A biological bait for trapping red-eared turtles and a preparation method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a biological bait for trapping red-eared turtles and a preparation method thereof, relates to the technical field of aquatic organism trapping and foreign invasive species prevention and control, and discloses the bait which only adopts natural fresh animal raw materials, does not need to additionally add grease, smell food additive and chemical preservative, can be completely naturally degraded after being put into water, does not cause secondary pollution to the water ecological environment, accords with the green prevention and control concept of foreign invasive organisms, and is suitable for the directional trapping and prevention and control of red-eared turtles in various waters such as urban wetland parks, artificial landscape lakes and breeding ponds.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aquatic organism trapping and invasive species control technology, specifically to a biological bait for trapping red-eared sliders and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Red-eared slider ( Trachemys scripta elegans The red-eared slider, also known as the Brazilian turtle or red-eared slider, belongs to the genus *Typhonium* in the family Geoemydidae of the order Testudines. Native to the Mississippi River basin and the Gulf Coast region of the south-central United States, it is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as one of the world's 100 most dangerous invasive species. This species is omnivorous, has a high reproductive rate, and is highly tolerant of its environment. After invading the wild, it preys on native aquatic organisms, competes with native freshwater turtles such as the Chinese pond turtle and the Chinese painted turtle for food, basking space, and breeding habitat, and can carry and spread pathogens such as Salmonella, posing a serious threat to the biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems and public health in the invaded areas. Currently, red-eared sliders have established stable wild populations in natural waters in several provinces and cities in my country, and the invasion situation is severe, urgently requiring efficient and environmentally friendly control technologies.

[0003] Due to pet abandonment, escape from captive breeding farms, and release into the wild, the red-eared slider has successfully invaded the global market and has been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as one of the world's 100 most dangerous invasive species. Numerous wild records have been found in Guangdong, Taiwan, and Hainan provinces of my country, including in major river systems, urban lakes, and some nature reserves. Stable breeding populations have formed in many areas, and the ecological risks and potential harms posed by this invasion are gradually becoming apparent. These ecological issues have attracted the attention of researchers and management departments.

[0004] Currently, the main method for controlling invasive species like the red-eared slider turtle, which have already established wild populations, is physical trapping. Studies have shown that the attraction effect of bait and trapping devices is a crucial factor in the trapping process, and the appropriate selection of bait and devices can improve the trapping efficiency. Existing methods for trapping red-eared sliders largely follow conventional fishing and freshwater turtle methods, with mainstream control measures using hoop traps and basket traps. There are also patents focusing on the structural design of trapping devices, such as wind-powered and gravity-triggered one-way channels. However, these devices typically do not use bait or use general baits such as fresh fish, canned food, and liver. The baits used mainly include single meats (fish, poultry, livestock, etc.) and processed baits (canned fish, pet food, cooked food, etc.), which are mostly universal fish and freshwater turtle baits. There is a lack of research and development on systematic screening and formula optimization specifically for the red-eared slider turtle's dietary preferences, resulting in deficiencies in bait specificity, persistence, and environmental friendliness. Therefore, developing a high-efficiency, readily available, simple to prepare, low-cost, and environmentally friendly biological feed for red-eared sliders is a technical challenge that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a biological bait for catching red-eared sliders and its preparation method. The bait is precisely optimized for the dietary preferences of red-eared sliders, resulting in high trapping efficiency, environmental friendliness, and readily available raw materials. Furthermore, the preparation method for this biological bait is simple and suitable for on-site preparation and use.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the technical solution adopted by this invention is as follows: A biological bait for catching red-eared sliders is provided, consisting of an eye-spotted totoaba and duck breast meat.

[0007] Furthermore, the mass ratio of the spotted tocotomy to duck breast meat is 1:(1~3).

[0008] Furthermore, the mass ratio of the spotted totoaba to duck breast meat is 1:2.

