Behavior and blood catecholamines of captive belugas during playbacks of noise from an oil drilling platform

Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430090507.abs Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) depend on sounds for communication and echolocation. To address the concerns that noise from oil platforms may have adverse effects, we examined behavioral responses of four captive belugas to playbacks of noise from SEDCO 708, a semi-submersible drilling platform. Swim patterns, social groups, and respiration/dive rates were not statistically different […]

Sex differences in rats: Effects of chronic stress on sympathetic system and anxiety

In this study we tested whether periodic maternal deprivation (MD) (4.5 h daily during the first 3 weeks of life) caused chronic changes in anxiety and medullo-adrenal responses to chronic stress in either male or female adult (2.5 months of age) rats, or both. Repeated maternal deprivation had a sex-specific effect on epinephrine (E) and […]

Validation of a behavioral observation tool to assess pig welfare

Accurately measuring and monitoring of animal behavior is an important factor when assessing on-farm animal welfare. First we developed a feasible and simple method aiming at consistently on-farm measuring of pig’s behavior. This test should cover a broad range of welfare-related pig behavior. The reaction towards a novel object, startling, tail and ear biting, play […]