An animal trap for use with a piece of bait to trap animals, such as mice. The trap includes a hollow body member having an access opening, a trap door movable between an open position in which the access opening is open and a closed position in which the access opening is closed, and a trigger structure for selectively holding the trap door in the open position. The trigger structure includes a bait holder to hold the piece of bait. The trigger structure allows the trap door to move to the closed position if the piece of bait is removed from the bait holder.

A trap is described, for catching and possibly killing animals, especially small animals such as minks and the like. The trap comprises a relatively elongated cage 1 preferably formed with a bottom, side walls, and a roof made from bars. A first end wall 2 with a preferably circular first opening 4 intended to form an entrance for the animal, and a door 7 are provided, guided by guide elements 6 to take a first position with the trap activated. In the first position, opening 4 is open, and in a second position in which the trap is deactivated, the opening 4 is closed. The trap is also provided with an activation device 8, 9, and 10 provided to act upon door 7 to bring it from the first to second position with a first touching element 10 in the cage and a second end wall 3. According to the invention, the trap is primarily characterized in that it is provided with an optically readable indicator which is legible from a relatively large distance to indicate the activated or deactivated status of the trap.

This box-type trap has a floor, two side walls, a rear wall, and a front wall with entrance opening, with a unit consisting of a top, closing lid and a front, sliding trapdoor, the triggering mechanism, and a dividing partition with bait opening hingedly attached to the rear wall, so that when the lid is closed, the trap is divided into a front entrance compartment and a smaller rear bait compartment. A strand of string, wire or other suitable material is stretched across the bait opening and attached to a pin at the bottom of the bait opening so that the animal cannot reach the bait without either biting through the strand or dislodging it from the pin. The other end of the strand is guided through a keeper, hook or eyelets along the inside of the trap to the trapdoor, which is suspended from the strand so as to allow it to slide downward when the tension on the strand is released, closing the entrance to the trap. On the front wall is mounted a dual-purpose tension device. The lower portion of this tension device will slip over the top of the trapdor when the trap has been triggered, preventing it from re-opening; the upper portion secures the lid, keeping the top of the trap closed.

A rodent trap including a bottom, two opposing side walls, a front wall with inlet opening, a rear wall with access door, a horizontal partition defining upper and lower compartments, and an openable top. The rear access door allows rodent bait to be placed in the lower compartment. The front wall inlet opening allows rodent entry to the lower compartment. In the lower compartment is disposed a pivotal trigger mechanism which is connected by linkage to a trip mechanism of a mechanical intensifier disposed in the upper compartment, and a kinetic member of the mechanical intensifier is in turn connected by linkage to a release means for a door vertically slidable from a position above the inlet opening to a position closing the inlet opening. A conventional spring-striker mouse trap may be used for said mechanical intensifier, trip mechanism and kinetic member. When a rodent steps on the trigger mechanism, a trigger linkage pulls the conventional mousetrap trip mechanism, releasing the striker wire of the conventional mousetrap to operate. Release of the striker wire, through a upper linkage, pulls a pin holding the door above the inlet opening, releasing said door to move downward under the influence of tensioning means and close the inlet opening. Closure of the trap door as aforesaid traps the rodent in the lower compartment. Release of the rodent is accomplished without accessing the lower compartment by opening the top of the trap and retracting the trap door from the upper compartment.

An animal trap is disclosed comprising an elongate, preferably air impermeable housing at one end of which is disposed a bait hook operatively associated with a trigger mechanism releasing a gate at the other end of the housing, to close same. Simultaneously with the closing, the interior of the housing is filled with an anesthetic. Thus, the animal trapped inside expires in its sleep without suffering.