Environmental Enrichment

Housing and stereotyped behaviour: Some observations from an indoor colony of vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops)

Adult females displaying stereotypies in single cages were exposed sequentially to a foraging log and an exercise cage, as well as cages of varying complexity and dimensions. In another study females and males housed single in the bottom row, and...

Year Published: 2004Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Seier, J. V., Loza, J., Benjamin, L. 2004. Housing and stereotyped behaviour: Some observations from an indoor colony of vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops). Folia Primatologica 75(Supplement 1), 332. (Primate Meeting Abstract)

Environmental enrichment facilitates amygdala kindling but reduces kindling-induced fear in male rats

Sixty male rats were housed either in an enriched environment or in isolation, starting immediately after weaning. As adults, they were subjected to either 50 amygdala-kindling stimulations or sham stimulations, followed by testing in an unfamiliar open field. The kindled-enriched...

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Young, N. A., Wintink, A. J., Kalynchuk, L. E. 2004. Environmental enrichment facilitates amygdala kindling but reduces kindling-induced fear in male rats. Behavioral Neuroscience 118, 1128-1133.

Environmental enrichment for guinea pigs: A Discussion by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum

The question was raised how the environment of guinea pigs can be best enriched in the research laboratory setting. In summary, social-housing is the most species-appropriate living environment for guinea pigs. If a research protocol requires single-caging, guinea pigs should...

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: Banjanin, S., Barley, J., Bell, L. et al. 2004. Environmental enrichment for guinea pigs: A Discussion by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Animal Technology and Welfare 3(3), 161-163.

Enrichment for Nonhuman Primates: Macaques

Excellent introduction to species-adequate enrichment for macaques.

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Bayne, K. 2005. Enrichment for Nonhuman Primates: Macaques. Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, Bethesda, MD.

Potential for unintended consequences of environmental enrihment for laboratory animals and research results

Many aspects of the research animal's housing environment are controlled for quality and/or standardization. Of recent interest is the potential for environmental enrichment to have unexpected consequences such as unintended harm to the animal, or the introduction of variability into...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Hamster, Macaque, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Bayne, K. 2005. Potential for unintended consequences of environmental enrihment for laboratory animals and research results. ILAR Journal 46(2), 129-139.

New neurons in the dentate gyrus are involved in the expression of enhanced long-term memory following environmental enrichment

Although thousands of new neurons are continuously produced in the dentate gyrus of rodents each day, the function of these newborn cells remains unclear. An increasing number of reports have provided correlational evidence that adult hippocampal neurogenesis is involved in...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Bruel-Jungerman, E., Laroche, S., Rampon, C. 2005. New neurons in the dentate gyrus are involved in the expression of enhanced long-term memory following environmental enrichment. European Journal of Neuroscience 21, 513-521.

Building a novel environment for a feline enrichment program

We believe the addition of the colony [group] cage has led to friendlier and more well-adpated cats. .. Two groups are rotated weekly between the large colony cage and individual caging.

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Bowen, L., Tweite, D., Taubel, R. et al. 2005. Building a novel environment for a feline enrichment program. Tech Talk [The Newsletter for Laboratory Animal Science Technicians] 10(5), 5.

Anticipatory behavior – A new indicator of the significance of environmental enrichment in laboratory-housed common marmosets

It was suggested that anticipatory behavior is a useful method for assessing the value of feeding enrichment options.

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Badihi, I., Buchanan-Smith, H. M. 2005. Anticipatory behavior - A new indicator of the significance of environmental enrichment in laboratory-housed common marmosets. American Journal of Primatology 66(Supplement), 178 (Abstract).

Environmental enrichment for laboratory rodents and rabbits: Requirements of rodents, rabbits, and research

Environmental conditions such as housing and husbandry have a major impact on the laboratory animal throughout its life and will thereby influence the outcome of animal experiments. However, housing systems for laboratory animals have often been designed on the basis...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Gerbil, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Mouse, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Baumans, V. 2005. Environmental enrichment for laboratory rodents and rabbits: Requirements of rodents, rabbits, and research. ILAR Journal 46(2), 162-170.

Orang-utans’ manufacturing and use of tools with long-term enrichment and short-term enrichment at the Los Angeles Zoo

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Ablard, K. 2005. Orang-utans' manufacturing and use of tools with long-term enrichment and short-term enrichment at the Los Angeles Zoo . Primate Eye 86, 25 (Abstract).