[0009] Furthermore, the eye-spotted totoaba ( Sciaenops ocellatus The meat is boneless and cleaned fresh meat; the duck breast meat is skinless pectoral muscle fresh meat from large-scale farmed ducks.

[0010] The present invention also provides a method for preparing the above-mentioned biological bait for catching red-eared sliders, comprising the following steps: removing the bones from the spotted totoaba and removing the skin from the duck breast meat, mincing them separately into meat paste, mixing them thoroughly and evenly according to a preset mass ratio, and then shaping them to obtain the bait.

[0011] Furthermore, the shaping process involves kneading the bait into a round cake shape; no oils or odor-inducing additives are added during the preparation process, and the resulting biological bait is prepared and used immediately at room temperature.

[0012] The present invention also provides the application of the above-mentioned biological bait in trapping invasive red-eared sliders in urban wetland parks, artificial landscape lakes or aquaculture ponds.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention precisely matches the dietary preferences of red-eared sliders, discovering a unique bait combination of spotted totoaba and duck breast meat at a 1:2 weight ratio. This combination produces a significant synergistic feeding effect, reducing the initial feeding time to just 6.30±0.69 seconds, 86.3% shorter than using a single optimal natural ingredient. This is far superior to traditional animal offal, canned fish, and commercially available turtle food, demonstrating a high specificity for red-eared sliders and significantly improving the trapping response speed. Field application in breeding ponds has verified that this bait can halve the time required to capture a total of 60 red-eared sliders, achieving a comprehensive capture efficiency of 79.33% over a 7-day trial period. The daily capture rate is significantly increased, effectively accelerating the elimination of invasive species, shortening the control operation cycle, and enhancing the active capture capability of cage-type traps, thus optimizing the capture efficiency of different types of traps.

[0014] The bait of this invention uses only natural fresh animal raw materials, without the need for additional oils, odor-attracting additives, or chemical preservatives. It can completely degrade naturally after being put into the water, without causing secondary pollution to the aquatic ecosystem, which is in line with the concept of green control of invasive alien species. Moreover, both raw materials are common fresh food ingredients on the market, which are convenient to purchase and cost-controllable. The preparation process is simple and easy to carry out, without the need for complicated processing equipment. It can be prepared and used at room temperature, which can meet the needs of large-scale field control operations. It is suitable for targeted trapping and control of red-eared sliders in various waters such as urban wetland parks, artificial landscape lakes, and aquaculture ponds. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The specific embodiments of the present invention are described below to enable those skilled in the art to understand the present invention. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the scope of the specific embodiments. For those skilled in the art, various changes are obvious as long as they are within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined and determined by the appended claims. All inventions utilizing the concept of the present invention are protected.

[0016] Example 1 A biological bait for catching red-eared sliders consists of boneless, cleaned meat from a spotted totoaba and skinless, fresh meat from a duck breast, with a mass ratio of 1:2.

[0017] Preparation method: Take 1 part by weight of boneless totoaba meat and 2 parts by weight of skinless duck breast meat, and grind them into uniform mince using a meat grinder; mix the two mince thoroughly and knead them by hand into round cakes with a diameter of 3.5cm and a thickness of 0.5cm, with each cake weighing about 10g, to obtain the biological bait, which should be prepared and used at room temperature.

[0018] Example 2 A biological bait for catching red-eared sliders consists of boneless, cleaned meat from a spotted totoaba and skinless, fresh meat from a duck breast, in a 1:1 mass ratio. The preparation method is the same as in Example 1.

[0019] Example 3 A biological bait for catching red-eared sliders consists of boneless, cleaned meat from a spotted totoaba and skinless, fresh meat from a duck breast, in a mass ratio of 1:3. The preparation method is the same as in Example 1.

