Rodent

Revolutionary science: an improved running wheel for hamsters

Standard rod wheels (diamter 17.5 cm) are preferred to small wheels (diameter 13.0 cm). Placing a plastic mesh around the floor of the running wheel greatly increases the number of revolutions made.

Year Published: 1998Animal Type: Hamster, Rodent

Citation: Mrosovsky, N., Salmon, P. A., Vrang, N. 1998. Revolutionary science: an improved running wheel for hamsters. Chronobiology International 15, 147-158.

Investigation into the preference of laboratory rats for nest-boxes and nesting materials

Nest-boxes of opaque or semi-opaque materials were preferred to transparent ones and those with enclosed corners were preferred to nest-boxes with open ends. ... A new nest-box was designed, incorporating features apparently attractive to the animals. ... Rats were exposed...

Year Published: 1998Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Manser, C. E., Broom, D. M., Overend, P. et al. 1998a. Investigation into the preference of laboratory rats for nest-boxes and nesting materials. Laboratory Animals 32, 23-35.

Operant studies to determine the strength of preference in laboratory rats for nest-boxes and nesting material

It was shown that the rats would carry out more work to reach a nest-box, with or without nesting material, than to reach an empty cage.

Year Published: 1998Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Manser, C. E., Broom, D. M., Overend, P. et al. 1998b. Operant studies to determine the strength of preference in laboratory rats for nest-boxes and nesting material. Laboratory Animals 32, 36-41.

Prevention of stereotypic wire-gnawing in laboratory mice: Effects on behaviour and implications for stereotypy as a coping response

Three groups of six pairs of adult male laboratory mice of the ICR-strain kept in standard laboratory cages were selectively prevented from stereotypic wire-gnawing for 1, 5 or 10 days, respectively. Behaviour was observed throughout the 12 h dark period...

Year Published: 1998Animal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Wurbel, H., Freire, R., Nicol, C. J. 1998. Prevention of stereotypic wire-gnawing in laboratory mice: Effects on behaviour and implications for stereotypy as a coping response. Behavioural Processes 42, 61-72.

Housing-induced changes in the febrile response of juvenile and adult golden hamsters

Small caged diminish the expression of fever and increase baseline rectal temperature, likely due to a higher stress level.

Year Published: 1998Animal Type: Hamster, Rodent

Citation: Kuhnen, G. 1998/99. Housing-induced changes in the febrile response of juvenile and adult golden hamsters. Journal of Experimental Animal Science 39, 151-155.

Effect of feed and environmental enrichment on development of stereotypic wire-gnawing in laboratory mice

Enrichment significantly reduced stereotypic wire-gnawing in pair-housed male mice by 40%, presumably as a consequence of the cover provided by the cardboard tubes. This is substantiated by observations that the tubes were used as a place to retreat upon disturbance...

Year Published: 1998Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Wurbel, H., Chapman, R., Rutland, C. 1998. Effect of feed and environmental enrichment on development of stereotypic wire-gnawing in laboratory mice. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 60, 69-81.

Circardian rhythmus of heart rate, body temperature and locomotor activity in freely moving mice measured with radio-telemetry

Applications of radio-telemetry are demonstrated and discussed.

Year Published: 1998Animal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Kramer, K. 1998. Circardian rhythmus of heart rate, body temperature and locomotor activity in freely moving mice measured with radio-telemetry. Lab Animal 27(8), 23-26.

Increased number and size of dendritic spines in ipsilateral barrel field cortex following unilateral whisker trimming in postnatal rats

The barrel field area of the primary somatosensory cortex of rodents is a fertile ground for investigating experience-dependent plasticity and its mechanisms, because the neurons in its layer IV are distributed in groups (barrels) which correspond somatotopically to the vibrissae...

Year Published: 1998Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Vees, A. M., Micheava, K. D., Beaulieu, C. et al. 1998. Increased number and size of dendritic spines in ipsilateral barrel field cortex following unilateral whisker trimming in postnatal rats. Journal of Comparative Neurology 400, 110-124.

Anticipation of play elicits high-frequency ultrasonic vocalizations in young rats

The authors provide initial documentation that juvenile rats emit short, high-frequency ultrasonic vocalizations (high USVs, approximately 55 kHz) during rough-and-tumble play. In an observational study, they further observe that these vocalizations both correlate with and predict appetitive components of the...

Year Published: 1998Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Knutson, B., Burgdorf, J., Panksepp, J. 1998. Anticipation of play elicits high-frequency ultrasonic vocalizations in young rats. Journal of Comparative Psychology 112, 65-73.

Preference of subordinate male mice for their dominant cage mates

Experiments that allowed subordinate male mice to choose either a cage inhabited with a dominant partner or an empty cage have shown that the mice preferred the proximity of the dominant male to individual housing.

Year Published: 1998Animal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Van Loo, P. L. P., Baumans, V. 1998. Preference of subordinate male mice for their dominant cage mates. Aktuelle Arbeiten zur artgemaessen Tierhaltung, KTBL-Schrift 380, 45-52.