Investigating food preference in zoo‐housed meerkats
Understanding food preference among animals in human care can support improvements to welfare through training and day-to-day care (e.g., diet management). Little has been published about food preference in zoo-housed meerkats. Assessing meerkat food preference would be useful, not only for the welfare of that species, but also for developing approaches to assessing food preference […]
Preferences among four species of local browse offered to Colobus guereza kikuyuensis at the Central Park Zoo
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.20051.abs The objective of this study was to document the browse preferences of five adult Colobus monkeys (one male and four females, fed a nutritionally sound diet) among four local and readily available temperate browse types at the Central Park Zoo. The four browse species used in part A of the study were nasturtium […]
Food consumption and retention time in captive whooping cranes (Grus americana)
Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1997)16:63.3.CO;2-J Food consumption, digesta retention time, and food preference were measured for captive whooping cranes fed pelleted diets. The basal commercial diet was compared to four mixtures containing 70% basal and 30% of one of four important winter foods for the whooping crane: blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), wolfberry fruit (Lycium carolinianum), live oak acorn […]
Effects of food preferences on token exchange and behavioural responses to inequality in tufted capuchin monkeys, Cebus apella
We examined the extent to which female capuchin monkeys show an [`]aversion to inequitable work effort’ by providing the monkeys with the opportunity to engage in token exchange tasks to earn either a preferred (grape) or nonpreferred (oat cereal) food item. In experiment 1, monkeys were paired with partners such that both were required to […]
Chimpanzees’ socially maintained food preferences indicate both conservatism and conformity
Chimpanzees remain fixed on a single strategy, even if a novel, more efficient, strategy is introduced. Previous studies reporting such findings have incorporated paradigms in which chimpanzees learn one behavioural method and then are shown a new one that the chimpanzees invariably do not adopt. This study provides the first evidence that chimpanzees show such […]
Food preference testing of captive black bears
A method was developed to test food preferences of 2 young captive female black bears (Ursus americanus) under controlled conditions. Two sets of food items (5 native and 7 non-native) were tested biweekly for 1 year in a seminatural enclosure in Tennessee. The bears exhibited definite preferences among both sets of foods. The preferences were […]
Role of early experience in the development of preference for low-quality food in sheep
Domestic ruminant selectivity induces floristic changes in pasturelands, risking sustainability and limiting the subsequent availability of susceptible plant species. Development of preferences for species of lower nutritional quality may help to overcome those problems. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that early experience of sheep with a low-quality food (LQF) in a nutritional enriched […]
Foraging dynamics in Steller’s jays: size and viability of cacheable food items
Several species of birds and mammals cache food items, which in harsh conditions may translate into improved survival or reproductive success. Animals may benefit from evaluating the quality of cache items in terms of size, nutrition and storage viability. Steller’s jays, Cyanocitta stelleri, which cache seeds for later consumption, may handle multiple food items with […]
Systematic Investigation of the Stability of Food Preferences in Captive Orangutans: Implications for Positive Reinforcement Training
Using preference-assessment tests with humans in conjunction with behavioral modification sessions has been a regular component of almost all operant conditioning programs with mentally challenged humans. This has been very effective in improving the efficiency of behavioral training in these settings and could be similarly effective in zoological and research environments. This study investigated the […]
Food Preference, Keeper Ratings, and Reinforcer Effectiveness in Exotic Animals: The Value of Systematic Testing
Food preference describes the behavior of selecting between items for consumption; reinforcer effectiveness is the functional effect of that item in controlling behavior. Food preference and reinforcer effectiveness were examined in giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and African elephants (Loxodonta africana). A pairwise comparison between food items was used to assess food preference. High-, moderate-, and […]