[0020] Example 4 To verify the feeding specificity and effectiveness of the biological bait of this invention, parallel comparative tests were conducted on the baits prepared in Examples 1-3, and multiple comparative groups were also set up. The testing method was uniformly as follows: Five red-eared sliders of similar size and health status, acclimatized for 14 days, were placed in separate experimental ponds. Before the experiment, all turtles were kept under the same feeding conditions. During the experiment, each group was given five portions of the same treated bait, each weighing 10 ± 0.2 g. The time to the first feeding by the red-eared slider (the time from bait placement to the first definite bite) was used as the evaluation index; a shorter time indicated a stronger feeding effect. Each group was repeated multiple times. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS and expressed as mean ± standard error. The significance level was set at p < 0.05.

[0021] The comparison group settings are as follows: Comparative Group 1: Only boneless and cleaned meat of the spotted totoaba was used, cut and minced into bait samples of the same weight as in Example 1.

[0022] Comparative Group 2: Only skinless fresh duck breast meat was used, cut into bait samples of the same weight as in Example 1.

[0023] Comparison Group 3: Using a single freshwater fish (basa fish) Pangasius bocourti The boneless meat was cut and minced into bait samples of the same weight as in Example 1.

[0024] Comparative Group 4: The fish was prepared by mixing spotted totoaba, duck breast, and pork belly in a mass ratio of 1:2:1, using the same method as in Example 1.

[0025] Comparative Group 5: Based on the formulation of Example 1, 5% by weight of cod liver oil was added, and the preparation method was the same as in Example 1.

[0026] Comparative Group 6: Based on the formula of Example 1, 5% by weight of duck liver powder was added, and the preparation method was the same as in Example 1.

[0027] Comparative Group 7: Based on the formula of Example 1, 5% by weight of krill powder was added, and the preparation method was the same as in Example 1.

[0028] Comparison Group 8: Commercially available canned oil-packed mackerel (white-bellied mackerel) Scomber japonicus The contents were adjusted to the same weight as those in Example 1 to form a bait sample.

[0029] Comparative Group 9: Commercially available ordinary dry turtle food, weighed in the same amount as in Example 1 as the test sample.

[0030] To comprehensively and objectively verify the feeding effect of the bait of this invention on red-eared sliders, this embodiment constructs a control system covering a single natural raw material category and commercially available finished bait. The selection of all control raw materials was not arbitrary; vertical comparison experiments were also conducted for each category. The method for vertical comparison experiments is consistent with the parallel experiments described above, so it will not be elaborated further. The vertical comparison experiments compared various freshwater fish, different parts of duck meat, different commercially available canned marine fish, and different commercially available pet foods. The optimal selection for each category was compared with the method of this invention to eliminate the interference of the performance shortcomings of the control raw materials themselves on the experimental conclusions, ensuring the persuasiveness and rigor of the final effect comparison.

[0031] The results of the first feeding time test for each group of baits are shown in Table 1 below.

[0032] Table 1

[0033] As shown in Table 1, Example 1 of the present invention has the lowest value among all groups, which means that the bait has the fastest feeding speed and the strongest attraction under this ratio, and is the optimal formula obtained in this experiment.

[0034] In Example 2, the first feeding time was 13.60±1.59s, which showed a good feeding effect, but it was significantly lower than that of Example 1 with the optimal ratio, indicating that the reduction in the proportion of duck meat would weaken the overall feeding performance.

[0035] Example 3 showed better results than Example 2, but still not as good as Example 1, proving that there is an optimal synergistic range for the two ingredients. It is not that the higher the proportion of duck meat, the better the effect. 1:2 is the ratio point where the aroma and flavor of the two ingredients have the strongest synergistic effect.

[0036] Comparative groups 1 and 2 used single-ingredient totoaba and single-ingredient duck breast meat as test ingredients, respectively. Both are superior single-ingredient ingredients in natural baits. Although the differences were not significant, the initial feeding time of both was higher than that of the binary combination in Example 1. Specifically, the initial feeding time of single-ingredient totoaba was 10.73±3.75s, which was about 41.3% shorter than that of the optimal single-ingredient control group 1. The initial feeding time of single-ingredient duck breast was 33.95±7.22s, which was about 81.4% shorter than that of control group 2. This fully demonstrates that the combination of totoaba and duck breast meat produced a significant synergistic feeding effect, far superior to the effect of any single ingredient, directly reflecting the core technical value of the binary combination formula.

