Restivo L(1), Ferrari F, Passino E, Sgobio C, Bock J, Oostra BA, Bagni C, Ammassari-Teule M. Author information: (1)Laboratory of Psychobiology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Institute of Neuroscience, 00179 Rome, Italy. Kuhnen Kaliste CM Furthermore, as animals from enriched housing conditions are expected to be physiologically and psychologically more stable, they may be considered as more refined animal models, ensuring better scientific results ( Bayne 1996 ; Benn 1995 ; Dean 1999 ; Rose 1994 ; Spinelli and Markowitz 1985 ; Van de Weerd 1996 ; Van de Weerd et al. Zammit Possibly the most satisfying enrichment for rodents and rabbits is visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile communication with conspecifics or contraspecifics, either directly or through bars. 1. The power of an experiment and the sample size might be increased, reduced, or unchanged due to the provided enrichment. The concern is that this characteristic may lead to more variation in results and to an increase in the number of animals used ( Eskola et al. Normal and abnormal behaviors of laboratory animals: What do they mean? 2003 ; Van de Weerd et al. The divisions also allow the animals to control their environment, including light levels ( Baumans 1997 , 1999 ; Blom 1993 ; Manser et al. 1997a , 1998 ), and that they spent 10 to 20% of their time-budget manipulating nesting material ( Van de Weerd et al. V Howard V Learn how to optimize environmental conditions to reduce mouse stress. HA Ideally, animals housed together should be littermates, but this arrangement might not be possible in the majority of cases due to group size and possible bias in the study. For breeding does, nesting material and a nest box or other refuge should be provided. van Zutphen Morton DR YS To assess the needs of animals and identify what they want in their environment, it is necessary to know and understand the animal's natural behavior. Eskola M 1994 ). R Stauffacher HA Blom Kruitwagen Nevalainen Other standards exist. van Zutphen HD . JE The result will depend on the parameter measured, the type of enrichment used, and the animal strain. AC 1997 ), although it may be necessary to provide visual barriers or hiding places to minimize aggression ( Stauffacher 1997b , 2000 ; Van de Weerd and Baumans 1995 ; Van Loo et al. single housed mouse, a minimum floor area of 500cm2 for two mice and ensuring a minimum floor area of 60cm2 per additional adult mouse when mice are housed in larger groups. Würbel L Such divisions may be facilitated by structures within the cage (e.g., shelters, nest boxes, nesting material, tubes, and platforms that provide withdrawal areas and lookout possibilities). Tsai The laboratory mouse (Mus musculus) is a mammal of the order Rodentia. RJ . Nevison V . Patterson-Kane Fogarty TC . DJA PP GD In 1997, the Multilateral Consultation of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution related to the accommodation and care of laboratory animals, which specified that “group housing, even pair housing, is preferable to individual housing for all gregarious species normally manifesting social behavior, as long as the groups are stable and harmonious” ( Council of Europe 1997 ) For other important guidelines, according to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals ( NRC 1996 ), “Animals should be housed with a goal of maximizing species-specific behaviors and minimizing stress-induced behaviors. CFM These variations have sometimes led Mohammed TB For the reasons described above, it is critically important to evaluate environmental enrichment in terms of the benefit to the animal by assessing the following factors: the use of and preference for a certain enrichment; the effect on behavior (e.g., absence of abnormal behavior); the performance of species-typical behavior; and the effect on physiological parameters (e.g., body weight, heart rate, stress-related hormones, and immunology). JR For example, Hebb (1947) showed that rats from enriched environments were better able to solve problems in the “Hebb-Williams maze.” Animals that have been kept in enriched captive environments have improved learning abilities; increased cortical thickness and weight; increased size, number, and complexity of nerve synapses; and a higher ratio of RNA to DNA ( Renner and Hackett Renner 1993 ; Shepherdson 1998 ; Widman et al. B Hay will satisfy the need for roughage, and wood sticks can be used for chewing and gnawing. J Are the effects of different designs on the physiology and behaviour of DBA/2 mice consistent? Nesting material is important for rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils because it enables the animals to create appropriate microenvironments for resting and breeding ( Figure 1 ). Sainsbury Van de Weerd Whenever environmental enrichment is added to an animal enclosure, new material that is involved (e.g., paper or wood) might also influence the animal and the experiment. We use cookies to personalize our website and to analyze web traffic to improve the user experience. To assess the preference of an animal for a certain feature, one can use well-designed choice tests ( Blom et al. Bayne Hen Even in the laboratory, adult mice with access to nesting material build a nest in which they sleep and preparturient and lactating females build particularly elaborate nests (reviewed in ). JM . The laboratory mouse or lab mouse is a small mammal of the order Rodentia which is bred and used for scientific research.Laboratory mice are usually of the species Mus musculus.They are the most commonly used mammalian research model and are used for research in genetics, psychology, medicine and other scientific disciplines. . 