Rodent

Environmental enrichment enhances spatial cognition in rats by reducing thigmotaxis (wall hugging) during testing

Rats, Rattus norvegicus, housed with environmental enrichment do better in tests of spatial cognition than rats housed in barren cages. The leading hypothesis is that exposure to social and inanimate complexity leads to better cognitive-processing abilities, which directly enhances performance...

Year Published: 2009Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Harris, A. P., D'Eath, R. B., Healy, S. D. 2009. Environmental enrichment enhances spatial cognition in rats by reducing thigmotaxis (wall hugging) during testing . Animal Behaviour 77, 1459-1464.

Some like it hot: Mouse temperature preferences in laboratory housing

In standard laboratory environments mice are housed at 20-24 °C. However, their thermoneutral zone ranges between 26 °C and 34 °C. This challenge to homeostasis is by definition stressful, and could therefore affect many aspects of physiology and behavior.We tested...

Year Published: 2009Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Gaskill, B. N., Rohr, S. A., Pajor, E. A. et al. 2009. Some like it hot: Mouse temperature preferences in laboratory housing. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 116(2-4), 279-285.

Impact of nesting material on mouse thermoregulation and variability

Mice appear to be in a negative thermal balance under moderately cool standard laboratory conditions. However, giving nesting material, they can alleviate this thermal stress and reduce heat lost to the environment by building a nest appropriate to their specific...

Year Published: 2009Animal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Gaskill, B., Gordon, C. J., Pajor, E. A. et al. 2009. Impact of nesting material on mouse thermoregulation and variability. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 81 (Abstract).

Addressing the Environmental Enrichment Needs of Mice: Thinking Outside the Cage

The challenge of providing effective enrichment to mice is to ensure that it allows for normal behavioral opportunities. Studies are ongoing to further identify the behavioral needs of mice in the laboratory environment. Many innovative choices of environmental enrichment devices...

Year Published: 2009Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Froberg-Fejko, K. M. 2009. Addressing the Environmental Enrichment Needs of Mice: Thinking Outside the Cage. Enrichment Record (online publication) 1.

Tickled pink

When researchers interact playfully, even briefly, with the rats in their care, the rats' quality of life is made substantially better.

Year Published: 2009Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Cloutier, S., Newberry, R. C. 2009. Tickled pink. Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) Quarterly 58(2), 24-25.

Quality of plasma sampled by different methods for multiple blood sampling in mice

For oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in mice, multiple blood samples need to be taken within a few hours from conscious mice. Today, a number of essential parameters may be analysed on very small amounts of plasma, thus reducing the...

Year Published: 2009Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Christensen, S. D., Mikkelsen, L. F., Fels, J. J. et al. 2009. Quality of plasma sampled by different methods for multiple blood sampling in mice. Laboratory Animals 43, 65-71.

Effects of cage-change frequency and bedding volume on mice and their microenvironment

The frequency at which mouse cages are changed has important implications for the animals, animal care personnel, and facility managers. The objective of this study was to determine how bedding volume and the interval between changes affect microenvironmental conditions, health,...

Year Published: 2009Animal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Rosenbaum, M. D., VandeWoude, S., Johnson, T. E. 2009. Effects of cage-change frequency and bedding volume on mice and their microenvironment . Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science] 46, 763-773.

Investigating enrichment preferences for CD-1 mice housed in wire-bottom cages

Mice rarely slept in the houses and chewed toys initially with usage dropping off after a few days. Mice given nesting materials tended to stay in their nests. Many were found asleep at the daily clinical observations time and were...

Year Published: 2009Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Romaine, A. E. 2009. Investigating enrichment preferences for CD-1 mice housed in wire-bottom cages. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 105 (Abstract).

Construction noise decreases reproductive efficiency in mice

Excessive noise is well known to impair rodent health. To better understand the effect of construction noise and to establish effective noise limits during a planned expansion of our vivarium, we analyzed the effects of construction noise on mouse gestation...

Year Published: 2009Animal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Rasmussen, S., Glickman, G. N. R., Quimby, F. W. et al. 2009. Construction noise decreases reproductive efficiency in mice . Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 48(4), 363-370.

A closer look inside rodent water valves

An increase in the number of leaking water valves was observed ........ resulted in flooded cages.

Year Published: 2009Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Rodent, Salmon

Citation: Ogeka, S. 2009. A closer look inside rodent water valves. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 123 (Abstract).