Limitations on the effectiveness of environmental improvement in reducing stereotypic behaviour in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus)
Bank voles (Clethrionotnys glareohs) from three age groups were transferred from conditions in which stereotypic behaviour reliably developed to conditions in which stereotypies rarely developed, to test if environmentally induced stereotypies become independent of their causal factors. Forty-eight voles were used, aged 2 months (Young: n = 18); 6 months (Mid: n = 14); and […]
Stereotypic Behaviour in Wild Caught And Laboratory Bred Bank Voles (clethrionymus Glareolus)
Stereotypic behaviour is generally associated with animals maintained in restrictive environments, and has rarely been described in wild or free-ranging animals. The difference between captive and wild populations may be due to their genetic predisposition or to experience of environmental factors. To investigate genetic and environmental factors, we compared the behaviour of 12 wild caught […]
The “coping” hypothesis of stereotypic behaviour.
Comments on J. J. Cooper and C. J. Nicol’s (see record 1991-32340-001) paper on how stereotypic behavior affects environmental preferences in bank voles and their conclusion that stereotypies help captive animals cope with adverse environments. While Cooper and Nicol’s results may revitalize the coping hypothesis, problems with their study included (1) a lack of measurements […]