Publications

Reinforcement as a mediator of the perception of humans by horses (Equus caballus)

A central question in the interspecific human/animal relationship is how domestic animals perceive humans as a significant element of their environment. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the use of positive or negative reinforcement in horse training may...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Sankey, C., Richard-Yris, M.-A., Henry, S. et al. 2010. Reinforcement as a mediator of the perception of humans by horses (Equus caballus). Animal Cognition 13(5), 753–764.

The glass is not yet half empty: Agitation but not Varroa treatment causes cognitive bias in honey bees

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are prone to judge an ambiguous stimulus negatively if they had been agitated through shaking which simulates a predator attack. Such a cognitive bias has been suggested to reflect an internal emotional state analogous to humans...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Husbandry & Management, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Insect & Spider, Invertebrate

Citation: Schlüns, H., Welling, H., Federici, J. R. et al. 2017. The glass is not yet half empty: Agitation but not Varroa treatment causes cognitive bias in honey bees. Animal Cognition 20(2), 233–241.

Social behaviors modulate bottlenose dolphins’ (Tursiops truncatus) breathing rate

Breathing frequency is a non-invasive physiological measure that brings valuable information on the bottlenose dolphins' internal state and behaviors. When combined with behavioral observations, it helps to better understand and interpret relevant behaviors. The present study aimed to investigate some...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Marine Mammal

Citation: Serres, A., Delfour, F. 2019. Social behaviors modulate bottlenose dolphins' (Tursiops truncatus) breathing rate. Animal Behavior and Cognition 6(2), 127–140.

A mild stressor induces short-term anxiety and long-term phenotypic changes in trauma-related behavior in female rats

Introduction: Anxiety and anxiety-influenced disorders are sexually dimorphic with women being disproportionately affected compared to men. Given the increased prevalence in women and the documented differences in anxiety and trauma behavior between male and female rats this paper sought to...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Shanazz, K., Nalloor, R., Vazdarjanova, A. 2023. A mild stressor induces short-term anxiety and long-term phenotypic changes in trauma-related behavior in female rats. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 17.

Ethorobotic rats for rodent behavioral research: Design considerations

Year Published: 2023Topics: Behavioral & Cognitive TestingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Siddall, R. 2023. Ethorobotic rats for rodent behavioral research: Design considerations. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 17.

Improving behavior monitoring of free-moving dairy cows using noninvasive wireless EEG approach and digital signal processing techniques

Electroencephalography (EEG) is the most common method to access brain information. Techniques to monitor and extract brain signal characteristics in farm animals are not as developed as those for humans and laboratory animals. The objective of this study was to...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Imaging & Electrophysiological RecordingAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Silva, A. C. de S., Arce, A. I. C., Arteaga, H. et al. 2023. Improving behavior monitoring of free-moving dairy cows using noninvasive wireless EEG approach and digital signal processing techniques. Applied Sciences 13(19), 10722.

Effects of habitat modifications on behavioral indicators of welfare for Madagascar giant hognose snakes (Leioheterodon madagascariensis)

Although historically understudied, the empirical evaluation of captive reptile welfare is becoming more common, and zoos continue making modifications to their reptile facilities with the goal of improving welfare. In this study, we evaluated the impacts of habitat modifications on...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Reptile, Snake

Citation: Spain, M., Fuller, G., Allard, S. 2020. Effects of habitat modifications on behavioral indicators of welfare for Madagascar giant hognose snakes (Leioheterodon madagascariensis). Animal Behavior and Cognition 7(1), 70–81.

Spatial cognition in zebrafish: The role of strain and rearing environment

Two strains of zebrafish, WIK and a second-generation wild strain were reared in either a structurally simple or complex environment and compared in their ability to locate a food reward in a five-chambered maze. There was a significant interaction within...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Spence, R., Magurran, A. E., Smith, C. 2011. Spatial cognition in zebrafish: The role of strain and rearing environment. Animal Cognition 14(4), 607–612.

Refinement of the motorised laminectomy-assisted rat spinal cord injury model by analgesic treatment

Usage and reporting of analgesia in animal models of spinal cord injury (SCI) have been sparse and requires proper attention. The majority of experimental SCI research uses rats as an animal model. This study aimed to probe into the effects...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Disease/Experimental ModelAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Sreelatha, H. V., Palekkodan, H., Fasaludeen, A. et al. 2024. Refinement of the motorised laminectomy-assisted rat spinal cord injury model by analgesic treatment. PLOS ONE 19(1), e0294720.

Report of the 2022 RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Welfare Group Meeting

The RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Welfare Group has held a one-day meeting every autumn for the last 29 years, so that its members can discuss current welfare research, exchange views on welfare issues and share experiences of the implementation of the 3Rs...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental Enrichment, Euthanasia, HandlingAnimal Type: Mouse, Other Rodent, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Stevens, C., Hammonds, T., Hinchcliffe, J. et al. 2023. Report of the 2022 RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Welfare Group Meeting. Animal Technology and Welfare 22(2), 91–100.