Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals


Book Description

CHOICE Highly Recommended title, 2022! This 30-chapter volume informs students and professionals about the behavioral biology of animals commonly housed in laboratory and other captive settings. Each species evolved under specific environmental conditions, resulting in unique behavioral patterns, many of which are maintained in captivity even after generations of breeding. Understanding natural behavior is therefore a critical part of modern animal care practices. The descriptions, data, guidance, resources, and recommendations in this book will help the reader understand their animals better, refine the care and treatment that they receive, and improve the well-being, welfare, and wellness of their animals. The book is divided into three sections, all focusing on aspects of the behavioral biology of animals found in laboratories and related research settings. After five introductory chapters, 25 chapters are dedicated to specific taxonomic groups (including mice, zebrafish, zebra finches, reptiles, macaques) while a concluding section of ethograms provides a centralized resource for those interested in understanding, and potentially quantifying, animal behavior. The Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals will provide anyone working in maintenance, care, and/or research programs that involve laboratory animals with information about the way the animals live in the wild, and the way that they should live in captive research settings. Many of the guidelines and recommendations will also be valuable to those managing and working with animals in other environments, including zoological parks, aquaria, and sanctuaries.




Use of Laboratory Animals in Biomedical and Behavioral Research


Book Description

Scientific experiments using animals have contributed significantly to the improvement of human health. Animal experiments were crucial to the conquest of polio, for example, and they will undoubtedly be one of the keystones in AIDS research. However, some persons believe that the cost to the animals is often high. Authored by a committee of experts from various fields, this book discusses the benefits that have resulted from animal research, the scope of animal research today, the concerns of advocates of animal welfare, and the prospects for finding alternatives to animal use. The authors conclude with specific recommendations for more consistent government action.




Exploring Animal Behavior in Laboratory and Field


Book Description

Exploring Animal Behavior in Laboratory and Field, Second Edition provides a comprehensive manual on animal behavior lab activities. This new edition brings together basic research and methods, presenting applications and problem-solving techniques. It provides all the details to successfully run designed activities while also offering flexibility and ease in setup. The exercises in this volume address animal behavior at all levels, describing behavior, theory, application and communication. Each lab provides details on how to successfully run the activity while also offering flexibility to instructors. This is an important resource for students educators, researchers and practitioners who want to explore and study animal behavior. The field of animal behavior has changed dramatically in the past 15 - 20 years, including a greater use and availability of technology and statistical analysis. In addition, animal behavior has taken on a more applied role in the last decade, with a greater emphasis on conservation and applied behavior, hence the necessity for new resources on the topic. Offers an up-to-date representation of animal behavior Examines ethics and approvals for the study of vertebrate animals Includes contributions from a large field of expertise in the Animal Behavior Society Provides a flexible resource that can be used as a laboratory manual or in a flipped classroom setting




Guidelines for the Care and Use of Mammals in Neuroscience and Behavioral Research


Book Description

Expanding on the National Research Council's Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, this book deals specifically with mammals in neuroscience and behavioral research laboratories. It offers flexible guidelines for the care of these animals, and guidance on adapting these guidelines to various situations without hindering the research process. Guidelines for the Care and Use of Mammals in Neuroscience and Behavioral Research offers a more in-depth treatment of concerns specific to these disciplines than any previous guide on animal care and use. It treats on such important subjects as: The important role that the researcher and veterinarian play in developing animal protocols. Methods for assessing and ensuring an animal's well-being. General animal-care elements as they apply to neuroscience and behavioral research, and common animal welfare challenges this research can pose. The use of professional judgment and careful interpretation of regulations and guidelines to develop performance standards ensuring animal well-being and high-quality research. Guidelines for the Care and Use of Mammals in Neuroscience and Behavioral Research treats the development and evaluation of animal-use protocols as a decision-making process, not just a decision. To this end, it presents the most current, in-depth information about the best practices for animal care and use, as they pertain to the intricacies of neuroscience and behavioral research.




