Publications

A metric-based, meta-analytic appraisal of environmental enrichment efficacy in captive primates (2025)

Non-human primates (hereafter ‘primates') constitute a common group of animals in captivity but their captive maintenance involves ethical and husbandry issues, many of which can be addressed through environmental enrichment (hereafter ‘enrichment'). Enrichment is often applied in a trial-and-error fashion...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Gibbon, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Duncan, L. M., Pillay, N. 2025. A metric-based, meta-analytic appraisal of environmental enrichment efficacy in captive primates. Animals 15(6), 799.

Electrocardiographic recording (ECG) of hatchling females and males of scorpion mud turtle (Kinosternon scorpioides) subjected to restraint stress (2025)

The species Kinosternon scorpioides (scorpion mud turtle) has potential for commercial farming in captivity. Restraint is a stressful factor that can cause fatal reactions. However, research on stress in Muçuãs is scarce. Therefore, electrocardiography (ECG) is relevant because it allows...

Topics: RestraintAnimal Type: Reptile, Turtle & Tortoise

Citation: dos Santos Braga, B. S., de Lima Cardoso, D., de Araújo, D. B. et al. 2025. Electrocardiographic recording (ECG) of hatchling females and males of scorpion mud turtle (Kinosternon scorpioides) subjected to restraint stress. Discover Animals 2(1), 21.

The power of interspecific sociality: How humans provide social buffering for horses (2025)

In this study, we assessed the interspecific “social buffering effect” of humans on horses, exploring how human presence influences stress responses in horses in an unfamiliar environment using the “isolation paradigm.” We examined nine Haflinger horses under two counterbalanced conditions:...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Di Lucrezia, A., Scandurra, A., Lotito, D. et al. 2025. The power of interspecific sociality: How humans provide social buffering for horses. Animal Cognition 28(1), 20.

Hamster enrichment and social housing (2024)

Providing our animals with the best welfare possible is one of our main goals as Animal Technicians. As we want to deliver the most appropriate care for our hamsters, we have undertaken some research projects of our own to ensure...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Hamster, Rodent

Citation: Devine, A., Boratyn, A. 2024. Hamster enrichment and social housing. Animal Technology and Welfare 23(3), 205–207.

Influence of enclosure design on the behaviour and welfare of Pogona vitticeps (2025)

Complex or naturalistic enclosures have become increasingly accepted as those best-suited to improve an animal's welfare. However, designing such enclosures can be difficult if little is known about the animal in the wild, and enclosures that aim to replicate natural...

Year Published: 2025Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Lizard, Reptile

Citation: Denommé, M., Bakker, N. L., Tattersall, G. J. 2025. Influence of enclosure design on the behaviour and welfare of Pogona vitticeps. PLOS ONE 20(6), e0322682.

Creating an effective, inclusive and open Animal Welfare and Ethical review Body: Learning and legacy (2024)

This paper reports on our use of reflective practice to analyse and map the evolution of our legacy Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body (AWERB) over 7 years. We identified 6 interconnected principles that support underlying behaviours and prsent them...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Home-cage training for non-human primates: an opportunity to reduce stress and study natural behavior in neurophysiology experiments (2025)

Research involving non-human primates remains a cornerstone in fields such as biomedical research and systems neuroscience. However, the daily routines of laboratory work can induce stress in these animals, potentially compromising their well-being and the reliability of experimental outcomes. To...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Animal TrainingAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Gibbon, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Ceccarelli, F., Londei, F., Arena, G. et al. 2025. Home-Cage Training for Non-Human Primates: An Opportunity to Reduce Stress and Study Natural Behavior in Neurophysiology Experiments. Animals 15(9), 1340.

Successive negative contrast: An appropriate approach to measure affective state in dogs? (2025)

Successive negative contrast (SNC) is a decrease in response when animals unexpectedly face reward devaluation to levels below those of animals always receiving low-value rewards. SNC appears to be influenced by background affective states and has thus been proposed as...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Castro, A. C. V. de, Baria-Unwalla, P., Cabrita, A. R. et al. 2025. Successive negative contrast: An appropriate approach to measure affective state in dogs? Animal Welfare 34, e34.

Phenotypical, behavioral, and systemic hallmarks in end-point mouse scenarios (2025)

The state of frailty is a clinical–biological syndrome that affects the older population with a higher risk of functional dependence. Animal models can provide a tool to study this complex scenario. In the present work, we analyzed the physical and...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Humane EndpointAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Castillo-Mariqueo, L., Alveal-Mellado, D., Giménez-Llort, L. 2025. Phenotypical, Behavioral, and Systemic Hallmarks in End-Point Mouse Scenarios. Animals 15(4), 521.

Rabbit Behaviour, Health and Care

This book is an essential, thorough, very practical guide to understanding and caring for your rabbit. By following the advice in this book, both rabbit owners and veterinary health professionals report healthier and more content rabbits. Developed from the successful...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Housing, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Buseth, M. E., Saunders, R. 2015. Rabbit Behaviour, Health and Care. CABI, Wallingford, Oxfordshire. 225 p.