Rodent

A systematic review of the effects of musical enrichment on captive mammals (2025)

Forty two studies examining physiological, behavioural and cognitive mammalian responses to music were identified, with 38.1% of those studies focusing on primates. The studies identified included 23 mammalian species across six animal orders (Artiodactyla, Carnivora, Perissodactyla, Primates, Proboscidea and Rodentia)....

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Cat, Chimpanzee, Chinchilla, Dog, Gerbil, Gibbon, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Mole Rat, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Other Rodent, Owl Monkey, Rat, Rodent, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Alkalaj, M. 2025. A systematic review of the effects of musical enrichment on captive mammals. Canopy 25(2).

Pup recruitment in a eusocial mammal—Which factors influence early pup survival in naked mole-rats?

In eusocial insects, offspring survival strongly depends on the quality and quantity of non-breeders. In contrast, the influence of social factors on offspring survival is more variable in cooperatively breeding mammals since maternal traits also play an important role. This...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Housing, Husbandry & Management, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mole Rat, Rodent

Citation: Wetzel, M., Courtiol, A., Hofer, H. et al. 2023. Pup recruitment in a eusocial mammal—Which factors influence early pup survival in naked mole-rats? Animals 13(4), 630.

The stress of being alone: Removal from the colony, but not social subordination, increases fecal cortisol metabolite levels in eusocial naked mole-rats

In many social species, hierarchical status within the group is associated with differences in basal adrenocortical activity. We examined this relationship in naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber), eusocial rodents with arguably the most extreme social hierarchies of all mammals. This species...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mole Rat, Rodent

Citation: Edwards, P. D., Mooney, S. J., Bosson, C. O. et al. 2020. The stress of being alone: Removal from the colony, but not social subordination, increases fecal cortisol metabolite levels in eusocial naked mole-rats. Hormones and Behavior 121, 104720.

Hands-on refinements: Establishing improved husbandry processes for aged C57BL/6 mice

The main aim of this project was to review the husbandry processes in place for the colony of aged C57BL/6 mice at the Babraham Institute, establish a refined husbandry process and improve local guidance. Secondly, by analysing fate and clinical...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Husbandry & Management, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Paterson, A. 2024. Hands-on refinements: Establishing improved husbandry processes for aged C57BL/6 mice. Animal Technology and Welfare 23(2), 129–131.

Shifts in naturalistic behaviors induced by early social isolation stress are associated with adult binge-like eating in female rats

Binge eating (BE) is a highly pervasive maladaptive coping strategy in response to severe early life stress such as emotional and social neglect. BE is described as repeated episodes of uncontrolled eating and is tightly linked with comorbid mental health...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Simon, T. B., Sierra, J., Williams, A. et al. 2024. Shifts in naturalistic behaviors induced by early social isolation stress are associated with adult binge-like eating in female rats. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 18.

Non-invasive sampling methods for genotyping: Improvements towards the 4r principle

In research involving genetically modified mice which is usually to perform genotyping using invasive ear or tail biopsies in 92% of cases, there is a growing shift towards non-invasive sampling techniques such as oral swabs, hair, faeces and tears. Our...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Identification MethodAnimal Type: Mouse, Rabbit, Rodent

Citation: Thasian-Sivarajah, S., Mohr, R., Walter, M. et al. 2024. Non-invasive sampling methods for genotyping: Improvements towards the 4r principle. Animal Technology and Welfare 23(2), 133–136.

Testing perioperative meloxicam analgesia to enhance welfare while preserving model validity in an inflammation-induced seizure model

Despite the international effort to improve laboratory animal welfare through the 3R principles (Reduce, Refine, Replace), many scientists still fail to implement and report their assessment of pain and well-being, likely due to concerns regarding the potential effects of analgesics...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Analgesia, Disease/Experimental Model, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Weiß, E., Pauletti, A., Egilmez, A. et al. 2024. Testing perioperative meloxicam analgesia to enhance welfare while preserving model validity in an inflammation-induced seizure model. Scientific Reports 14(1), 30563.

A new approach (CSA-Score) to assessing the cumulative overall stress load in the case of animal experiments and even beyond

In laboratory animal science, severity assessment has been mandatory by European law since 2013. Various severity assessments have been created for many single manipulations. However, when multiple harmful interventions or stressors occur simultaneously or repeatedly, the cumulative overall severity is...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General, Mouse, Pig, Rodent

Citation: Helmig, S., Wenzel, S. 2024. A new approach (CSA-Score) to assessing the cumulative overall stress load in the case of animal experiments and even beyond. Discover Animals 1(1), 38.

A Retrospective Report of Carprofen Administration as Post-Operative Analgesia Reveals Negative Effects of Recommended Doses

Effective pain management in laboratory animals is crucial for both animal welfare and the reliability of scientific research. We retrospectively examined the effects of carprofen as post-operative analgesia in Sprague Dawley rats following stereotactic surgery. Our data indicate that administering...

Year Published: 2024Topics: AnalgesiaAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Jäckel, Z., Adžemović, A., Kloos, B. et al. 2024. A Retrospective Report of Carprofen Administration as Post-Operative Analgesia Reveals Negative Effects of Recommended Doses. Animals 14(21), 3157.

Ultrasound to ultrasee—The use of ultrasound to determine pregnancy in mice

Several MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) groups require early-stage mouse embryos for their scientific research programmes. Traditionally, Animal Technicians have relied on visual checks or palpation of the abdomen to determine pregnancy in mice. In 2017 an ultrasound machine...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Imaging & Electrophysiological Recording, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Karam, C., Kemp, K. 2024. Ultrasound to ultrasee—The use of ultrasound to determine pregnancy in mice. Animal Technology and Welfare 23(2), 121–127.