Can colored object enrichment reduce the escape behavior of captive freshwater turtles?
The effect of environmental enrichment on the behavior and welfare in captivity of reptiles and of freshwater turtles in particular, which are popular aquarium and pet species, is very little studied compared to other taxa. We carried out a small scale case‐study on the effect of colored object enrichment, with and without fish scent, on […]
Use of visual, acoustic, and olfactory information during embedded invertebrate foraging in brown capuchins (Cebus apella)
Experiments were conducted to investigate which sensory cues are used by brown capuchins (Cebus apella) in embedded invertebrate foraging. The importance of visual, olfactory, and acoustic cues in such foraging was determined by presenting subjects with a stimulus log modified to block out given sensory cues. Experiment 1 was designed to investigate whether subjects could […]
Modulation of Aggression in Male Mice: Influence of Cage Cleaning Regime and Scent Marks
Group housing of male laboratory mice often leads to welfare problems due to aggressive behaviour. From a welfare perspective, individual housing is not a preferred solution to these problems – and so we sought other ways of reducing aggression between male mice. Aggression peaks after disturbances such as cage cleaning. Transfer of olfactory cues during […]
Odor-based recognition of familiar and related conspecifics: A first test conducted on captive humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti)
Studies of kin recognition in birds have largely focused on parent-offspring recognition using auditory or visual discrimination. Recent studies indicate that birds use odors during social and familial interactions and possibly for mate choice, suggesting olfactory cues may mediate kin recognition as well. Here, we show that Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti), a natally philopatric species […]