Social Housing & Companionship

Pair-housing macaques with biomedical implants: a safe and practical alternative to single-housing

Recognition of the importance of social interaction for primate well-being has led to new USDA guidelines recommending that animal facilities provide social enrichment for captive primates, as long as doing so does not endanger the animals or interfere with research...

Year Published: 2004Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Roberts, S. J., Platt, M. L. 2004. Pair-housing macaques with biomedical implants: a safe and practical alternative to single-housing. American Journal of Primatology 62(Supplement), 96-97 (Abstract).

Common husbandry-related variables in biomedical research with animals

The barren primary enclosure is an abnormal living environment for laboratory animals. Species-appropriate enrichment attenuates some of the distress resulting from chronic understimulation. Social deprivation distress of individually-caged social animals is best mitigated by the provision of compatible companionship. Biotelemetry...

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Reinhardt, V. 2004. Common husbandry-related variables in biomedical research with animals. Laboratory Animals 38, 213-235.

Environmental enrichment for guinea pigs: A Discussion by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum

The question was raised how the environment of guinea pigs can be best enriched in the research laboratory setting. In summary, social-housing is the most species-appropriate living environment for guinea pigs. If a research protocol requires single-caging, guinea pigs should...

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: Banjanin, S., Barley, J., Bell, L. et al. 2004. Environmental enrichment for guinea pigs: A Discussion by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Animal Technology and Welfare 3(3), 161-163.

Potential for unintended consequences of environmental enrihment for laboratory animals and research results

Many aspects of the research animal's housing environment are controlled for quality and/or standardization. Of recent interest is the potential for environmental enrichment to have unexpected consequences such as unintended harm to the animal, or the introduction of variability into...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Hamster, Macaque, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Bayne, K. 2005. Potential for unintended consequences of environmental enrihment for laboratory animals and research results. ILAR Journal 46(2), 129-139.

Behavioral management of chimpanzees in biomedical research facilities

The current status of the behavioral management of chimpanzees housed in US research facilities is examined, and recent advances are described. Behavioral management includes the application of environmental enrichment, animal training, and environmental design for improving animal welfare. Authors surveyed...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Animal Training, Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Bloomsmith, M. A., Else, J. G. 2005. Behavioral management of chimpanzees in biomedical research facilities. ILAR Journal 46(2), 192-201.

Forage box as enrichment in single- and group-housed callitrichid monkeys

When presented with food, common marmosets will more often take it directly into their mouths than use their hands. This might explain why in the conditions where a lid was used, there were fewer forage-related hand movements than might have...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Chamove, A. S., Scott, L. 2005. Forage box as enrichment in single- and group-housed callitrichid monkeys. Laboratory Primate Newsletter 44(2), 13-17.

The role of the image of a conspecific in the regulation of stereotypic head movements in the horse

Weaving was significantly less when the horses were provided with the image of a horse's face (mean percentage of observations +/- S.E.M.; 5.56 +/- 1.57), compared to both the pixilated (14.85 +/- 3.06) and white (20.52 +/- 4.12) images. Nodding...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Mills, D. S., Riezebos, M. 2005. The role of the image of a conspecific in the regulation of stereotypic head movements in the horse . Applied Animal Behaviour Science 91, 155-165.

USDA perspectives on environmental enrichment for animals

This article provides a brief historical background of the events and circumstances that led to the 1985 Animal Welfare Act (AWA) amendments. It describes the development of the regulations promulgated by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1991 as...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Human-Animal Interaction, Regulations & Ethical Review, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Dog, Lemur, Macaque, Marine Mammal, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Kulpa-Eddy, J. A., Taylor, S., Adams, K. M. 2005. USDA perspectives on environmental enrichment for animals. ILAR Journal 46(2), 83-94.

Effects of isosexual pair-housing on biomedical implants and study participation in male macaques

Social housing has been shown to contribute to the psychological well-being and physical health of captive primates, and this factor has led to United States Department of Agriculture guidelines requiring facilities to address the social needs of primate species known...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Roberts, S. J., Platt, M. L. 2005. Effects of isosexual pair-housing on biomedical implants and study participation in male macaques. Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science 44(5), 13-18.

Environmental enrichment for nonhuman primates: Theory and application

Only social contact satisfies the goal of promoting a wide variety of species-typical activities while at the same time reducing or preventing the development of abnormal behavior... A number of toys should be provided initially and rotated on a regular...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Lutz, C. K., Novak, M. 2005. Environmental enrichment for nonhuman primates: Theory and application. ILAR Journal 46(2), 178-191.