A trap (1) for catching animals, in particular muridae, is provided with a tank (2) and a passageway (8), which extends above the tank (2) from an entry (10) and has, at the end, a container (13) for a bait; the floor of the passageway (8) is defined by a gangway (3), which opens to let an animal fall into the tank (2) and is provided with two trapdoors (14,15) hinged to one another; the first of said trapdoors (14) is hinged about a horizontal axis (16), so as to tilt from a substantially horizontal position during the opening of the gangway (3), and has a counterweight (18) to reclose the gangway (3); the gangway (3) has an attach device (24) which connects the second trapdoor (15) to a fixed retaining device (25), so as to support the first trapdoor (14) in its substantially horizontal position even when the first trapdoor (14) is subject to a weight; the attach device (24) is releasable when the weight rests on the second trapdoor (15).