Publications

Novel scent enrichment enhances socio-sexual and olfactory behaviors in zoo-housed gentle lemurs

The Alaotran gentle lemur (Hapalemur Alaotrensis) is one of the most endangered primates in the world and shows a low success rate in captive breeding programmes. We tested a novel scent enrichment, made up of a synthesized mixture likely conveying...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Lemur, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Fontani, S., Glendewar, G., Cowen, R. et al. 2025. Novel scent enrichment enhances socio-sexual and olfactory behaviors in zoo-housed gentle lemurs. American Journal of Primatology 87(1), e23716.

Puzzle feeder as a cognitive enrichment strategy determines long-term welfare improvements in a teleost fish

Providing access to cognitive tasks, such as puzzle feeders, holds promise as enrichment strategy to enhance the welfare of captive animals. Despite the substantial number of teleost fish in captivity, the effects of cognitive enrichments in this group remain relatively...

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

Citation: Gatto, E., Varracchio, C., Bertolucci, C. et al. 2024. Puzzle feeder as a cognitive enrichment strategy determines long-term welfare improvements in a teleost fish. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 279, 106401.

Stress produces negative judgement bias in cuttlefish

Judgement bias tasks (JBTs) are used to assess the emotional state and welfare of animals in zoos, farms and laboratories, based on the interpretation of an ambiguous or intermediate cue. Animals in positive affective states are more likely to interpret...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Emotion, Pain, & SentienceAnimal Type: Cephalopod, Invertebrate

Citation: Giancola-Detmering, S. E., Crook, R. J. 2024. Stress produces negative judgement bias in cuttlefish. Biology Letters 20(10), 20240228.

Non-invasive blood pressure measurement in conscious rabbits: A comparison of Doppler ultrasonic and oscillometric devices

Background: This study aimed to compare Doppler (the most commonly used technique for non-invasive indirect blood pressure [NIBP] measurement in rabbits) and oscillometric devices for NIBP measurements in conscious rabbits. Methods: Blood pressure (BP) measurements were obtained for 49 conscious...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: González-González, E., González-Alonso-Alegre, E., Montesinos-Barceló, A. et al. 2024. Non-invasive blood pressure measurement in conscious rabbits: A comparison of Doppler ultrasonic and oscillometric devices. Veterinary Record 195(7), e4399.

Individual behavior and housing setup interact to influence markers of welfare in the critically endangered Hawaiian crow

While some stress can be beneficial for survival, identifying drivers of detrimental stress is essential for improving animal welfare and reproductive outcomes in conservation breeding programs. We examined the interaction between housing and behavioral indicators of temperament, both of which...

Year Published: 2025Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Bird, Other Bird

Citation: Gosselin, R. P., Flanagan, A. M., Mendl, M. et al. 2025. Individual behavior and housing setup interact to influence markers of welfare in the critically endangered Hawaiian crow. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 282, 106475.

Moving vs still prey: Do common wall lizards show any preference?

Among prey functional traits, mobility plays a major role, affecting its actual availability to predators: a moving animal is usually more susceptible of being detected than immobile or inanimate prey. With the aim of investigating the role played by visual...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Lizard, Reptile

Citation: Guadin, B., Gazzola, A., Balestrieri, A. et al. 2024. Moving vs still prey: Do common wall lizards show any preference? Behaviour 161(6), 417–439.

Enjoy the silence: Preference and short-term effect of exposure to different acoustical stimuli in dogs

Prior research has demonstrated that animal vocalizations and music can elicit emotional responses in dogs, but their preferences for different acoustic stimuli remain underexplored. This study aimed to develop a methodology to assess dogs' preferences and behavioral reactions to various...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Guérineau, C., Lõoke, M., Broseghini, A. et al. 2024. Enjoy the silence: Preference and short-term effect of exposure to different acoustical stimuli in dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 281, 106452.

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.

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.