Housing

Future aviary design: The science of circular flight aviaries for avian welfare

Birds are kept in captive settings globally, and many of these birds are not flight-restrained. It is generally considered more ethical to house birds in aviaries than to practice flight restraint through wing clipping or pinioning, which means that aviaries...

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

Citation: Brereton, J. E., Coe, J. C., Fernandez, E. J. 2025. Future aviary design: The science of circular flight aviaries for avian welfare. Zoo Biology 44(4), 293–303.

Quantifying use of elevated surfaces for climbing Sichuan takins (Budorcas taxicolor) in human care

Sichuan takins (Budorcas taxicolor tibetana) are capable climbers whose movements in the wild appear to be driven by seasonal variations in resources. Ex situ habitats for takins frequently incorporate elevated features to encourage species-appropriate climbing. We opportunistically observed three takins...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Other Animal

Citation: Baskir, E., Callagy, C., Poelker, C. et al. 2025. Quantifying use of elevated surfaces for climbing Sichuan takins (Budorcas taxicolor) in human care. Zoo Biology 44(4), 377–382.

The welfare of cattle in different housing systems

The review provides an overview of research concerning the assessment of cattle welfare in different housing systems. Hence, it restricts its scope to factors known to have a particular influence on the expression of their natural behaviours. It analyses the...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Pilarczyk, B., Pilarczyk, R., Bąkowska, M. et al. 2025. The welfare of cattle in different housing systems. Animals 15(13), 1972.

Effects of flight restraint and housing conditions on feather corticosterone in white storks under human care

Flight is part of the natural behaviours of most bird species, and as a consequence, flight restraint in zoos, even for those species that are primarily ground-dwelling, encounters increasing animal welfare concerns. While previous studies on greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus)...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Bird, Other Bird

Citation: Liermann, F., Baumgartner, K., Simon, R. et al. 2025. Effects of flight restraint and housing conditions on feather corticosterone in white storks under human care. Animals 15(13), 1878.

Housing in a large open cage did not affect the phenotypic traits of obese male Zucker fa/fa rats when compared to IVC-housed rats, but improved the rats’ well-being

The housing of laboratory rats in cages with dimensions according to international standards for research animals can hardly be regarded as a stimulating environment, even when fulfilling the minimum requirements for environmental enrichment. Little is known about whether changes in...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Gudbrandsen, O. A. 2025. Housing in a large open cage did not affect the phenotypic traits of obese male Zucker fa/fa rats when compared to IVC-housed rats, but improved the rats’ well-being. Animals 15(18), 2687.

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.