Prenatal experience and postnatal perceptual preferences: Evidence for attentional-bias in bobwhite quail embryos ( Colinus virginianus)
Previous studies have indicated that concurrent multimodal sensory stimulation can interfere with prenatal perceptual learning. This study further examined this issue by exposing 3 groups of bobwhite quail embryos (Colinus virginianus) to (a) no supplemental stimulation, (b) a bobwhite maternal call, or (c) a maternal call paired with a pulsating light in the period prior […]
Deterioration of planning ability with age in Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata)
To investigate the ability of aged monkeys to plan and the effect of aging on this ability, performance in a food retrieval task was assessed in aged and younger Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata). In this task, the monkeys had to retrieve food items by selecting from a set of 9 holes, each of which contained […]
Experimental Validation of Sex Differences in Spatial Behavior Patterns of Free-Ranging Snakes: Implications for Social Interactions
Social interactions often play a significant role in determining patterns of spatial use. Although snakes are generally thought of as asocial, recent spatial dispersion studies suggest that the spatial ecology of snakes may be more strongly influenced by social interactions than previously thought. We investigated the spatial behavior patterns of a western cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) […]
Aggression and Welfare in a Common Aquarium Fish, the Midas Cichlid
Many species of fishes are aggressive when placed in small aquaria. Aggression can negatively affect the welfare of those individuals toward whom it is directed. Animals may behave aggressively in order to defend resources such as food, shelter, mates, and offspring. The decision to defend depends on the distribution of resources and on ecological factors […]
Effect of rubber slat mats on the behaviour and welfare of group housed pregnant sows
This study evaluated the effect of flooring, lameness, body and limb lesion scores on postural and spatial behaviour of gestating sows. Sixty-four sows were kept in groups of four in pens with four solid concrete floored feeding stalls and a concrete fully slatted group area from 4 weeks after service. The slats were either left […]