Traps

Traps for animals may be handmade. One of the most unusual is the mousetrap made so that when the mouse entered the trap, it was hit on the head with a mallet. James Henry Atkinson invented the "Little Nipper" classic snapping mousetrap in 1897. Other traps were commercially manufactured and often are marked with the name of the manufacturer. Many traps were designed to be as humane as possible, and they would trap the live animal so it could be released in the woods. For more information, explore our identification guides for kitchens and tools.