How do they kill rats for dissections? And why do they all have a slit in their tail...?

Question

And how much does a school buy each one for?

Answer 1

I don't know how the rats are killed, but I do know:

-- The slit in the tail is the place where they injected the colored latex to help you identify the arteries and veins. There's usually a leftover little glob of red or blue latex right around that area.

-- Depending on the company, the size of the rats, and the quantity of rats ordered, dissection specimen rats run from about $5.00 to $12.00 each.

Answer 2

Yes, asphyxiation via CO2 is most common method. Other ways are a gullitine, or cervical dislocation. These later methods snap the spinal cord, death is instantaneous.

Answer 3

They are most likely killed with carbon dioxide gas...