Rat

Are 50-khz calls used as play signals in the playful interactions of rats? III

When playing, rats emit 50-kHz calls which may function as play signals. A previous study using devocalized rats provides support for the hypothesis that 50-kHz function to promote and maintain playful interactions (Kisko et al., 2015). However, in that study,...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Natural Behavior, VocalizationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Kisko, T. M., Euston, D. R., Pellis, S. M. 2015. Are 50-khz calls used as play signals in the playful interactions of rats? III. The effects of devocalization on play with unfamiliar partners as juveniles and as adults. Behavioural Processes 113, 113-121.

Effect of multilevel laboratory rat caging system on the well-being of the singly-housed Sprague Dawley rat

Current regulations emphasize that good husbandry practices allow animals to engage in species appropriate postural adjustments without touching the enclosure walls. This study evaluated the well-being of rats housed in a commercially available multilevel rat caging system, with or without...

Year Published: 2015Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Wheeler, R. R., Swan, M. P., Hickman, D. L. 2015. Effect of multilevel laboratory rat caging system on the well-being of the singly-housed Sprague Dawley rat. Laboratory Animals 49(1), 10-19.

Effect of cage space on behavior and reproduction in CRl:CD(SD) and BN/Crl laboratory rats

The 2011 Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals contains recommendations regarding the amount of cage space for mothers with litters. Literature on cage-space use in breeding rats is sparse. We hypothesized that, if present, differences in behavior...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Housing, ReproductionAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Gaskill, B. N., Pritchett-Corning, K. R. 2015. Effect of cage space on behavior and reproduction in CRl:CD(SD) and BN/Crl laboratory rats. JAALAS 54(5), 497-506.

Versatile 3-D printed headstage implant for group housing of rodents

An unfavourable yet necessary side-effect of stereotaxic surgery involves the social isolation of post-surgery rats, in order to protect their wound site or skull-mounted implant from damage. Social isolation can cause a myriad of behavioural and physiological changes that are...

Year Published: 2016Topics: External Bodily Equipment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Pinnell, R. C., Almajidy, R. K., Hofmann, U. G. 2016. Versatile 3-D printed headstage implant for group housing of rodents. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 257, 134-138.

The effects of witnessing managemental procedures during the light versus the dark phase of the light cycle on behaviour, performance and welfare of laboratory rats

Research has indicated that witnessing managemental procedures are stressful to laboratory rats. Yet there has been little investigation into whether the time of witnessing these procedures affects behaviour and welfare in these animals. Ninety-six rats, representing two batches, were used...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Abou-Ismail, U. A., Mohamed, R. A., El-Kholya, S. Z. 2015. The effects of witnessing managemental procedures during the light versus the dark phase of the light cycle on behaviour, performance and welfare of laboratory rats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 162, 47-57.

The impact of early postnatal environmental enrichment on maternal care and offspring behaviour following weaning

The early postnatal period is a sensitive period in rodents as behavioural systems are developing and maturing during this time. However, relatively little information is available about the impact of environmental enrichment on offspring behaviour if enrichment is implemented only...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Li, K. A., Lund, E. T., Voigt, J.W. 2016. The impact of early postnatal environmental enrichment on maternal care and offspring behaviour following weaning. Behavioural Processes 122, 51-58.