Feather damaging behaviour in parrots: A review with consideration of comparative aspects
Feather damaging behaviour (also referred to as feather picking or feather plucking) is a behavioural disorder that is frequently encountered in captive parrots. This disorder has many characteristics that are similar to trichotillomania, an impulse control disorder in humans. Unfortunately, to date much of the information regarding the aetiology and treatment in both syndromes is […]
Adrenal Activity and Anxiety-like Behavior in Fur-Chewing Chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera)
Due to its complexity, in combination with a lack of scientific reports, fur-chewing became one of the most challenging behavioral problems common to captive chinchillas. In the last years, the hypothesis that furchewing is an abnormal repetitive behavior and that stress plays a role in its development and performance has arisen. Here, we investigated whether […]
Effectiveness of fluoxetine to control fur-chewing behaviour in the chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera)
Abstract Due to its complexity and the relative lack of scientific reports, fur-chewing may be considered as one of the most challenging behavioural problems common to captive chinchillas. The development of this behaviour in commercial farms and the increasing popularity of this species as a pet have increased the public demands for a treatment. The […]
Towards a taxonomy of stereotypic behaviours in the American mink (Neovison vison), a model Carnivore: Homogeneous or heterogeneous?
Stereotypic behaviours (SBs) are sometimes assumed homogeneous, despite their diverse morphologies, as if sharing a common aetiology. However, if different SB forms are instead heterogeneous, they may have different causes, potentially impacting how best to prevent or manage them. We therefore conducted two exploratory studies with mink (Neovison vison) to investigate whether ‘loco’ SBs (locomotor […]
Abnormal repetitive behaviours in captive birds: a Tinbergian review
Abnormal repetitive behaviours (ARBs) are associated with past, or present, welfare problems and are common elements of the behavioural repertoire of some captive animals, including birds. Millions of birds from hundreds of species are held in various captive settings, yet most avian ARB research to-date focuses on just a handful of these. Therefore, our knowledge […]