[0037] In control group 3, the basa fish, a freshwater species with the best feeding effect, was used for testing. The first feeding time was 38.99±5.52s. The first feeding time of Example 1 was shortened by about 83.8% compared with this group. This was used to verify the irreplaceability of the core ingredient, the spotted totoaba. It can be seen that after replacing the spotted totoaba from seawater with ordinary freshwater fish, the feeding effect of the single ingredient declined significantly. This further illustrates that the spotted totoaba used in this invention cannot be replaced by any fish. The selection of raw materials has clear targeting and species adaptability.

[0038] In control group 4, pork was added as a third component to the binary formula to prepare a ternary bait with a ratio of 1:2:1 for the spotted croaker, duck, and pork. The first feeding time was 12.83 ± 2.52 seconds, which was longer than that of the binary formula in Example 1. The feeding effect was not increased but decreased, indicating that adding a third component did not further improve the feeding performance. The binary formula of this invention has achieved the optimal effect of component ratio. The extra components will dilute the odor release concentration of the core feeding component, which is not conducive to rapid feeding. At the same time, the binary formula also simplifies the raw material composition and reduces the preparation cost.

[0039] Comparative groups 5, 6, and 7 were prepared by adding 5% of three common palatability enhancers—cod liver oil, duck liver powder, and krill powder—to the formula of Example 1, respectively. The initial feeding time for group 5 (with cod liver oil) was 6.93±1.17s, and for group 6 (with duck liver powder) it was 8.16±2.91s. Neither group showed a significant difference compared to Example 1, and neither group produced a further improvement. However, the initial feeding time for group 7 (with krill powder) was 21.78±4.10s, a significant increase, indicating a marked decrease in palatability. This demonstrates that the basic formula of this invention already possesses strong palatability, eliminating the need for additional palatability enhancers. Adding additional enhancers is not only ineffective but can even have negative effects. This result supports the green formula characteristics of this invention—no chemical additives and no additional palatability enhancers—while also simplifying the preparation process and reducing raw material costs.

[0040] Control groups 8 and 9 used oil-packed canned seafood (white-bellied mackerel). Scomber japonicus A test was conducted comparing the product with commercially available turtle food, both of which are commonly used commercially available baits for trapping red-eared sliders in the wild. The commercially available oil-packed canned fish (white-bellied mackerel) was also tested. Scomber japonicus The initial feeding time of the product was 37.96±5.41s, while that of commercially available turtle food was 98.81±19.74s. The initial feeding time of both products was much higher than that of the formula in the embodiment of this invention. The feeding speed of commercially available turtle food was even less than one-sixteenth of that of the optimal formula of this invention. This fully demonstrates the technical advantage of this invention, which is specifically optimized for the diet of red-eared sliders. It is far superior to general-purpose commercial bait and can greatly improve the trapping response speed and field operation efficiency.

[0041] Overall, multiple controlled experiments have fully verified that the binary combination of spotted totoaba and duck breast meat of this invention has a significant synergistic feeding effect. The optimal ratio of the two by mass is 1:2. The core ingredient, spotted totoaba, is irreplaceable. Adding a third component or common feeding aids cannot further improve the effect. The binary additive-free formula is the best overall solution, and its feeding speed is much faster than that of commercially available products. It has a significant advantage in targeting red-eared sliders.

