Natural Behavior

Spatial considerations for captive snakes

Captive environments for snakes commonly involve small enclosures with dimensions that prevent occupants from adopting straight line body postures. In particular, the commercial, hobby, and pet sectors routinely utilize small vivaria and racking systems, although zoos and other facilities also...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Housing, Natural Behavior, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Reptile, Snake

Citation: Warwick, C., Arena, P., Steedman, C. 2019. Spatial considerations for captive snakes. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 30, 37-48.

Let’s get serious about animal play

This article describes the importance of providing laboratory animals with opportunities to engage in play, and provides a few practical ideas for how to do this.

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: All/General, Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Rat, Rodent, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Animal Welfare Institute. 2019. Let's get serious about animal play. AWI Quarterly 68(3) Fall, 19.

The controversy on fish pain: A veterinarian’s perspective

Fish welfare is still a relatively new field. As such, regulations and protocols to ensure fish welfare are currently limited and vary considerably in different jurisdictions. This is in part because of the ongoing controversy as to whether or not...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Analgesia, Natural Behavior, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish, Salmon, Tilapia, Trout, Zebrafish

Citation: Chatigny, F. 2019. The controversy on fish pain: A veterinarian's perspective. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 22(4), 400-410.

Current issues in fish welfare

In common with all vertebrates, fish respond to environmental challenges with a series of adaptive neuro‐endocrine adjustments that are collectively termed the stress response. These in turn induce reversible metabolic and behavioural changes that make the fish better able to...

Year Published: 2006Topics: Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish, Salmon, Tilapia, Trout, Zebrafish

Citation: Huntingford, F. A., Adams, C., Braithwaite, V. A. et al. 2006. Current issues in fish welfare. Journal of Fish Biology 68(2), 332-372.

Cephalopod biology and care, a COST FA1301 (CephsInAction) training school: Anaesthesia and scientific procedures

Cephalopods are the sole invertebrates included in the list of regulated species following the Directive 2010/63/EU. According to the Directive, achieving competence through adequate training is a requisite for people having a role in the different functions (article 23) as...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Anesthesia & Sedation, Euthanasia, Natural Behavior, Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Cephalopod, Invertebrate

Citation: Lopes, V. M., Sampaio, E., Roumbedakis, K. et al. 2017. Cephalopod biology and care, a COST FA1301 (CephsInAction) training school: Anaesthesia and scientific procedures. Invertebrate Neuroscience 17, 8.

Essential Fish Biology: Diversity, Structure and Function

This book summarizes the basic features of living fish. It is introduced by a chapter on the diversity of a group which has over 30,000 species, the largest within the vertebrates, describing the classification systems used for them and the...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Natural Behavior, ReproductionAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish, Salmon, Tilapia, Trout, Zebrafish

Citation: Burton, D., Burton, M. (Eds). 2017. Essential Fish Biology: Diversity, Structure and Function. Oxford University Press: Oxford, U.K., 448 pp.

Daily water intake by common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) and recommendations regarding fluid regulation

The typical daily water intake of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) in a research setting has not been well characterized. Because these New World primates are in demand as animal models for neurobehavioral experiments, which can include the potential use of...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Winn, C. B., Issa, E. B., Curcillo, C. P. et al. 2019. Daily water intake by common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) and recommendations regarding fluid regulation. JAALAS 58(1), 16-20.

Solitary, observer, parallel, and social object play in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

Many comparative studies have focused on the emergence of solitary and social play in early development, however, few consider observer and parallel forms of play. In this study, we analyzed approximately 21 h of video recordings and revealed a significant difference...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Marine Mammal

Citation: Cappiello, B. M., Hill, H. M., Bolton, T. T. 2018. Solitary, observer, parallel, and social object play in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Behavioural Processes 157, 453-458.

Song practice as a rewarding form of play in songbirds

In adult songbirds, the primary functions of song are mate attraction and territory defense; yet, many songbirds sing at high rates as juveniles and outside these primary contexts as adults. Singing outside primary contexts is critical for song learning and...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Bird, Other Bird

Citation: Riters, L. V., Spool, J. A., Merullo, D. P. et al. 2019. Song practice as a rewarding form of play in songbirds. Behavioural Processes 163, 91-98.

Executing specific foraging behaviours does not represent a general goal state of foraging in dry sows (Sus scrofa)

Intensively housed domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) have little opportunity to perform diverse foraging behaviour though they still seem strongly motivated to do so. Here, we investigated whether the execution of specific behaviours may in itself satisfy their foraging motivation. We...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Moser, J., Burla, J.-B., Gygax, L. 2019. Executing specific foraging behaviours does not represent a general goal state of foraging in dry sows (Sus scrofa). Behavioural Processes 164, 115-122.