Publications

Feel-good songs: Application of a novel playback paradigm to induce a positive affective state in juvenile male Wistar rats

Across animal welfare science there is a lack of validated models of positive affective states. Previous work has shown that presentation of contrastingly valenced ultrasonic vocalisations (USVs) to rats alters their behaviour. However, the potential of using playback of USVs...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, VocalizationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Hammond, T. J., Brown, S. M., Meddle, S. L. et al. 2024. Feel-good songs: Application of a novel playback paradigm to induce a positive affective state in juvenile male Wistar rats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 275, 106296.

Measuring heart rate in captive chimpanzees without anesthesia

Heart rate measurements can be useful for the monitoring of both physical and mental condition in humans and nonhuman animals. Yet, information about heart rates in chimpanzees, who are phylogenetically the closest species to humans, is scarce. Existing data on...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Hirata, S., Nogami, E., Udono, T. 2024. Measuring heart rate in captive chimpanzees without anesthesia. Primates 65(4), 217–222.

The implementation of tunnel handling in a mouse breeding facility revealed strain-specific behavioural responses

As a step towards implementing non-aversive handling techniques at a big mouse breeding facility in Germany, tunnel handling was introduced in a breeding unit comprising three inbred mouse strains. To assess whether tunnel handling would be feasible for the animal...

Year Published: 2024Topics: HandlingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Hohlbaum, K., Merle, R., Warnke, R. et al. 2024. The implementation of tunnel handling in a mouse breeding facility revealed strain-specific behavioural responses. Laboratory Animals 58(6), 552–564.

Are smelly toys more fun? Shelter dogs’ preferences for toys, scents, and scented toys

As dogs reside in shelters awaiting adoption, it is critical that they remain behaviorally healthy. A variety of enrichment strategies improve the welfare of shelter dogs, including object (usually in the form of toys) and scent enrichment. However, for these...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Howard, S., Gunter, L. M., Feuerbacher, E. N. 2024. Are smelly toys more fun? Shelter dogs' preferences for toys, scents, and scented toys. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 278, 106383.

Horses can learn to identify joy and sadness against other basic emotions from human facial expressions

Recently, horses and other domestic mammals have been shown to perceive and react to human emotional signals, with most studies focusing on joy and anger. In this study, we tested whether horses can learn to identify human joyful and sad...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Jardat, P., Menard--Peroy, Z., Parias, C. et al. 2024. Horses can learn to identify joy and sadness against other basic emotions from human facial expressions. Behavioural Processes 220, 105081.

Positive reinforcement-based magnet training permits social housing in catheterized squirrel monkeys

Background: Non-human primates play a critical role in neuroscience research. Though they are social animals, laboratory study requirements can sometimes require single housing and thereby prevent social housing. New Method: To eliminate single housing and promote well-being within our squirrel...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Animal TrainingAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate, Squirrel Monkey

Citation: Johansen, A. N., Figueroa-Monsanto, H. L., Hecker, J. C. et al. 2025. Positive reinforcement-based magnet training permits social housing in catheterized squirrel monkeys. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 413, 110313.

Non-invasive acquisition of vital data in anesthetized rats using laser and radar application

The aim of this study was to verify the possibility of obtaining vital sign information using a laser and radar sensor in a manner that is non-invasive and painless for test animals. A dataset was obtained from respiratory movement of...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Kawabe, T., Kita, S., Ohmura, I. et al. 2024. Non-invasive acquisition of vital data in anesthetized rats using laser and radar application. Laboratory Animals 58(6), 591–601.

Effectiveness, safety, and pharmacokinetics of meloxicam formulations in African-clawed frogs, Xenopus laevis

Pain management in amphibians is an emerging field of veterinary medicine with only a limited number of analgesics studied for their efficacy. The African-clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, is a popular animal model in research due to its oocyte morphology and...

Year Published: 2024Topics: AnalgesiaAnimal Type: Amphibian, Frog & Toad

Citation: Leung, G., Diaz, L. L., Monette, S. et al. 2024. Effectiveness, safety, and pharmacokinetics of meloxicam formulations in African-clawed frogs, Xenopus laevis. Comparative Medicine 74(5), 336–343.

Improving effectiveness of environmental enrichment: The role of light intensity in rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus) rearing

Environmental enrichment is a potential approach to enhance the fitness and survival of hatchery fish stocked for conservation purposes. Its effectiveness presumably depends not only on ecologically relevant features of physical enrichment but also on light condition applied. Despite the...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Li, Z., He, J., Zhou, S. et al. 2024. Improving effectiveness of environmental enrichment: The role of light intensity in rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus) rearing. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 281, 106421.

Pairing laboratory-housed adult male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): Success rates in relation to behavioral response and duration of visual contact

While the benefits of pair housing have been well documented, less is known about increasing success in adult male macaque pair introductions. In this retrospective study, 95 unfamiliar adult male macaque (Macaca mulatta) pairs were examined to determine whether duration...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Logan, L. E., Sayers, K. 2024. Pairing laboratory-housed adult male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): Success rates in relation to behavioral response and duration of visual contact. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 277, 106340.