Light perception in ‘blind’ subterranean Zambian mole-rats
Because of their constantly dark habitat and microphthalmia, subterranean African mole-rats have hitherto been considered as blind. Recent morphological findings, however, revealed a qualitatively rather well-developed, although quantitatively reduced, visual system and questioned the prevailing idea of blindness. We investigated the reactions of Zambian mole-rats of the bathyergid genus Fukomys (formerly Cryptomys) to white light […]
Investigating the importance of vision in poultry: Comparing the behaviour of blind and sighted chickens
Behaviour in poultry is predominately visually mediated and vision is important to the welfare of poultry. The relationship between vision, behaviour and welfare has primarily been investigated in relation to artificial lighting. Genetically blind chickens provide an alternative experimental paradigm for further investigating the importance of sight. The primary aim of the study was to […]
Activity and enrichment use in disabled Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) rescued from bile farms
Physical disability has the potential to impede the use of environmental enrichments in rehabilitation programmes. We therefore compared the behaviour of 63 disabled and non-disabled socially housed adult Asiatic black bears rescued from bile farms for 103 observation hours. Amputees were less active than non-amputees, spent less time standing, travelled less between different areas of […]
Behavioural consequences of visual deprivation occurring at hatch or in the early life of chickens
The development of behaviour in a line of chickens that are born sighted (rdd) but turn blind after hatching was compared with a line that is blind at hatch (beg) and with sighted White Leghorn controls (WL) to test the hypothesis that birds that become blind later in their life will show characteristic behaviours of […]