Natural Behavior

Vole husbandry at Colorado University Boulder

Since they arrived at CU Boulder, we have learned a lot about the voles from the laboratory, other institutions, and our trial-and-error. We hope this information can be helpful to any considering adding voles to their census.

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Other Rodent, Rodent

Citation: Abazaris, J., Hashway, S. 2022. Vole husbandry at Colorado University Boulder. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 10(4) (July/August), 12-15.

The husbandry and management of naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber)

Naked mole-rats (NMRs) have unique husbandry requirements that need to be considered when maintaining them in captivity. We have successfully maintained NMRs at the University of Illinois at Chicago for more than 20 years. This article aims to describe the...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Housing, Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Adams, C. R., Park, T. J. 2022. The husbandry and management of naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber). Laboratory Animal Science Professional 10(4) (July/August), 16-18.

Burrowing behaviour of rats: Strain differences and applicability as well-being parameter after intracranial surgery

In mice, burrowing is considered a species-typical parameter for assessing well-being, while this is less clear in rats. This exploratory study evaluated burrowing behaviour in three rat strains during training and in the direct postoperative phase after complex intracranial surgery...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Natural Behavior, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Riedesel, A.-K., Bach-Hagemann, A., Abdulbaki, A. et al. 2022. Burrowing behaviour of rats: Strain differences and applicability as well-being parameter after intracranial surgery. Laboratory Animals 56(4), 356-369.

Ecology and social behaviour of the Mongolian gerbil: A generalised review

The present review provides a compilation of the published data on the ecology and social behaviour of Mongolian gerbils. Behavioural observations in the wild show that the Mongolian gerbil is a diurnal social rodent living in extended family groups. Seasonal...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Gerbil, Rodent

Citation: Gromov, V. 2022. Ecology and social behaviour of the Mongolian gerbil: A generalised review. Behaviour 159(5), 403-441.

The sound world of zebrafish: A critical review of hearing assessment

Zebrafish, like all fish species, use sound to learn about their environment. Thus, human-generated (anthropogenic) sound added to the environment has the potential to disrupt the detection of biologically relevant sounds, alter behavior, impact fitness, and produce stress and other...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Popper, A. N., Sisneros, J. A. 2022. The sound world of zebrafish: A critical review of hearing assessment. Zebrafish 19(2), 37-48.

Gills just want to have fun: Can fish play games, just like us?

It is common to observe play in dogs, cats, and birds, but have we been ignoring play in one of the most common house pets of all… fish? Aquarium fish are often used as meditative decoration in family households, but...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish, Salmon, Tilapia, Trout, Zebrafish

Citation: Eisenbeiser, S., Serbe-Kamp, É., Gage, G. J. et al. 2022. Gills just want to have fun: Can fish play games, just like us? Animals 12(13), 1684.

Interpreting macaque facial expressions and body behavior in preparation for social housing

This article will help those who are new to working with non-human primates. Interpreting macaque facial expressions and body behavior is important for beginning the process of pair housing two animals.

Year Published: 2022Topics: Natural Behavior, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Tomeczko, S. 2022. Interpreting macaque facial expressions and body behavior in preparation for social housing. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 10(1) (January/February), 62-63.

Practical Canine Behaviour: For Veterinary Nurses and Technicians (2nd ed)

In this book Stephanie Hedges draws on more than 20 years as a practicing veterinary nurse and her training as a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB). She provides a quick reference and practically relevant canine behaviour resource to meet both...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Animal Training, Handling, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Hodges, S. 2021. Practical Canine Behaviour: For Veterinary Nurses and Technicians (2nd ed). CABI, Wallingford, UK.

Thinking outside the lab: Can studies of pet rats inform pet and laboratory rat welfare?

Surveys provide a low-cost means to obtain large amounts of data that are ideal for conducting exploratory research, and they are becoming an increasingly valuable tool in a veterinary context. We investigated whether surveys of pet rat owners might provide...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Handling, Housing, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Neville, V., Mounty, J., Benato, L., Hunter, K. et al. 2022. Thinking outside the lab: Can studies of pet rats inform pet and laboratory rat welfare? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 246, 105507.

Thinking outside the lab: Can studies of pet rats inform pet and laboratory rat welfare?

Year Published: 2022Topics: Handling, Housing, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent