Stress, anxiety, fear and frustration in different reptile species: how to reduce these negative emotional states during veterinary procedures
Behavioural responses vary significantly within the Reptile Class when stressed, fearful or frustrated, making it very difficult to observe or measure their emotional state. Reptiles are not commonly seen in general veterinary practice which can mean that suitable accommodation is not always available, and as there is a huge variation in a reptile’s ability, or […]
The impact of housing environment color on zebrafish anxiety-like behavioral and physiological (cortisol) responses
Color of the environment is an important factor modulating human and animal behavior and physiology. Animal models are a valuable tool to understand how colors affect social, cognitive and affective responses. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is rapidly emerging as an important organism in neuroscience and physiology. Here, we examine whether the color of housing environment […]
Total Eclipse of the Zoo: Animal Behavior during a Total Solar Eclipse
The infrequency of a total solar eclipse renders the event novel to those animals that experience its effects and, consequently, may induce anomalous behavioral responses. However, historical information on the responses of animals to eclipses is scant and often conflicting. In this study, we qualitatively document the responses of 17 vertebrate taxa (including mammals, birds, […]
Increase in environmental temperature affects exploratory behaviour, anxiety and social preference in Danio rerio
The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of a temperature increase on the behaviour of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) maintained for 21 days at 34 °C (treatment) and 26 °C (control). The temperatures chosen are within the vital range of zebrafish and correspond to temperatures that this species encounters in the natural environment. Previous […]
Pharmacological therapy with a combination of alprazolam and fluoxetine and use of the trace element lithium gluconate for treating anxiety disorders and aggression in dogs
This research studied 2 different treatments, lithium gluconate and a combination of alprazolam and fluoxetine, with the aim of assessing their efficacy for treating anxiety disorders in dogs. One hundred thirty-five dogs took part in the study, divided into 2 diagnostic categories: anxious dogs with aggression and anxious dogs with no aggression. The animals in […]
Social competence is reduced in socially deprived rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta)
Rhesus monkeys deprived for some period from their mother have often served as a model for the effect of adverse rearing conditions on social competence in humans. Social competence is the capacity to react in a species-specific way to social interactions. The current study assesses whether early deprivation from peers also affects the rates of […]
Long-lasting, selective, anxiogenic effects of feline predator stress in mice
Lasting increases in anxiety-like behavior (ALB) are produced by brief exposure of rats to a cat [Adamec RE, Shallow T, Lasting effects on rodent anxiety of a single exposure to a cat, Physiol. Behav., 54 (1993) 101–109.]. Mice also respond defensively to natural predator stimuli. Moreover, chronic exposure of mice to rat odor has immediate […]
Early behavioural enrichment in the form of handling renders mouse pups unresponsive to anxiolytic drugs and increases NGF levels in the hippocampus
Early life experiences, such as early handling, can influence neural development of rodents leading to changes in physiological and behavioural reactivity to stress. These effects are likely to be mediated by changes in maternal behaviour. This study analyzed the effects of different manipulations of the rearing environment on maternal behaviour and the behavioural and physiological […]
Correlates of self-directed and stereotypic behaviours in captive red-capped mangabeys (Cercocebus torquatus torquatus)
The quantification of behaviours linked to anxiety or stress provides a powerful means to address applied questions related to the well being of captive animals. This study explored correlates of two such behaviours – self-directed (SDB) and stereotypic behaviour (STB) – among captive red-capped mangabeys, Cercocebus torquatus torquatus. Study animals were held at two sites […]
Environmental enrichment enhances spatial cognition in rats by reducing thigmotaxis (wall hugging) during testing
Rats, Rattus norvegicus, housed with [`]environmental enrichment’ do better in tests of spatial cognition than rats housed in barren cages. The leading hypothesis is that exposure to [`]social and inanimate complexity’ leads to better cognitive-processing abilities, which directly enhances performance in a spatial task. However, enrichment is associated with reduced stress responses and anxiety in […]