Natural Behavior

Grooming in Barbary macaques: better to give than receive?

It is well established that grooming underpins sociality in group-living primates, and a number of studies have documented the stress-reducing effects of being groomed. In this study, we quantified grooming behaviour and physiological stress (assessed by faecal glucocorticoid analysis) in...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Natural Behavior, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Shutt, K., MacLarnon, A., Heistermann, M. et al. 2007. Grooming in Barbary macaques: better to give than receive? Biology Letters 3(3), 231-233.

Captive lemur response to two types of natural enrichment

Enrichment has been known to increase the well being and species typical behavior of captive animals. While much research has been done on the effectiveness of enrichment or captive monkeys and apes, research on enrichment of captive lemurs is not...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Lemur, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Munds, R. A., Best, K., Hoppy, P. et al. 2007. Captive lemur response to two types of natural enrichment. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 132(S44), 175 (76th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists Program, Abstract).

Refining Rabbit Care: A Resource for Those Working With Rabbits in Research

The report sets out how to provide: optimal enclosure characteristicsand size; social housing; solid flooring and substrate; raised areas; refuges; gnawing objects and dietary enrichment; positive interaction with humans; toys and objects to manipulate; for the special needs of breeding...

Year Published: 2008Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Relocation & Transport, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Hawkins, P., Hubrecht, R., Buckwell, A. et al. 2008. Refining Rabbit Care: A Resource for Those Working With Rabbits in Research. UFAW/RSPCA: Southwater, UK, 27 pp.

Golden hamsters are nocturnal in captivity but diurnal in nature

Daily activity rhythms are nearly universal among animals and their specific pattern is an adaptation of each species to its ecological niche. Owing to the extremely consistent nocturnal patterns of activity shown by golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) in the laboratory,...

Year Published: 2008Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Hamster, Rodent

Citation: Gattermann, R., Johnston, J., Mcphee, M. E. et al. 2008. Golden hamsters are nocturnal in captivity but diurnal in nature. Biology Letters 4(3), 253-255.

Introduction to Animal Welfare and the Sheep

Concerns for the lives of animals have been voiced for centuries, with concerns about the welfare of agricultural animals increasing since the 1960s. Animal welfare concerns arise for many reasons: care about the quality of lives of animals, concerns about...

Year Published: 2008Topics: Body Modification/Mutilation, Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Dwyer, C. M. , Lawrence, A. B. 2008. Introduction to Animal Welfare and the Sheep. In: The Welfare of Sheep. Animal Welfare, volume 6. Dwyer, C. M. (Ed.). Springer: Dordrecht, 1-40.

The relationship between socio-sexual behavior and salivary cortisol in bonobos: tests of the tension regulation hypothesis

Bonobos are known for their pacifistic behavior and their large repertoire of behaviors that are thought to serve conflict resolution. One is an unusual form of ventro-ventral mounting that facilitates genital contacts (GC). Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain...

Year Published: 2009Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Hohmann, G., Mundry, R., Deschner, T. 2009. The relationship between socio-sexual behavior and salivary cortisol in bonobos: tests of the tension regulation hypothesis. American Journal of Primatology 71(3), 223-232.

Feeding behavior of Saguinus oedipus in relation to food hardness in a zoo setting: Possibilities for enrichment? Laboratory Primate Newsletter 49(3), 10-13

We suggest that by providing animals with food in a more natural form (i.e., not cut to a standardized size), they would have an opportunity to process the food in a manner that best approaches what would be encountered in...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Ceja, C., White, J. 2010. Feeding behavior of Saguinus oedipus in relation to food hardness in a zoo setting: Possibilities for enrichment? Laboratory Primate Newsletter 49(3), 10-13.

Modification of a dog cage for use as an exercise unit for rabbits

The Guide for the Care and Use of Animals and the USDA Animal Welfare Regulations (AWR) outline minimum space requirements for laboratory animals, including rabbits. These documents encourage housing of animals in enclosures that allow adequate freedom of movement and...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Williams-Fritze, M. J., Altieri, J. A., Clough, C. et al. 2010. Modification of a dog cage for use as an exercise unit for rabbits. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 703 (Abstract #P70).

Factors affecting aggression among females in captive groups of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Captive groups of primates often exhibit higher rates of aggression than wild, free-ranging groups. It is important to determine which factors influence aggression in captivity because aggression, particularly intense aggression, can be harmful to animal health and well-being. In this...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Beisner, B. A., Isbell, L. A. 2011. Factors affecting aggression among females in captive groups of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). American Journal of Primatology 73(11), 1152-1159.

Effectiveness of perforated plexiglass dividers as social grooming devices between neighboring, individually housed adult male Macaca fascicularis

A clear, perforated, plexiglass divider was installed between neighboring cynos to test whether it altered their proximity to one another, or prompted any behavioral changes. ... Adult male cynomolgus monkeys tend not to spend a large amount of time in...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Housing, Natural Behavior, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Watson, L. M. 2010. Effectiveness of perforated plexiglass dividers as social grooming devices between neighboring, individually housed adult male Macaca fascicularis. Laboratory Primate Newsletter 49(4), 1-4.