Publications

The challenge of identifying positive emotional indicators in equids: A scoping review to evaluate if this approach is putting the cart before the horse (Equus caballus)

Driven by multiple converging factors, highlighting the negative impact of equestrian sports on equine welfare, recent scientific research has focussed on recognising positive states in horses (Equus caballus). In particular, this has yielded an increasing number of studies prioritising the...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Humphreys, S., Freire, R., Waran, N. et al. 2025. The challenge of identifying positive emotional indicators in equids: A scoping review to evaluate if this approach is putting the cart before the horse (Equus caballus). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 292, 106760.

Innovative cage-based technique for mouse urine collection

Accurate and humane collection of mouse urine samples is crucial for research studies and health monitoring of laboratory mouse colonies. Conventional methods may stress animals and compromise sample quality. To address these challenges, we developed a natural and animal-friendly approach...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Huang, J., Wang, Y., Gao, Y. et al. 2025. Innovative cage-based technique for mouse urine collection. Laboratory Animals 59(4), 464–470.

Putting the evidence into evidence-based husbandry: A scoping review of empirical approaches to improving captive reptile welfare

Non-avian reptiles are commonly kept in captivity, including zoos, aquariums, farms, laboratories, classrooms, rehabilitation centres, and homes. With this wide range of captive conditions and potential diversity of species housed, it is crucial to ensure that these animals are housed...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Crocodile & Alligator, Lizard, Reptile, Snake, Turtle & Tortoise

Citation: Hanson, S. L., Whittaker, A. L., Cooper-Rogers, B. et al. 2025. Putting the evidence into evidence-based husbandry: A scoping review of empirical approaches to improving captive reptile welfare. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 292, 106831.

Importance of the social environment for reproductive and general welfare of domestic horse (Equus caballus) stallions

The obligation to ensure the welfare of domestic horses is evident. Social bonds are an essential part of the daily life of feral horses. In human-controlled conditions, stallions usually live alone in a barren environment of individual boxes or paddocks...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Górecka-Bruzda, A., Aurich, C. 2025. Importance of the social environment for reproductive and general welfare of domestic horse (Equus caballus) stallions. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 292, 106827.

Premises for digital twins reporting on Atlantic salmon wellbeing

Many species of fish, birds and mammals commonly live in human captivity; Atlantic salmon Salmo salar is one of them. The international legal status of the welfare of captive animals is slowly developing and still requires rigorous specification. For example,...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Salmon

Citation: Giske, J., Dumitru, M. L., Enberg, K. et al. 2025. Premises for digital twins reporting on Atlantic salmon wellbeing. Behavioural Processes 226, 105163.

Lizard anesthesia—A retrospective study of anesthetic protocol and monitoring quality of anesthetic episodes at a veterinary hospital over 23 years (2000–2023)

Objective This study’s aim was to summarize the anesthetic events of lizards seen at a university hospital, identify challenges with record-keeping, and assess anesthesia-related mortality. Methods From October 2000 through January 2023, medical records of lizards that underwent general anesthesia...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Anesthesia & SedationAnimal Type: Lizard, Reptile

Citation: Gise, B. T., Thorbrogger, C. J., Rasys, A. M. et al. 2025. Lizard anesthesia—A retrospective study of anesthetic protocol and monitoring quality of anesthetic episodes at a veterinary hospital over 23 years (2000–2023). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 263(7), 904–913.

Impacts of chopped food on primate behavior are not clear cut. A case study on zoo-housed ring-tailed lemurs

Measuring how food presentation influences behavior helps encourage practices that support natural foraging efforts for species housed in zoos. To test the effect of food presentation on a commonly housed zoo primate, observations of the behavior of ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Lemur, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: George, A. J., Tull, S., Rose, P. 2025. Impacts of chopped food on primate behavior are not clear cut. A case study on zoo-housed ring-tailed lemurs. Zoo Biology 44(5), 442–452.

Preference for complex environments in larval zebrafish

Environmental complexity is increasingly recognized as a critical factor for animal welfare and cognitive development across vertebrates. While adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) show a strong preference for complex environments, little is known about the importance of environmental complexity in larval...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Gatto, E., Agrillo, C., Dadda, M. et al. 2025. Preference for complex environments in larval zebrafish. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 292, 106788.

A new method to replace oral gavage for the study of Cryptosporidium infection in mice

Oral gavage is a widely used method to infect mice with Cryptosporidium parvum (CP), the most common animal model of infection. Cryptosporidium spp. are worldwide distributed, gastrointestinal parasites that mainly cause diarrhea in humans and neonatal ruminants. CP is transmitted...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Fumuso, F. G., Salomon, C. E., O’Connor, R. M. 2025. A new method to replace oral gavage for the study of Cryptosporidium infection in mice. Laboratory Animals 59(5), 593–598.

The good, the bad, the comfortable: A review of welfare practices and indicators based on the five domains model in farmed deer

Increasing consumer interest in game meat has globally expanded wild animal farming, with deer being a prominent non-traditional species farmed in numerous countries. Consequently, methods for assessing the welfare of captive animals have been developed over the last few decades,...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Other Animal

Citation: Esattore, B., Bartošová, H., Bartošová, J. 2025. The good, the bad, the comfortable: A review of welfare practices and indicators based on the five domains model in farmed deer. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 28(4), 618–632.