Environmental Enrichment

Enriched cages for groups of laboratory male rats and their effects on behaviour, weight gain and adrenal glands

We investigated if there were any negative effects on the behaviour and physiology of rats housed in groups of five in two types of enriched cages and compared them with paired-housed rats housed in traditional cages. Eighty-four male Wistar and...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Lidfors, L., Wichman, A., Ewaldsson, B. et al. 2014. Enriched cages for groups of laboratory male rats and their effects on behaviour, weight gain and adrenal glands. Laboratory Animals 48, 36-49.

Facts and demonstrations: Exploring the effects of enrichment on data quality

There is widespread support within the scientific community for the concept that better welfare equals better science. It is also broadly accepted that environmental enrichment improves welfare. I have seen much evidence of support for both of these concepts in...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Hawkins, P. 2014. Facts and demonstrations: Exploring the effects of enrichment on data quality. Enrichment Record 18, 12-21.

Role of noise and music as anxiety modulators: Relationship with ovarian hormones in the rat

This work aims to verify the role of noise and music as anxiety modulators and their relationship with ovarian hormones. For this purpose, female Wistar rats were used and treated, forming different experimental groups, with 17-β-estradiol, progesterone, allopregnanolone, finasteride (inhibitor...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Escribano, B., Quero, I., Feijóo, M. et al. 2014. Role of noise and music as anxiety modulators: Relationship with ovarian hormones in the rat. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 152, 73-82.

Enrichment with wood blocks does not affect toxicity assessment in an exploratory toxicology model using Sprague-Dawley rats

Environmental enrichment in rodents may improve animal well-being but can affect neurologic development, immune system function, and aging. We tested the hypothesis that wood block enrichment affects the interpretation of traditional and transcriptomic endpoints in an exploratory toxicology testing model...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Ditewig, A. C., Bratcher, N. A., Davila, D. R. et al. 2014. Enrichment with wood blocks does not affect toxicity assessment in an exploratory toxicology model using Sprague-Dawley rats. JAALAS 53(3), 246-260.

Dynamics of the access of captive domestic cats to a feed environmental enrichment item

Providing feed enrichment to captive felids that are obligate carnivores is crucial for eliciting natural hunting behaviours. However, studies of the efficacy of enrichment techniques usually analyse the whole group, overlooking the different behaviours of individual animals towards the enriched...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Damasceno, J., Genaro, G. 2014. Dynamics of the access of captive domestic cats to a feed environmental enrichment item. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 151, 67-74.

Let’s stay together: Implications of social housing for laboratory pig welfare and management

Appropriately accommodating the pig's normal social behavior is an essential step in protecting its well-being in managed environments. Doing so is particularly important in laboratory settings in which distress due to social isolation and other factors can introduce unnecessary variability...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Human-Animal Interaction, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Croney, C. 2014. Let's stay together: Implications of social housing for laboratory pig welfare and management. Enrichment Record 19, 14-19.

Primates Presents

In the world of enrichment, ideas can be limitless. Sometimes, you just have to think outside the box... or in this case, "inside the box"! Who doesn't love a present with the colorful exterior and a surprise interior? This is...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Callan, T. 2014. Primates Presents. Enrichment Record 18, 5-6.

Freebies for felines

Institutions are in a never-ending budget battle and items like environmental enrichment tend to get overshadowed. The challenge for laboratory animal technicians is to put on their thinking caps and find novel, low-cost enrichment items for animals in their care....

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Watson, C., Garman, K. A. 2014. Freebies for felines. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 573. (Abstract #P93).

Presence of nesting material does not prevent ability to accurately identify sick or dead mice during routine health checking

Whether nesting material assists or hinders the ability to identify sick mice during routine health check is a widely debated topic. Currently, our large and diverse academic research institution is exploring the possibility of providing nesting material to all of...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Burlingame, L. A., Lofgren, J. L. 2014. Presence of nesting material does not prevent ability to accurately identify sick or dead mice during routine health checking. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 603 (Abstract #P204).

Environmental enrichment for Xenopus laevis

Environmental enrichment has become an important aspect of animal husbandry within research facilities. Such enrichment has been shown to improve the quality of life for research animals and provide a more natural habitat. Different enrichment tools are used to benefit...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Amphibian, Frog & Toad

Citation: Therrian, S. 2014. Environmental enrichment for Xenopus laevis. JAALAS 53(5), 583. (Abstract #P133).