The nocturnal activity of a commonly housed rodent: How African pygmy dormice (Graphiurus murinus) respond to an enriched environment
Exotic rodents are becoming increasingly popular in industry, however, there is limited empirical evidence to guide husbandry practices. African pygmy dormice (Graphiurus murinus) are typical in this respect. This research aimed to determine the effect of environmental enrichment on the behavior (including stereotypical scratching at the glass walls of the enclosure) and space use of […]
Effect of environmental stress and immobilization on stress physiological variables in farmed mink
The effect of cage size and nest box environment on plasma cortisol, number of eosinophil leucocytes, and on frequency of leucocyte groups was measured on 132 farmed mink. The experiment included three cage sizes (0.10 m2, 0.27 m2, and 1.1 m2) and cages with and without nest boxes. Furthermore, the effect of daily immobilization a […]
Allowing Captive Marmosets to Choose the Size and Position of Their Nest Box
Preferences for nest box size and position were tested in two groups of common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus jacchus. In a pre-test phase two, new, wooden nest boxes were introduced to each group alongside their old metal one, so that the animals could become familiar with them, and so that any pre-existing preference could be identified. […]
Application of video recording technology to improve husbandry and reproduction in the carmine bee-eater (Merops n. nubicus)
Incorporating technology with research is becoming increasingly important to enhance animal welfare in zoological settings. Video technology is used in the management of avian populations to facilitate efficient information collection on aspects of avian reproduction that are impractical or impossible to obtain through direct observation. Disney’s Animal Kingdom® maintains a successful breeding colony of Northern […]