1993 ; Stauffacher, 1997a ; Turner et al. Spinelli Moreover, it is imperative to assess whether and how the statistical power is affected. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide, This PDF is available to Subscribers Only. Because it is clear that a single approach to enrichment is not suitable for all species, we can anticipate the likelihood that a single approach to enrichment will not be suitable for all strains of rodents. 1999b ; Tsai et al. Hansen Except for locomotor activity (e.g., playing), animals do not actually use space but instead, use resources and structures within an area for specific behaviors. JS Vera Baumans, Environmental Enrichment for Laboratory Rodents and Rabbits: Requirements of Rodents, Rabbits, and Research, ILAR Journal, Volume 46, Issue 2, 2005, Pages 162–170, https://doi.org/10.1093/ilar.46.2.162. Some computer mice instead have a large ball on top of the mouse so that instead of moving the mouse across a surface to interact with the computer, the user keeps the mouse stationary and instead moves the ball with a finger. HP Van den Broek Jahkel Animals that grow up ... area/body weight ratio makes mice susceptible to changes in environmental conditions. It is also important to provide nest boxes or other refuges for rats. In a scientific context, mouse refers to any of the 38 species in the genus Mus, which is the Latin word for mouse. CE Broom Hamsters ( Niethammer 1988 ) and gerbils ( Brain 1999 ) routinely store food and should be provided with food pellets inside the cage. V Heath For this reason among others, scientists are urged to compile, document, and publish pertinent data to dispel the myths and define the variations related to environmental enrichment. Russell HA Nevertheless, the use of radios in animal facilities during daytime may benefit the animal staff, which could in turn have beneficial consequences for the animals ( Sherwin 2002 ; Van Loo et al. Waiblinger CD For more information, please see Tips for using a computer mouse. PE M Most rodents and rabbits attempt to divide their living space into separate areas for feeding, resting, and excretion. CS 1999 ; Van de Weerd et al. Environmental Enrichment: A right of rodents! Housing effects on rodent brain and behaviour, Stereotypies in laboratory mice—Quantitative and qualitative description of the ontogeny of wire-gnawing and jumping in ICR and ICR nu-mice, Environmental enrichment for captive animals, © Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, Behavioral Management is a Key Component of Ethical Research, Moving Beyond the Absence of Pain and Distress: Focusing on Positive Animal Welfare, Micro- and Macroenvironmental Conditions and Stability of Terrestrial Models, The Role of Feed in Aquatic Laboratory Animal Nutrition and the Potential Impact on Animal Models and Study Reproducibility, About the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, Behavioral Repertoire of Rodents and Rabbits, Translation of Animal Needs into Environmental Enrichment Programs, Receive exclusive offers and updates from Oxford Academic, Copyright © 2021 Institute for Laboratory Animal Research. Even in harmonious groups, it is necessary to allow individuals to initiate contact by approach or to avoid contact by withdrawal from sight. Van Tintelen Baumans Kruitwagen Laitinen AWIC Resource Series, Environmental Enrichment for Laboratory Mice: Preferences and Consequences, Preferences for nesting material as environmental enrichment for laboratory mice, Nesting material as environmental enrichment has no adverse effects on behavior and physiology of laboratory mice, Strength of preference for nesting material as environmental enrichment in laboratory mice, Effects of environmental enrichment for mice: Variation in experimental results. 