Publications

Maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) differ in their responses to environmental enrichment: Why? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 280, 106432

The maned wolf, a species vulnerable to extinction, is widely found in zoos. Environmental enrichment techniques have been recommended to increase environmental unpredictability, therefore stimulating behavioral diversity, and promoting welfare for zoo animals. However, diverse responses to unpredictability have been...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Other Animal

Citation: de Jesus Matos de Brito, L., Schetini de Azevedo, C., Mascarenhas Ladeia Dutra, L. et al. 2024. Maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) differ in their responses to environmental enrichment: Why? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 280, 106432.

Are you serious? Relaxed open mouth may unveil the competitive/cooperative nature of play fighting in two feline species

Play fighting is a multifunctional behaviour allowing the development of both cooperative and competitive skills. During play fighting, animals perform ‘competitive' actions that are typical of the agonistic context and/or ‘cooperative' actions to avoid escalation into aggression. Several structural features...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Cat, Other Animal

Citation: Demuru, E., Collarini, E., Menon, A. et al. 2025. Are you serious? Relaxed open mouth may unveil the competitive/cooperative nature of play fighting in two feline species. Animal Behaviour 220, 123042.

Salivary cortisol captures endocrine response to an acute stressor in captive female tufted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella)

Measuring glucocorticoids such as cortisol is a useful tool for exploring relationships among behavior, physiology, and well-being in primates. As cortisol circulates in blood, it moves into biological matrices such as hair, urine, feces, and saliva. Saliva sampling is a...

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

Citation: DeSana, A. N., Morgan Benowitz-Fredericks, Z., Amano, A. et al. 2024. Salivary cortisol captures endocrine response to an acute stressor in captive female tufted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella). American Journal of Primatology 86(10), e23677.

No effect of infant nursery rearing on laboratory rhesus monkey dams’ social behavior or long-term cortisol profiles

While the behavioral and physiological impacts of nursery rearing in laboratory-housed infant monkeys have been well characterized, to date no studies have examined the impact on nonhuman primate dams of their infants being removed for rearing in the nursery. Despite...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Rearing & WeaningAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Dettmer, A. M., Slonecker, E. M., Clouse, S. et al. 2024. No effect of infant nursery rearing on laboratory rhesus monkey dams' social behavior or long-term cortisol profiles. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 280, 106428.

Pharmacokinetics, fecal output, and grimace scores in rabbits given long-acting buprenorphine or fentanyl for postsurgical analgesia

The New Zealand white rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a frequently used surgical model. Pain management after surgery is a critical aspect of animal welfare. Recently, a long-acting buprenorphine formulation (Ethiqa XR; EXR) was approved for use in rats and mice...

Year Published: 2024Topics: AnalgesiaAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Farkas, M. R., Dorn, S., Muller, L. et al. 2024. Pharmacokinetics, fecal output, and grimace scores in rabbits given long-acting buprenorphine or fentanyl for postsurgical analgesia. JAALAS 63(3), 303–309.

Auditory enrichment with different genres of music for colony queens

The aim was to determine changes in clinical parameters, glucose concentration, cortisol and behavior in colony queens in no music conditions compared with exposing to different genres of music. Mixed breed clinically healthy queens (N = 9) were used. Queens were studied...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: García Mitacek, M. C., Praderio, R. G., Tebes, M. et al. 2024. Auditory enrichment with different genres of music for colony queens. Laboratory Animals 58(4), 302–312.

Evaluation of thermal support during anesthesia induction on body temperature in C57BL/6 and nude mice

Heat supplementation during surgery is a common practice; however, thermal support is not commonly used during anesthesia induction. Mice lose body temperature quickly, and air movement can exacerbate this, potentially putting mice at a thermal deficit before surgery. Whether the...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Anesthesia & SedationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Gaskill, B. N., Boykin, C., Zuniga, I. et al. 2024. Evaluation of thermal support during anesthesia induction on body temperature in C57BL/6 and nude mice. JAALAS 63(3), 294–302.

Deep learning for face detection and pain assessment in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata)

Facial expressions have increasingly been used to assess emotional states in mammals. The recognition of pain in research animals is essential for their well-being and leads to more reliable research outcomes. Automating this process could contribute to early pain diagnosis...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Gris, V. N., Crespo, T. R., Kaneko, A. et al. 2024. Deep learning for face detection and pain assessment in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). JAALAS 63(4), 403–411.

Periodic stays in a ‘playcage’ as an environmental enrichment measure for laboratory rats housed in individually ventilated cages: Short report

Male Zucker Diabetic Sprague Dawley rats were housed in standard individually ventilated cages with floor area of 1500 cm2, and were placed in a ‘playcage' (a large open cage) for three visits per week from the age of 16–18 weeks. The...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Gudbrandsen, O. A. 2024. Periodic stays in a ‘playcage' as an environmental enrichment measure for laboratory rats housed in individually ventilated cages: Short report. Laboratory Animals 58(4), 365–368.

The use of guanfacine to mediate anxiety-related reactivity and reduce associated agonistic behavior in two pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina)

Guanfacine, an α2-adrenoceptor agonist, has been used to successfully treat self-injurious behavior in nonhuman primates, including macaques (Macaca mulatta) and baboons (Papio anubis). It does so by facilitating a correction to the dopaminergic system that mediates a reduction in impulsivity...

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

Citation: Hopper, L. M., Allen, J. V., Huynh, V. et al. 2024. The use of guanfacine to mediate anxiety-related reactivity and reduce associated agonistic behavior in two pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina). Comparative Medicine 74(3), 186–194.