Field immobilization of wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) with medetomidine and ketamine and antagonism with atipamezole.

Two anesthesia protocols using ketamine plus medetomidine and reversed with atipamezole were assessed for anesthesia of 148 wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) sampled under field conditions in northeastern Spain. In both protocols, induction was rapid (mean 76 sec), but recovery was slow (100 min), and mortality was relatively high (9%).