Natural Behavior

Floor substrate preferences of chickens: A meta-analysis

Environmental enrichment promotes sensory and motor stimulation for species-typical behaviors, which in turn enhance animal well-being. For farmed Galliformes, housing systems often limit enrichment to bedding and litter, that simultaneously act as material for dustbathing and foraging. Therefore, this meta-analysis...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Housing, Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Monckton, V., Ellis, J. L., Harlander-Matauschek, A. 2020. Floor substrate preferences of chickens: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7, 584162.

Housing behaviour of the naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) under laboratory conditions

The naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a rodent that has gained importance as a biomedical research model for various conditions including hypoxic brain injury, cancer and nociception. It is captured from the wild and housed under laboratory conditions during...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Housing, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Mole Rat, Rodent

Citation: Mwobobia, R., Abelson, K., Kanui, T. 2020. Housing behaviour of the naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) under laboratory conditions. Scandinavian Journal of Laboratory Animal Science 46(1), 16-24.

Impact of flooring type on the sham dustbathing behaviour of caged laying hens

Feed particles are preferred for foraging and they are also a stimulus for sham dustbathing. Most sham dustbathing bouts start with bill raking in the feed by caged hens. As hens often exhibit a floor scratching behaviour, an element of...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Housing, Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Moroki, Y. 2020. Impact of flooring type on the sham dustbathing behaviour of caged laying hens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 230, 105066.

Investigating the function of mutual grooming in captive bonobos (Pan paniscus) and Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

Social grooming is often exchanged between individuals in many primate species. Rates of bidirectional (or simultaneous mutual) grooming vary across primate species, and its function is not yet fully understood. For example, mutual grooming is frequent in chimpanzees but rare...

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

Citation: Allanic, M., Hayashi, M., Matsuzawa, T., 2020. Investigating the function of mutual grooming in captive bonobos (Pan paniscus) and Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Folia Primatologica 91, 481-494.

Licking and agonistic interactions in grazing dairy cows as indicators of preferential companies

The quality of the social environment should be studied as one of the welfare components of dairy herds. Licking and preference between cows are important socio-positive experiences in this context.The aims of this study were: 1) to describe the behaviours...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Pinheiro Machado, T. M., Pinheiro Machado Filho, L. C., Daros, R. R. et al. 2020. Licking and agonistic interactions in grazing dairy cows as indicators of preferential companies. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 227, 104994.

Getting to know Siamese fighting fish

This article describes the biology, husbandry, and care of Siamese fighting fish (also known as the betta fish) at Columbia University.

Year Published: 2020Topics: Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Barber, J. 2020. Getting to know Siamese fighting fish. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 8(3) (May/June), 26-27.

Head up displays are a submission signal in the group-living daffodil cichlid

Dominance hierarchies can reduce conflict within social groups and agonistic signals can help to establish and maintain these hierarchies. Behaviours produced by subordinates in response to aggression are often assumed to function as signals of submission, however, these behaviours may...

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

Citation: Ruberto, T., Talbot, J. L., Reddon, A. R. 2020. Head up displays are a submission signal in the group-living daffodil cichlid. Behavioural Processes 181, 104271.

Play behaviour reduced by environmental enrichment in fast-growing broiler chickens

The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of environmental enrichment on play behaviour in fast-growing broiler chickens. Chicks (19 of each sex) were randomly assigned to 6 non-enriched (NE) pens and 6 pens enriched (E) with a raised...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Liu, Z., Torrey, S., Newberry, R. C. et al. 2020. Play behaviour reduced by environmental enrichment in fast-growing broiler chickens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 232, 105098.

Tortoise Husbandry and Welfare

Keeping captive tortoises healthy and well is a significant challenge. Because they are ectotherms, these reptiles are totally dependent upon external sources to maintain body temperature and therefore metabolic function. Their physical environment is vital for them to remain healthy,...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Social Housing & Companionship, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Reptile, Turtle & Tortoise

Citation: Williams, J. 2024. Tortoise Husbandry and Welfare. CABI, 303 pages.

A case of thanatosis in domestic sheep

Thanatosis (feigning death, defensive tonic immobility) is a widespread anti-predator behavioural strategy in animals. Animals that have evolved this behaviour react to physical contact with the predator by displaying a persistent tonic immobility that makes them look like dead prey....

Year Published: 2025Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Skok, J., Prevolnik Povše, M., Škorjanc, D. 2025. A case of thanatosis in domestic sheep. Behaviour 162(6–8), 569–578.