Rodent

Design and validation of an Arduino-based, cost-effective heated anesthesia induction chamber for mice

Rodents are highly susceptible to peri-anesthetic hypothermia because of their small body size, large surface area to volume/mass ratio, and anesthetic-induced thermoregulatory depression. Early heat loss during induction is rapid and can be difficult to reverse, emphasizing the need for...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Anesthesia & SedationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Corea, A., Tucker, K., Benites, C. E. et al. 2026. Design and validation of an arduino-based, cost-effective heated anesthesia induction chamber for mice. JAALAS 65(2), 286–296.

Assessing nest-building performance in mice: A multifactorial study of strain, age, sex, and environmental factors

Providing nesting material is one of the main forms of environmental enrichment for laboratory mice. Nest building is an innate behavior, widely observed in wild mice, which construct complex, dome-shaped, multi-layered structures. Although various materials can be used in microisolator...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Cintra, L., Hernandes, C. F., Alexandre-Ribeiro, S. R. et al. 2026. Assessing nest-building performance in mice: A multifactorial study of strain, age, sex, and environmental factors. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 83, 98–105.

Robust noninvasive detection of hyperglycemia in mouse models of metabolic dysregulation using the novel Urination Index biomarker

Blood glucose is one of the most essential parameters in metabolic research. Yet, accurate blood glucose monitoring in mouse models of diabetes is challenging owing to the substantial stress associated with the measurements and the variability in diabetes development among...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Disease/Experimental ModelAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Brachs, S., Dall, M., Zimbalski, L.-K. et al. 2025. Robust noninvasive detection of hyperglycemia in mouse models of metabolic dysregulation using the novel Urination Index biomarker. Lab Animal 54(12), 379–389.

Social housing of male CD-1 mice (Mus musculus) in the toxicological setting: A 28-day social compatibility study of male mice following oral gavage of theophylline

Group or pair housing of social animals in laboratory settings is beneficial to animal welfare. Social housing of male mice can be difficult due to possible aggressive behaviors, leading to injury and resulting in animals not being able to continue...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Blakie, L., Alves, S., Chase, F. T. et al. 2026. Social housing of male CD-1 mice (Mus musculus) in the toxicological setting: A 28-day social compatibility study of male mice following oral gavage of theophylline. JAALAS 65(1), 92–111.

Presence of ultrasonic noise in the housing colony affects behavior and physiology of adult Sprague Dawley rats

Perception is dictated by our sensory capabilities which vary widely across species. Hearing in humans is confined to a relatively narrow range, thus the presence of ultrasonic noise, sound with a frequency >20 kHz, is often overlooked. Concerningly, it has...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Husbandry & Management, VocalizationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Bigelow, L. J., Pope, E. K., Sohasky, V. K. et al. 2026. Presence of ultrasonic noise in the housing colony affects behavior and physiology of adult Sprague Dawley rats. Physiology & Behavior 310, 115313.

Shelved cages impact affective behavior in Sprague Dawley rats – implications for animal welfare

Laboratory animal welfare has received increasing attention in recent years as housing protocols move toward favoring environments that allow natural behaviors. Within this study, the effects of housing male and female Sprague Dawley rats in standard cages versus taller cages...

Year Published: 2026Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Bigelow, L. J., Pope, E. K., Lee, C. P. et al. 2026. Shelved cages impact affective behavior in Sprague Dawley rats – implications for animal welfare. Laboratory Animals 60(1), 53–62.

The effects of housing temperature on mouse physiology and implications for disease modeling

Housing temperature has a critical role in preclinical research by affecting the physiological and metabolic responses of laboratory mice. Exposure to temperatures below the thermoneutral zone triggers adaptive responses, such as behavioral changes, increased energy expenditure and altered immune function,...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Bellucci, A., Baranowski, B. J., Wright, D. C. 2026. The effects of housing temperature on mouse physiology and implications for disease modeling. Lab Animal 55(4), 108–116.

Transfer to a naturalistic setting restructures fear responses in laboratory mice

Appropriate classification of a novel stimulus as threatening or benign depends on a repertoire of prior environmental experiences involving challenge, risk, and opportunity. Without this library, individuals may classify harmless stimuli as dangerous — a hallmark of generalized anxiety. In...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Zipple, M. N., Loflin, B., Kuo, D. C. et al. 2025. Transfer to a naturalistic setting restructures fear responses in laboratory mice. Current Biology 35(24), R1175–R1176.

Affective and behavioural interactions between human handlers and laboratory rats

In laboratory settings, human–rat interactions are necessary and frequent, yet the impact of different handlers on the behaviour of the animal is underexplored. This study examined how human behavioural responses - confidence, experience, and physiological arousal - relate to affective...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Feddo, C. C., Robinson, E. S. J., Hinchcliffe, J. K. 2026. Affective and behavioural interactions between human handlers and laboratory rats. Behavioural Brain Research 505, 116115.

Ethological constraints and welfare-related bias in laboratory mice: Implications of housing, lighting, and social environment

Laboratory mice are the most widely used model organisms in biomedical and behavioral research, yet growing concerns regarding reproducibility and translational validity have highlighted the substantial influence of housing and husbandry conditions on experimental outcomes. Although domestication is often assumed...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Török, H. K., Bárdos, B. 2026. Ethological constraints and welfare-related bias in laboratory mice: Implications of housing, lighting, and social environment. Animals 16(2).