Multi-criteria study on a change to a fruit-free diet in Cebidae and Cercopithecidae
Nutrient intake of captive primates does not necessarily reflect that of their wild counterparts. Diets in captivity are often higher in non-structural carbohydrates and lower in fiber, resulting in health issues such as obesity, dental issues, diarrhea and behavioural problems. The main objective of this study was to establish and monitor a change to a […]
Should Zoo Food Be Chopped for Captive Turacos?
It is common practice for keepers in zoological collections to provide animals in their care with food that is chopped into small pieces. Anecdotally, it has been suggested that chopped food reduces wastage and reduces aggression from group-housed animals. However, there is limited empirical evidence to support these suggestions. To investigate the effects of food […]
Monitoring captive odontocetes’ participation during training sessions for improving training efficiency and welfare evaluation
In captive facilities, odontocetes are subject to daily training/feeding sessions which often create close relationships between animals and their caretakers. Therefore, such sessions are thought to provide information that can be useful for welfare assessment. Recent studies on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) validated caretakers’ ratings of dolphins’ participation during training sessions as a welfare indicator. […]
Actions of glucocorticoids at a seasonal baseline as compared to stress-related levels in the regulation of periodic life processes
For decades, demands associated with the predictable life-history cycle have been considered stressful and have not been distinguished from stress that occurs in association with unpredictable and life-threatening perturbations in the environment. The recent emergence of the concept of allostasis distinguishes behavioral and physiological responses to predictable routines as opposed to unpredictable perturbations, and allows […]
Paradoxical sleep deprivation activates hypothalamic nuclei that regulate food intake and stress response
A large body of evidence has shown that prolonged paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD) results in hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activation, and in loss of body weight despite an apparent increase of food intake, reflecting increased energy expenditure. The flowerpot technique for PSD is an efficient paradigm for investigating the relationships among metabolic regulation and stress response. […]
Relationship between feeding time and food intake in hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) and the value of feeding time as predictor of food intake
Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1999)18:63.3.CO;2-L The relationship among time spent feeding, number of feeding bouts, feeding bout length, and the amount of food ingested was determined in a study of 18 hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) at the German Primate Center (DPZ). There was considerable within- and between-subject variation in all four variables. Feeding time and number of feeding […]
Effect of dietary fiber concentration on apparent digestibility and digesta passage in non-human primates. I. Ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata variegata and V. v. rubra)
Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1999)18:63.3.CO;2-4 Two test diets with different fiber concentrations (15% acid detergent fiber [ADF], 30% ADF) were fed to five adult female ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata). Apparent digestibility (%) of dry matter (DM), gross energy (GE), and fiber components (neutral detergent fiber [NDF], ADF, hemicellulose [HC], and cellulose [C]) were measured. Rates of digesta transit […]
Effect of dietary fiber concentration on apparent digestibility and digesta passage in non-human primates. II. Hindgut- and foregut-fermenting folivores
Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1999)18:63.3.CO;2-6 Two test diets with different acid detergent fiber (ADF) concentrations (15% ADF, 30% ADF) were fed to seven adult hindgut- and seven adult foregut-fermenting primates. Apparent digestibilities (%) of dietary dry matter (DM), gross energy (GE), and fiber components (neutral detergent fiber [NDF], ADF, hemicellulose [HC], and cellulose [C]) were measured. Rates of […]
The effect of food quality and relative abundance on food choice in fallow deer
The diet choice of large herbivores is influenced by the presence of nutrients and toxins in available plants. It is generally assumed that herbivores ingest food that contains higher amounts of nutrients and lower amounts of toxins than the average of the food available. We studied the effects of quality and relative abundance on food […]
Diet choice, cortisol reactivity, and emotional feeding in socially housed rhesus monkeys
Chronic psychosocial stress produces an array of adverse health consequences that are highly comorbid, including emotional eating, affective disorders, and metabolic syndrome. The consumption of high caloric diets (HCDs) is thought to provide comfort in the face of unrelenting psychosocial stress. Using social subordination in female rhesus monkeys as a model of continual exposure to […]