Natural Behavior

Where the wild zebrafish are

Journeying into the field to study a model organism in its natural habitats. “Seeing them in the wild and seeing what kind of substrates they are on has really helped inform that for us, and we hope that helps inform...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Neff, E.P. 2020. Where the wild zebrafish are. Lab Animal 49(11), 305–309.

The cotton rat – a new challenge

This poster describes how the Animal Technologists at Envigo adapted their current practices and procedures for a new species at their laboratory: the cotton rat. The paper describes cotton rat biology and behaviour; housing; environmental enrichment; health; dosing and blood...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Anesthesia & Sedation, Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Drug/Substance Administration, Environmental Enrichment, Euthanasia, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Ballantine, A., Rodgers, D., Watts, C. et al. 2020. The cotton rat – a new challenge. Animal Technology and Welfare 19(1), 92-95.

The natural behavior debate: Two conceptions of animal welfare

The performance of natural behavior is commonly used as a criterion in the determination of animal welfare. This is still true, despite many authors having demonstrated that it is not a necessary component of welfare – some natural behaviors may...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Natural Behavior, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Browning, H. 2020. The natural behavior debate: Two conceptions of animal welfare. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 23(3), 325-337.

Aggregation and social interaction in garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)

Previous research has shown that competition, familiarity, diet, and relatedness can all influence aggregation patterns in garter snakes. We controlled for these factors and examined social aggregation patterns in juvenile Eastern garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis). We assayed snakes individually...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Reptile, Snake

Citation: Skinner, M., Miller, N. 2020. Aggregation and social interaction in garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 74, 51.

Agonistic behavior and social hierarchy in female domestic rabbits kept in semi-groups

In semi-natural mixed-sex groups, rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) organize their social life by forming a hierarchy, which is characterized by linearity and stability. Compared to the natural environment, many factors are different in contemporary breeding systems, such as space allowance and,...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Bill, J., Rauterberg, S. L., Herbrandt, S. et al. 2020. Agonistic behavior and social hierarchy in female domestic rabbits kept in semi-groups. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 38, 21-31.

Behavioral diversity as a potential indicator of positive animal welfare

Modern day zoos and aquariums continuously assess the welfare of their animals and use evidence to make informed management decisions. Historically, many of the indicators of animal welfare used to assess the collection are negative indicators of welfare, such as...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Natural Behavior, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General, Amphibian, Nonhuman Primate, Reptile

Citation: Miller, L. J., Vicino, G. A., Sheftel, J. et al. 2020. Behavioral diversity as a potential indicator of positive animal welfare. Animals 10(7), 1211.

Both aggressive and affiliative behaviour facilitate resource access in high-ranking female long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis)

Access to limited resources may be achieved by dominance as well as by high rates of aggressive and affiliative behaviour. We investigated the relative effectiveness of dominance rank and aggressive and affiliative behaviour in accessing three material and three social...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Overduin-de Vries, A. M., de Vries, H., Vermande, M. M. et al. 2020. Both aggressive and affiliative behaviour facilitate resource access in high-ranking female long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Behaviour 157 (3-4), 267-287.

Collective behavior in wild zebrafish

Anthropogenic change is expected to alter environments at alarming rates. To predict the impact of modified environments on social behavior, we must study the relationship between environmental features and collective behavior in a genetically tractable model, zebrafish (Danio rerio). Here,...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Shelton, D. S., Shelton, S. G., Daniel, D. K. et al. 2020. Collective behavior in wild zebrafish. Zebrafish 17(4), 243-252.

Comparisons of activity budgets, interactions, and social structures in captive and wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

Chimpanzees in zoos with sufficient and appropriate environmental enrichment devices are expected to exhibit behaviors, interactions, and societies similar to those in the wild. In this study, we compared the activity budgets of each observed behavior, characteristics of social grooming,...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Inoue, N., Shimada, M. 2020. Comparisons of activity budgets, interactions, and social structures in captive and wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Animals 10(6), 1063.

Cooperation with closely bonded individuals reduces cortisol levels in long-tailed macaques

Many animal species cooperate with conspecifics in various social contexts. While ultimate causes of cooperation are being studied extensively, its proximate causes, particularly endocrine mechanisms, have received comparatively little attention. Here, we present a study investigating the link between the...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Stocker, M. Loretto, M.-C., Sterck, E. H. M. et al. 2020. Cooperation with closely bonded individuals reduces cortisol levels in long-tailed macaques. Royal Society Open Science 7(5), 7191056.