Housing

Evaluation of the effects of enlarged housing on social play and reward seeking in rats

The legal minimum dimensions for laboratory rat housing prevent rats from fully performing their behavioural repertoire. In the regular cages, rats cannot run, climb, or even stand upright. The need to house rats in larger cages has been recognized internationally...

Year Published: 2025Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Achterberg, E. J. M., Baars, A.-M. J. M., van Hal, D. A. et al. 2025. Evaluation of the effects of enlarged housing on social play and reward seeking in rats. Animals 15(18), 2757.

From Fish to Mice to Monkeys in Research: Challenges and Opportunities for Mental Well-being

This chapter focuses mainly on animals in medical research. Many, especially the smaller species such as rat, mice, and zebrafish, may be seen only a few minutes a day by their human caregivers. Most laboratory animals are kept in confinement...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Regulations & Ethical Review, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: All/General, Fish, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Rat, Rodent, Zebrafish

Citation: Serageldine, C. E., Robinson-Junker, A., Alvino, G. et al. 2025. From Fish to Mice to Monkeys in Research: Challenges and Opportunities for Mental Well-being. In Mental Health and Well-being in Animals (pp. 308–322).

Personality matters – The interplay between consistent individual differences and mouse welfare in female C57BL6/J mice

To ensure good welfare of animals in human hands, it is essential to modify housing conditions according to the animals’ needs. Traditionally, the effects of such modifications are studied by means of group-level comparisons, thereby widely neglecting consistent inter-individual differences...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, PersonalityAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Sroka, M. G. U., Ambree, O., Dohmen, C. et al. 2024. Personality matters – The interplay between consistent individual differences and mouse welfare in female C57BL6/J mice. Frontiers in Animal Science 5, 1423814.

Managed care of naked mole-rats

Naked mole-rats are a burgeoning model species in the field of biomedical research and are also housed at many zoos throughout the world. These mammals possess many traits that have a large impact on the way that they are kept...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Identification Method, Natural Behavior, Rearing & Weaning, Relocation & Transport, Reproduction, RestraintAnimal Type: Mole Rat, Rodent

Citation: Smith, M., Buffenstein, R. 2021. Managed care of naked mole-rats. In: R. Buffenstein, T. J. Park, & M. M. Holmes (Eds.), The Extraordinary Biology of the Naked Mole-Rat (pp. 381–407). Springer International Publishing.

Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals

This 30-chapter volume informs students and professionals about the behavioral biology of animals commonly housed in laboratory and other captive settings. Each species evolved under specific environmental conditions, resulting in unique behavioral patterns, many of which are maintained in captivity...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Animal Training, Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Rearing & Weaning, Social Housing & Companionship, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General, Amphibian, Baboon, Capuchin, Cat, Cattle, Chicken, Crocodile & Alligator, Dog, Equine, Ferret, Finch, Fish, Fowl, Frog & Toad, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Lizard, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Other Rodent, Owl Monkey, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Reptile, Rodent, Salamander, Sheep, Snake, Squirrel Monkey, Turtle & Tortoise, Vervet (African Green Monkey), Zebrafish

Citation: Coleman, K., Schapiro, S. J. (Eds.) 2022. Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals (1st Ed.). CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 560 p.

Tortoise husbandry and welfare

Keeping captive tortoises healthy and well is a significant challenge. Because they are ectotherms, these reptiles are totally dependent upon external sources to maintain body temperature and therefore metabolic function. Their physical environment is vital for them to remain healthy...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Husbandry & Management, ReproductionAnimal Type: Reptile, Turtle & Tortoise

Citation: Williams, J. 2025. Tortoise husbandry and welfare. CABI. Boston, USA. 291 pp.

Housing and husbandry factors affecting zebrafish novel tank test responses: A global multi-laboratory study

The reproducibility crisis in bioscience, characterized by inconsistent study results, impedes our understanding of biological processes. Global collaborative studies offer a unique solution to this problem. Here, we present a global collaboration using the zebrafish (Danio rerio) novel tank test,...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Hillman, C., Fontana, B. D., Amstislavskaya, T. G. et al. 2025. Housing and husbandry factors affecting zebrafish novel tank test responses: A global multi-laboratory study. Lab Animal 54(6), 156–164.

Insights from the judgement bias paradigm: Social group and tank size do not affect mental state in female guppies

Optimal holding conditions are key to animal welfare. How stressful husbandry is perceived by the animal can be determined via an assessment of an animal’s mental state – where it is positioned on the continuum between optimistic and pessimistic states...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Social Housing & Companionship, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Epping, J., Kotrschal, A., Kotrschal, S. D. 2025. Insights from the judgement bias paradigm: Social group and tank size do not affect mental state in female guppies. Journal of Fish Biology 106(1), 12–19.

Assessing the motivation of laying hens to outdoor space access

The present study aimed at evaluating the motivation of laying hens to access outdoor space and their behavior under indoor and outdoor conditions. A total of 54 laying hens (White Leghorns) at 38 weeks of age were housed in two...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Mancinelli, A. C., Chiattelli, D., Menchetti, L. et al. 2025. Assessing the motivation of laying hens to outdoor space access. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 285, 106581.

Shelter use in horses: Time spent indoors and factors of variation – Results from a one-year longitudinal study

Stabling is a common lifestyle for horses, yet numerous studies show that it negatively impacts their welfare, leading to behavioural and health issues. In this study, we aimed to determine how much time horses choose to spend inside their stalls...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Lansade, L., Lemarchand, J., Ruet, A. 2025. Shelter use in horses: Time spent indoors and factors of variation – Results from a one-year longitudinal study. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 290, 106699.