Field and Laboratory Exercises in Animal Behavior


Book Description

Field and Laboratory Exercises in Animal Behavior is an interactive laboratory manual for students in animal behavior, ethology, and behavioral ecology. It is the first of its kind in this subject area that guides students through the diverse and fascinating fields of behavioral and ethological studies, employing a wide array of organisms as model systems for the study of behavior. Students participate in the development of hypothesis and turn the recording, analysis, and interpretation of data into an active and engaging process. A teacher-friendly companion website provides extensive teaching notes on the background to each lab project, tips and hints for successful project presentation, sources for studying organisms, ideas for variations in labs, and alternate study organisms. This text is recommended for undergraduate courses in Animal Behavior, Ethology, and Behavioral Ecology. - Provides fully developed and tested laboraty exercises - Offers both field and lab experiences- adaptable for fall, spring, or summer courses - Laboratories emphasize student thought and involvement in experimental design - Includes an online supplement to the manual for teachers




Laboratory Animal Medicine


Book Description

A volume in the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine series, this second edition has over 40% new material, including the addition of six new topics and many others that are completely rewritten. The book comprehensively covers the biological and disease aspects of laboratory animal medicine while examining other aspects such as the biohazards associated with the use of animal experimentation and factors complicating the bioethics of animal research.




Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals


Book Description

Behavior is shaped by both genetics and experience--nature and nurture. This book synthesizes research from behavioral genetics and animal and veterinary science, bridging the gap between these fields. The objective is to show that principles of behavioral genetics have practical applications to agricultural and companion animals. The continuing domestication of animals is a complex process whose myriad impacts on animal behavior are commonly under-appreciated. Genetic factors play a significant role in both species-specific behaviors and behavioral differences exhibited by individuals in the same species. Leading authorities explore the impact of increased intensities of selection on domestic animal behavior. Rodents, cattle, pigs, sheep, horses, herding and guard dogs, and poultry are all included in these discussions of genetics and behavior, making this book useful to veterinarians, livestock producers, laboratory animal researchers and technicians, animal trainers and breeders, and any researcher interested in animal behavior. - Includes four new chapters on dog and fox behavior, pig behavior, the effects of domestication and horse behavior - Synthesizes research from behavioral genetics, animal science, and veterinary literature - Broaches fields of behavior genetics and behavioral research - Includes practical applications of principles discovered by behavioral genetics researchers - Covers many species ranging from pigs, dogs, foxes, rodents, cattle, horses, and cats




Recognition and Alleviation of Pain and Distress in Laboratory Animals


Book Description

Clear guidelines on the proper care and use of laboratory animals are being sought by researchers and members of the many committees formed to oversee animal care at universities as well as the general public. This book provides a comprehensive overview of what we know about behavior, pain, and distress in laboratory animals. The volume explores: Stressors in the laboratory and the animal behaviors they cause, including in-depth discussions of the physiology of pain and distress and the animal's ecological relationship to the laboratory as an environment. A review of euthanasia of lab animals-exploring the decision, the methods, and the emotional effects on technicians. Also included is a highly practical, extensive listing, by species, of dosages and side effects of anesthetics, analgesics, and tranquilizers.




Laboratory Animal Welfare


Book Description

Laboratory Animal Welfare provides a comprehensive, up-to-date look into the new science of animal welfare within laboratory research. Animals specifically considered include rodents, cats and dogs, nonhuman primates, agricultural animals, avian animals and aquatic animals. The book examines the impact of experiment design and environment on animal welfare, as well as emergency situations and euthanasia practices. Readers will benefit from a review of regulations and policy guidelines concerning lab animal use, as well as information on assessing animal welfare. With discussions of the history and ethics of animals in research, and a debate on contemporary and international issues, this book is a go-to resource for laboratory animal welfare.




Exploring Animal Behavior in Laboratory and Field


Book Description

Designed to provide a variety of exercises that engage students actively in all phases of scientific investigation, from formulating research questions through interpreting and presenting final results. Suited to undergraduates, each chapter presents an animal behavior exercise tested by academic members of the Animal Behavior Society. Four types of exercises are presented: (1) traditional exercises in which students follow a pre-determined protocol to test particular hypotheses, (2) traditional exercises that can easily be adapted to inquiry-based approaches, (3) combined pedagogy exercises that involve both traditional and inquiry approaches, and (4) inquiry exercises in which students brainstorm to generate their own hypotheses, then design their own experiments to test them. Exercises cover descriptive ethology, causation and development of behavior, and behavioral ecology. Both field and laboratory exercises are included on arthropods, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.