higher doses, fatally hypothermic. Illegal use targets raptors. Identified by GC-MS or HPLC in tissue extracts.
- Legal use
- Bird capture at low dose
- Illegal use
- Raptor poisoning
- Toxic effect
- Fatal hypothermia at high dose
- Detection method
- GC-MS or HPLC of tissue extracts
Common questions
Why does alpha-chloralose kill by hypothermia rather than a more typical poisoning mechanism?+
It depresses the central nervous system's thermoregulatory control, so an affected bird loses the ability to maintain body temperature and dies of exposure even in conditions it would normally tolerate, which distinguishes the pathology from most other avicides.
How do investigators distinguish legitimate capture use from criminal poisoning?+
Legitimate capture uses carefully controlled low doses in bait designed for temporary sedation and recovery, whereas poisoning cases involve much higher concentrations in bait placed to kill, so tissue and stomach content concentrations alongside bait placement and target species help establish intent.
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