Housing and stereotyped behaviour: Some observations from an indoor colony of vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) (2004)

Seier, J. V., Loza, J., Benjamin, L.

Abstract

Adult females displaying stereotypies in single cages were exposed sequentially to a foraging log and an exercise cage, as well as cages of varying complexity and dimensions. In another study females and males housed single in the bottom row, and females and males housed singly in the top row of the animal room were exposed sequentially to a foraging log and an exercise cage. The results of the first study showed that females spent most time in stereotypies when in unenriched single cages. This was significantly reduced by the provision of either an exercise cage or a foraging log. No stereotyped behaviour was observed in the largest most enriched cages. In the second study both sexes housed in the upper rows spent less time engaging in stereotyped behaviour. The provision of both enrichment devices significantly reduced stereotypies in both sexes with no differences between upper and lower rows.