Mouse

Environmental enrichment options for laboratory rats and mice

Environmental enrichment is the alteration of animals' microenvironment to provide them with the opportunity to perfrom species-specific behaviors that we perceive as positive, while reducing abnormal behaviors. [p. 39] Several interesting products are now available commercially, and I will review...

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Key, D. 2004. Environmental enrichment options for laboratory rats and mice. Lab Animal 33(2), 39-44.

Behavioural activity of laboratory mice in standard and furnished cages with a running wheel

Stereotypies such as bar circling, jumping and bar wheeling were only seen in the standard cages. More than half of the exploration/locomotion in furnished cages was wheel running, indicating that the running wheel is an essential component if an increase...

Year Published: 2004Animal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Olsson, I. A. S., Sherwin, C. M. 2004. Behavioural activity of laboratory mice in standard and furnished cages with a running wheel. Proceedings of the International Congress on Applied Ethology, 241 (Abstract).

Effect of pre- and postweaning housing on the behaviour of laboratory mice

It took longer to catch mice in [with nestbox, tissue nesting material, chewblock and carboard tube] Furnished (10. +/-0.53 s) than in Standard (8.7 +/- 0.36 s) cages.

Year Published: 2004Animal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Olsson, A. S., Marques, J. M. S., Ferreira, C. S. A. et al. 2004. Effect of pre- and postweaning housing on the behaviour of laboratory mice. Proceedings of the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations [FELASA] Symposium, 202 (Abstract).

Environmental enrichment results in cortical and subcortical changes in levels of synaptophysin and PSD-95 proteins

Experience-dependent plasticity is thought to involve selective change in pre-existing brain circuits, involving synaptic plasticity. One model for looking at experience-dependent plasticity is environmental enrichment (EE), where animals are exposed to a complex novel environment. Previous studies using electron microscopy...

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Nithianantharajah, J., Levis, H., Murphy, M. 2004. Environmental enrichment results in cortical and subcortical changes in levels of synaptophysin and PSD-95 proteins. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory 81, 200-210.

Providing shelter does not complicate manipulation in two mouse strains

Enrichment in the form of sheltering objects [PVC tubes] does not complicate catching or handling mice and does not interfere with management or cost of laboratory animals. FVB males should not be kept together unless such enrichment is provided.

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Moons, C., Van Wiele, P., ?dberg, F. O. 2004. Providing shelter does not complicate manipulationin two mouse strains. Proceedings of the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations [FELASA] Symposium, 212 (Abstract).

To enrich or not to enrich: providing shelter does not complicate handling of laboratory mice

It is argued that when laboratory mice can routinely retreat in sheltering objects when humans are present, they do not habituate to humans and continue to shy away, thereby increasing the time needed for husbandry and testing procedures. ... We...

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HandlingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Moons, C., Van Wiele, P., ?dberg, F. O. 2004. To enrich or not to enrich: providing shelter does not complicate handling of laboratory mice. Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science 43(4), 18-21.

Refinement of routine procedures: Can environmental enrichment reduce the stress response of laboratory mice

Female mice housed in trios in enriched cages and handled daily reacted with less anxiety to procedures than female mice housed singly in barren cages and handled only when necessary.

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Meijer, M. K., Kramer, K., Remie, R. et al. 2004. Refinement of routine procedures: Can environmental enrichment reduce the stress response of laboratory mice. Proceedings of the 4th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences - Alternatives to Laboratory Animals [ATLA] 32(Supplement), 97 (Abstract).

Effect of environmental enrichment on the reproductive performance of FVB breeding mice

The results suggest that while the enrichment devices [transparent dome with or without activity wheel] .. provided for species-ypical behavior, their use is associated with longer inter-birth intervals and smaller litters in FVB breeding mice.

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental Enrichment, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Martin, J., Nichols, D., Jenson, R. et al. 2004. Effect of environmental enrichment on the reproductive performance of FVB breeding mice. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 149(Abstract).

Effects of environmental enrichment on males of a docile inbred strain of mice

Environmental enrichment is intended to improve the welfare of laboratory animals. However, regarding male mice, numerous studies indicate an increase in aggressive behavior due to cage structuring. On the one hand, this might be a problem concerning animal welfare. On...

Year Published: 2004Animal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Marashi, V., Barnekow, A., Sachser, N. 2004. Effects of environmental enrichment on males of a docile inbred strain of mice. Physiology and Behavior 82, 765-776.

The assessment of bar chewing as an escape behaviour in laboratory mice

Results confirm that bar chewing reflects an attempt to escape the cage.

Year Published: 2004Animal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Lewis, R. S., Hurst, J. L. 2004. The assessment of bar chewing as an escape behaviour in laboratory mice. Animal Behaviour 13, 19-25.