[0042] Example 5: Comparison of capture effects in pilot-scale trials at a fish farm To verify the practical application effect, a pilot-scale experiment was conducted in a turtle farm's breeding pond in Haikou City. Three identical independent experimental ponds were set up, each stocked with 100 healthy adult red-eared sliders. Each pond was equipped with a basking platform and a floating cage. A feed group and a no-feed control group were established. The feed group used the biological bait described in Example 1, placed in a perforated transparent plastic bait box (12.5 mm). 10 (3.2 cm), with a single bait box containing approximately 50g of bait. Bait boxes are placed simultaneously on the basking platform and in the cage with a float. The blank control group was not fed any bait. The device was set up at 17:00 every day and retrieved and counted at 16:00 the next day. The number of animals caught each day was recorded, and the time required to catch a total of 60 animals was calculated. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0043] Table 2

[0044] Table 2 shows that the bait group captured 60 red-eared sliders in just 4 days, while the control group required 8 days. The bait group's capture time was only half that of the control group, demonstrating that the bait of this invention can significantly accelerate the capture rate of the red-eared slider population, rapidly reduce population density, and effectively shorten the cycle of field control operations. Regarding the complete experimental cycle, the bait group's experimental cycle was 7 days, while the control group's was 8 days. The bait group achieved a total capture of 238 turtles within the shorter experimental cycle, with a comprehensive capture efficiency of 79.33%, while the control group only captured 184 turtles. This shows that the bait of this invention not only improves the capture speed but also achieves a higher overall population clearance rate, strengthening the control effect of invasive species. In terms of average daily capture, the bait group captured an average of 34 turtles per day, while the control group captured an average of 23 turtles per day. The bait group's average daily capture level was significantly higher than the control group, demonstrating that the bait of this invention has a continuous and stable feeding attraction, maintaining high capture efficiency over a multi-day operation cycle. From the capture distribution of different trapping devices, in the bait group, 149 turtles were captured in the cages, accounting for 62.6% of the total capture, while 89 turtles were captured on the floating platform, accounting for 37.4% of the total capture, with the cage capture rate being significantly higher. In contrast, in the blank control group, 110 turtles were captured on the floating platform and 74 turtles were captured in the cages, with the floating platform capture rate being higher. This difference indicates that the bait of this invention can actively attract red-eared sliders into the cage device through scent, transforming the passive capture that originally relied on the turtles' spontaneous basking behavior into active, directional capture, effectively improving the capture efficiency of cage-type trapping devices and optimizing the capture structure of different devices. Overall, the biological bait of this invention exhibits excellent trapping effects in actual aquaculture waters, significantly accelerating the population capture rate, shortening the control cycle, and improving the overall capture efficiency. It also effectively enhances the active capture capability of the trapping device, verifying the practicality and efficiency of this bait in the prevention and control of red-eared slider invasions. It can provide reliable technical support for the prevention and control of invasive species in various waters such as urban wetland parks, artificial landscape lakes, and aquaculture ponds.

Claims

1. A biological bait for catching red-eared sliders, characterized in that, It consists of croaker with eye spots and duck breast meat.

2. The biological bait for catching red-eared sliders according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mass ratio of the spotted tococarp to duck breast meat is 1:(1~3).

3. The biological bait for catching red-eared sliders according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mass ratio of the spotted tococarp to duck breast meat is 1:

2.

4. The biological bait for catching red-eared sliders according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spotted croaker ( Sciaenops ocellatus The meat is boneless and cleaned fresh meat; the duck breast meat is skinless pectoral muscle fresh meat from large-scale farmed ducks.

5. A method for preparing a biological bait for trapping red-eared sliders as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Remove the bones from the spotted totoaba and the skin from the duck breast. Grind them separately into minced meat, mix them thoroughly according to the preset mass ratio, and shape them to obtain the final product.

6. The preparation method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The shaping process involves kneading the bait into a round cake shape; no oils or odor-inducing additives are added during the preparation process, and the resulting biological bait is prepared and used immediately at room temperature.

7. The application of the biological bait according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in trapping invasive red-eared sliders in urban wetland parks, artificial landscape lakes or aquaculture ponds.

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