Our glossary of wildlife control terms and acronyms is an ongoing project. If you have a term, which you would like to have defined, please let us know. We are here to help you.
Glossary of Wildlife Damage Management Terms
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| ACO |
An acronym for Animal Control Officer. This is a typical title for individuals employed by government agencies to handle stray dogs, cats, and other domestic animals. However, in some communities, ACO's handle wildlife complaints as well. |
| Body-Gripping Trap |
A type of trap, designed to kill the animal by collapsing the animal's throat/thorax. Traps of this type include, Koro, Conibear, etc. Click for Photo |
| Colony Trap |
A device designed to capture more than one animal at a time. Colony traps are used to capture muskrats, bats and flying squirrels. Colony traps used for mice are typically called "multi-catch traps" Click for Photo of a mouse multi-catch trap. |
| Coon |
Slang term used by wildlife control operators when talking about raccoons. In wildlife control circles, it is not a racist term. |
| Egg Trap |
Species specific trap designed to capture a raccoon. Click for photo |
| Euthanasia |
Literally means "Good Death." Euthanasia is a term used to describe methods of killing animals that are deemed to cause the least amount of pain and distress. Typically, approved methods include, Carbon-dioxode narcosis, lethal injection, and others. Learn more at Euthanasia |
| Exclusion |
- Activities and products used to prevent an animal from gaining access to or cause damage to areas and items deemed valuable by humans. For example, installing a stainless steel chimney cap on one's chimney prevents raccoons from residing inside. Chimney Cap
- Activities taken by an animal controller to evict a resident animal from a location. NWCO's will install one-way doors over squirrel holes to allow the squirrel to leave the structure but be unable to reinvade the structure.
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| Foothold |
Term used by professionals to correct the more popular term for the trap "leghold." The word foothold is a better one as it more accurately reflects where the trap should catch the animal. An animal's foot is more padded and provides a better more human catching point than the leg. Foothold image |
| Grinner |
Slang for opossum. The term most likely originated from the observation that opossums often have their mouth open showing off their 50 sharp teeth. |
| Invasive Species |
A term to identify animals that exist in an area that was not part of their historic range except that their activity and presence causes negative environmental impact. For example, the Burmese python is an invasive species in the Florida everglades that is threatening native species. |
| Live Trap |
- In common parlance, the term used to describe cages or boxes that capture the animal without grasping any part of its body and without killing it. Unfortunately, this term makes people think that traps that aren't boxes or cages necessarily must be kill traps. This isn't the case. Footholds, snares and other devices, can also (and usually do) capture animals without killing them.
- Term used to describe a constellation of traps used to capture wildlife without killing or harming them, such as footholds, snares, box and cage traps.
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| Multi-catch Trap |
See "Colony Trap" |
| NWCO |
It is pronounced "NewKo" and is an acronym which stands for Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator. A NWCO is a professional who handles wildlife damage complaints. See "WCO." |
| NWCOA |
An acronym (pronounced, New-Koh-ah) for the National Wildlife Control Operators Association. To learn more visit NWCOA.com |
| PAC |
An acronym for Problem Animal Controller. PAC's (pronounced 'Packs') is the acronym used to describe wildlife control professionals in the state of Massachusetts. It is a synonym for NWCO and WCO. |
| PCO |
An acronym for Pest Control Operator. While wildlife control operators can be understood as pest controllers, the term PCO is normally used to designate those involved in the management of insects and vermin such as mice and rats. Typically, PCO's don't handle wildlife like raccoons, skunks, moles, etc. |
| Physical Control |
A term usually used by Pest Controllers to refer to techniques in mitigating pest problems without the use of toxicants or fumigants. Physical control methods can include, but are not limited to, vacuuming, trapping, etc. |
| 'Possum |
Slang for opossum. |
| Relocation |
An event where an animal is moved from where it was captured to another nearby location but within the immediate vicinity. For example, moving a squirrel from a person's basement and releasing it on the backyard. See Translocation. To learn why translocation is such a bad idea, click inhumane |
| Repellent |
A chemical, audible or visual device purported to keep wildlife
away from a certain area or material. Repellents rely on one of the
following modes of action, fear, pain, or tactile response. Click
repellent |
| RUP |
Acronym for Restricted Use Pesticide. Restricted Use Pesticides are those whose use requires one to be licensed by the government's pesticide licensing board. |
| Secondary Poisoning |
Mortality that results from an animal's consumption of another animal that succumbed to pesticides. For example, a number of house mice die from mouse poison. A scavenger eats the carcasses of the poisoned mice, and dies from the toxicant still resident in the carcasses of the poisoned mice. |
| Translocation |
An even where an animal is moved and released a great distance from where it was captured. For example, a squirrel caught on your property and then transported 20 miles away and released. Translocated animals often suffer from disorientation and therefore die due to the inability to find food, water and shelter quickly enough. To learn why translocation is such a bad idea, click inhumane |
| WCO |
An acronym which stands for Wildlife Control Operator. A synonym to NWCO. Some professionals prefer being called WCO's rather than NWCO's as they don't like to call wildlife a nuisance. |
| Zoonosis |
Diseases transmittable from animals to humans. Click for
disease information |
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