Animal trap for capturing burrowing animals

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention provides a trap particularly suited for capturing burrowing animals, the present trap being disposable within tunnels created by said animals with minimum disturbance to the subterranean environment.
A burrowing animal moving along a tunnel in which the present trap has been disposed has little indication that a trap is located within the tunnel until the trap has actually been entered and triggered in a manner to prevent escape from the trap.
The present trap takes the form of an elongated receptacle having a trigger plate mechanism forming a barrier at the end thereof opposite the end of the trap through which the animal enters, the trigger plate mechanism activating a guillotine barrier at the entry end on contact by the animal with the trigger plate mechanism.
The guillotine surmounts the open end of the trap while the trap is in the "set" position, the barrier comprising a gate which is held open against a coil spring by a trigger rod which extends the length of the trap to connect to the trigger plate mechanism, movement of the trigger plate mechanism causing disengagement between the trigger rod and the closable guillotine gate.
The trigger plate mechanism is caused to function on movement of an animal into contact therewith, a plate extending into the interior of the trap being padded to prevent arousing the suspicion of an animal which comes in contact therewith.
The trigger plate itself further acts to form a barrier at the end of the trap opposite the guillotine gate which is activated on displacement of the trigger plate.
The present trap is further provided with adjustment structure which allows setting of the force which is necessary to displace the trigger plate and thereby activate the guillotine gate for closure of the trap.
Therefore, the sensitivity necessary for effective operation of the trap can be varied as desired.
Upper portions of the present trap are formed of continuous sheet metal or the like to form a semi-circular overhead arch which prevents entry of loose soil or other debris into the interior of the trap from above