Identification Method

The pen is milder than the blade: Identification marking mice using ink on the tail appears more humane than ear-punching even with local anaesthetic

Identification marking mice commonly involves ear-punching with or without anaesthetic, or tail-marking with ink. To identify which is most humane, we marked weanling male BALB/c mice using ear-punching (EP), ear-punching with anaesthetic EMLATM cream (EP+A), or permanent marker pen (MP)....

Year Published: 2021Topics: Identification MethodAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Burn, C. C., Mazlan, N. H. B., Chancellor, N. et al. 2021. The pen is milder than the blade: Identification marking mice using ink on the tail appears more humane than ear-punching even with local anaesthetic. Animals 11(6), 1664.

Identification of individual zebrafish (Danio rerio): A refined protocol for VIE tagging whilst considering animal welfare and the principles of the 3Rs

In aquatic ecology, studies have commonly employed a tagging technique known as visible implant elastomer (VIE). This method has not been widely adopted by the zebrafish research community and also lacks refinement with regard to animal welfare. The current paper...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Identification MethodAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Rácz, A., Allan, B., Dwyer, T. et al. 2021. Identification of individual zebrafish (Danio rerio): A refined protocol for VIE tagging whilst considering animal welfare and the principles of the 3Rs. Animals 11(3), 616.

A minimally invasive technique to assess several life-history characteristics of the endangered great hammerhead shark Sphyrna mokarran

A dorsal-fin photo-identification technique paired with a non-invasive parallel laser photogrammetry technique was used to non-invasively identify individual Sphyrna mokarran over time. Based on the data collected over a duration of 59 days, 16 different S. mokarran (mean ± s.d....

Year Published: 2016Topics: Identification MethodAnimal Type: Fish, Shark & Ray

Citation: O'Connell, C. P., Leurs, G. 2016. A minimally invasive technique to assess several life-history characteristics of the endangered great hammerhead shark Sphyrna mokarran. Journal of Fish Biology 88(3), 1257-1264.

International survey on the use and welfare of zebrafish Danio rerio in research

A survey was conducted regarding zebrafish Danio rerio use for scientific research with a focus on: anaesthesia and euthanasia; housing and husbandry; breeding and production; refinement opportunities. A total of 98 survey responses were received from laboratories in 22 countries...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Anesthesia & Sedation, Environmental Enrichment, Euthanasia, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Identification Method, ReproductionAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Lidster, K., Readman, G. D., Prescott, M. J. et al. 2017. International survey on the use and welfare of zebrafish Danio rerio in research. Journal of Fish Biology 90(5), 1891-1905.

Welfare and scientific considerations of tattooing and ear tagging for mouse identification

Ear tagging is perceived as less painful or stressful than tattooing and therefore is generally considered less harmful or costly to welfare. However, ear tags are more difficult to read than tattoos and can fall out, and mice usually require...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Identification MethodAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Roughan, J. V., Sevenoaks, T. 2019. Welfare and scientific considerations of tattooing and ear tagging for mouse identification. JAALAS 58(2), 142-153.

Physiologic stress of ear punch identification compared with restraint only in mice

Social housing of laboratory rodents is recommended whenever possible to encourage natural behavior and social dynamics. Several identification methods are used to distinguish rodents from one another. One of the most common means of identifying mice is ear punching. The...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Identification MethodAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Taitt, K. T., Kendall, L. V. 2019. Physiologic stress of ear punch identification compared with restraint only in mice. JAALAS 58(4), 438-442.

I3S software as a refinement technique to identify individuals within a captive Scyliorhinus canula population

Demarking individual animals within a group is often required in research. However, the process of invasive tagging induces stress and if a tag becomes detached it may wound the animal and/or prevent identification. Photo identification using natural marks can be...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Identification MethodAnimal Type: Amphibian, Fish, Frog & Toad, Other Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: McMurray, C., Allen, N., Hook, S. et al. 2018. I3S software as a refinement technique to identify individuals within a captive Scyliorhinus canula population. Animal Technology and Welfare 17(3), 204-205 (IAT Congress 2018 Poster Presentation).

Aversiveness of husbandry procedures for pre-weaned foals: A comparison using behavioural and physiological indices

Husbandry procedures are necessary for different purposes in horse breeding. The aim of the present study was to assess the aversiveness and effects on the horse-human relationship of a range of common husbandry procedures, in pre-weaned non-habituated Konik polski foals....

Year Published: 2017Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & Management, Identification MethodAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Górecka-Bruzda, A., Jaworski, Z., Suwała, M. et al. 2017. Aversiveness of husbandry procedures for pre-weaned foals: A comparison using behavioural and physiological indices. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 191, 31-38.

DNA sampling by skin swabbing for Zebrafish (Danio rerio) and sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

Fin clipping of live fish under anaesthesia is widely used to collect tissues samples for DNA extraction. However, this technique raises a number of ethical concerns, since the use of anaesthetic and/or physical fin damage may cause behavioural changes, pain,...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Identification MethodAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Breacker, C., Tilley, C. 2017. DNA sampling by skin swabbing for Zebrafish (Danio rerio) and sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Animal Technology and Welfare 16(3), 211-213.

Do Buccal swabs from Zebrafish give enough of a sample of DNA to be used as a viable non-invasive method of genotyping? Animal Technology and Welfare 16(3), 155-164

The zebrafish has become a valuable research model within the laboratory. Currently the proven method of genotyping involves taking a tail fin clip from the fish to gain the sample. This involves surgically removing a piece of the tail fin...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Identification MethodAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Lawton, S. 2017. Do Buccal swabs from Zebrafish give enough of a sample of DNA to be used as a viable non-invasive method of genotyping? Animal Technology and Welfare 16(3), 155-164.