1994 ). More data are needed to provide information related to the effects of specific enrichment programs on the animal, on specific animal species, strains and models, and on experimental results. Cage cleaning is a necessary routine procedure in laboratory animal facilities; however, removal of the olfactory cues disturbs the social hierarchy of the animals in the cage, often resulting in a peak in aggression among male mice. Hendriksen Blom 1997b ). Progress in the Reduction, Refinement and Replacement of Animal Experimentation. Van Zutphen RA The implementation of specific environmental enrichment approaches should be based on the following important tenets: Improving the quality of the captive environment so that the animal has a greater choice of activity and some control over its social and spatial environment ( Newberry 1995 ; Stauffacher 1995 ); Reducing the frequency of abnormal behavior; Increasing positive utilization of the environment; Increasing the animal's ability to cope with challenges ( Young 2003 ). laboratory for all conditions is not the appropriate design approach. S . RL Van de Weerd These data reveal highly significant strain and sex differences and longer lives for virgin than for bred females. Ritskes-Hoitinga At a minimum, enrichment should include nesting material, a refuge area (e.g., a tube or hut), roughage, and gnawing objects. N Jennings JM Sherwin Baumans Please refer to our privacy policy for more information. S MC E JL For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription. Baumans Ideally, the animal should feel secure in a complex, challenging environment that it can control ( Poole 1998 ). Van de Weerd Turner . CM Photograph by M. K. Meijer. PLP 2002 ). K LFM Olsson Bogdanovich Postbacc, Ph.D., and Postdoctoral Programs, Workshop on Surgical Techniques in the Laboratory Mouse. D NC Radiation Protection Section 4. Phillips In stark contrast, no wearable pointing device is appropriate for all body positions in all environmental conditions for all uses. PF Learn how to optimize environmental conditions to reduce mouse stress. Darmopil Widman 2004 ). AC Environmental enrichment has been introduced increasingly into laboratory animal research facilities ( Olsson and Dahlborn 2002 ). Van Loo Stauffacher RJ Young Influence of hierarchy, kinship and familiarity, Influence of cage enrichment on aggressive behaviour and physiological parameters in male mice, Modulation of aggression in male mice: Influence of cage cleaning regime and scent marks, Induction of drug-metabolizing enzymes in liver microsomes of mice and rats by softwood bedding, Different data from different labs: Lessons from studies in gene-environment interaction, Refinement of gerbil housing and husbandry in the laboratory, The effects of dietary fatty-acid composition combined with environmental enrichment on brain and behavior in mice, Environmental enrichment: The influence of restricted daily exposure and subsequent exposure to uncontrollable stress, Causation of the ontogenetic development of stereotypic digging in gerbils, Ideal homes? In addition, because enriched animals have been shown to be less reactive to stressful experimental situations, there should be less variation between results, which should ultimately reduce the number of animals used ( Baumans 1997 ; Stauffacher 1997b ; Van de Weerd et al. Lab Supply is proud to provide a number of high quality lab mouse diets from LabDiet and TestDiet. RJ Lauhikari . This means several generations can be observed at once. HA However, improper handling or stressful environmental conditions can cause a mouse to bite. N Lauhikari TG . The respective descriptions appear below. D Billinghurst Crabbe Sherwin Baumans Second report of the BVAAWF/FRAME/RSPCA/UFAW Joint Working Group on Refinement, Strain-specific effects of cage enrichment in laboratory mice (, Environmental enrichment: Increasing the biological relevance of captive environment, Effects of diet and type of nesting material on the reproduction and lactation of the rat, Incidence of pup mortality in the rat with particular reference to nesting material, maternal age and parity, Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, Improving housing conditions for laboratory mice: A review of “environmental enrichment. Infection of skin scratches and bite wounds with mouse or human-borne oppor-tunistic microbes demands attention through a strict occupational medical treatment program (National Research Council, 1997). For example, volatile compounds of bedding material and enrichment items have been shown to affect the animals ( Vesell 1967 ). . Example of enriched housing for rabbits. CLJJ Environmental enrichment can influence the animal's behavior, physiology, and brain anatomy. However, it should be noted that this approach might be aversive to animals when they are exposed to these stimuli without the possibility of escaping. Group-housed rabbits did not show any immunosuppression ( Turner et al. PLP K Van de Weerd G However, the group composition should be stable and harmonious ( Love 1994 ; Morton et al. Kaliste-Korhonen TJ M Vesell Sachser Enrichment should be regarded both as an essential component of the overall animal care program and equally important as nutrition and veterinary care. Vera Baumans, D.V.M., Ph.D., Dipl. E In floor pens for group housing, the provision of visual barriers ( Figure 2 ) is recommended (Council of Europe, Revision of Appendix A of the Convention ETS 123). Krohn and colleagues (1999) reported that feeding rabbits immediately before dark, in their active period instead of in the morning, reduced stereotypic behavior remarkably. 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