Housing

Life in a fishbowl: Space and environmental enrichment affect behaviour of Betta splendens

The public has expressed growing concern for the well-being of fishes, including popular pet species such as the Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens). In captivity, male Bettas behave aggressively, often causing injuries and death if housed together. As a result,...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Oldfield, R. G., Murphy, E. K. 2024. Life in a fishbowl: Space and environmental enrichment affect behaviour of Betta splendens. Animal Welfare 33, e1.

Effects of different tank sizes on laboratory rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus)-Under the same density

Laboratory fish play an important role in many research fields, and they are also raised and bred in many laboratories around the world. While many studies have suggested suitable feeding densities for various laboratory fish, significant variations exist in the...

Year Published: 2024Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Xu, C., Cui, Y., Yu, F. et al. 2024. Effects of different tank sizes on laboratory rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus)-Under the same density. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 27(3), 625–634.

Sleep quality in cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) varies by housing type and following surgery

Sleep is an important contributor to good physical and mental health and an important component of post-surgical recovery. The assessment of dark phase (‘nighttime') behavior can provide insight into the efficacy of analgesic treatments and should be considered when assessing...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Housing, Social Housing & Companionship, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Paterson, E. A., O'Malley, C. I., Turner, P. V. 2024. Sleep quality in cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) varies by housing type and following surgery. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 272, 106188.

Cooped up: Refinement of a Gallus gallus domesticus environment

Providing an enriched species specific environment, coupled with the principles of the 3Rs (Refinement, Reduction and Replacement) is at the heart of the poulty team team at The Pirbright Institute. Periodically reviwed custom made cage designs (Raised Floor Pens) have...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Matthews, B., New, R., Kanse, Y. M. et al. 2023. Cooped up: Refinement of a Gallus gallus domesticus environment. Animal Technology and Welfare 22(3), 228–230.

An overview of black tree monitor (Varanus beccarii) husbandry

This article describes the enclosure, environmental parameters, feeding, enclosure dynamics, breeding, handling, identification, and enrichment for zoo-housed black tree monitors.

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Identification Method, Reproduction, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Lizard, Reptile

Citation: Newton, R. 2023. An overview of black tree monitor (Varanus beccarii) husbandry. RATEL (Journal of the Association of British and Irish Wild Animal Keepers) 50(3-4), 24-25.

The effects of enrichment on an abnormal behaviour in naked mole rats (Heterocephalus glaber) at Tilgate Nature Centre

The naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a relatively rare mammal in zoological collections with only nine zoos in the United Kingdom holding colonies of varying sizes at the time of study. This study aims to determine whether housing the...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, HousingAnimal Type: Mole Rat, Rodent

Citation: Hatcher, N. 2022. The effects of enrichment on an abnormal behaviour in naked mole rats (Heterocephalus glaber) at Tilgate Nature Centre. RATEL (Journal of the Association of British and Irish Wild Animal Keepers) 49(4), 15-18.

Measuring ramp use in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)

To investigate the utility of ramps as enrichment and as a method for establishing demand for commodities, the latency to climb a ramp of increasing slope to obtain food was measured in four guinea pigs. The average height where guinea...

Year Published: 2022Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: Begum-Diamond, Z., Neuhauser, J. E., Cameron, K. E. 2022. Measuring ramp use in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus). Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior 118(2), 292-301.

Rats move nesting materials to create different functional areas: Short report

Here we document how rats separate their living space into different functional regions. Five groups of four female Sprague Dawley rats were housed in caging systems that consisted of two standard cages connected by a tube. Both cages were provided...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Amendola, L., Xu, N., Weary, D. M. 2023. Rats move nesting materials to create different functional areas: Short report. Laboratory Animals 57(1), 75–78.

General and species-specific recommendations for minimal requirements for the use of cephalopods in scientific research

Here we list species-specific recommendations for housing, care and management of cephalopod molluscs employed for research purposes with the aim of contributing to the standardization of minimum requirements for establishments, care and accommodation of these animals in compliance with the...

Year Published: 2023Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Cephalopod, Invertebrate

Citation: Ponte, G., Roumbedakis, K., Galligioni, V. et al. 2023. General and species-specific recommendations for minimal requirements for the use of cephalopods in scientific research. Laboratory Animals 57(1), 26–39.

Behavioral evaluation of laboratory-housed ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) in different enclosure sizes

The domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) is a common research model for infectious disease and behavioral studies. Ferrets are social animals that are commonly pair-housed. The United States has no species-specific regulatory standards for housing ferrets. Optimal enclosure dimensions have...

Year Published: 2023Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Ferret

Citation: Jimenez, I. A., Craney, M. C., Painter, M. C. et al. 2023. Behavioral evaluation of laboratory-housed ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) in different enclosure sizes. JAALAS 62(5), 382–394.