Ethological Research Articles

Fear free design guidelines: exploration of quantitative acoustic criteria

Fear Free(r) is an organization that is dedicated to changing the landscape of veterinary medicine by educating veterinary professionals, architects, engineers, and others about the importance of considering the psychological impact of the built environment on animals. By involving an interdisciplinary team of veterinarians, architects, animal behaviorists, and others, the Fear Free Hospital Design Guideline has been developed to inform the design of animal care facilities. In partnering with Siebein Acoustic, new quantitative criteria can potentially be included as part of the Fear Free Design Guideline. The first step in reducing noise within any animal care environment is prevention, reducing or eliminating the stressors that cause dogs to bark. Metrics for measuring acoustic control include Reverberation Time, alpha bar, STC ratings, requiring a Site Noise Study if located in a sensitive area, the use of OITC ratings for the exterior building skin and mechanical criteria for the specific space types that are typical of animal care facilities. These criteria have been drafted to provide quantitative performance criteria to complement the design efforts that Fear Free is undertaking to transform animal care environments into healthy, vibrant spaces that promote the well-being and safety of all occupants, animals and humans alike.

Problem Behaviours and Relinquishment: Challenges Faced by Clinical Animal Behaviourists When Assessing Fear and Frustration.

Fear and frustration are two emotions thought to frequently contribute to problem behaviour, often leading to relinquishment. Inferring these emotions is challenging as they may present with some similar general signs, but they potentially require different treatment approaches to efficiently address the behaviour of concern. Although behavioural assessment frameworks have been proposed, it is largely unknown how clinical animal behaviourists (CABs) assimilate information about the emotional state of an animal to inform their behavioural assessment. In other fields (such as both in human and veterinary medicine), the use of intuition and gut feelings, without the concurrent use of an assessment framework, can lead to higher rates of error and misdiagnosis. Therefore, this study used semi-structured interviews of ten CABs and qualitative methods to explore the ways they conceptualise, recognise and differentiate fear and frustration in dogs. Although interviewees perceived fear and frustration as negative affective states that lead to changes in an animal's behaviour, there was little consensus on the definition or identification or differentiation of these emotions. The use of a scientific approach (i.e., hypothesis-driven and based on falsification of competing hypotheses) for behavioural assessment was highly variable, with individual assessment processes often characterised by tautology, intuition, circular reasoning and confirmation bias. Assessment was typically based on professional judgment, amalgamating information on interpretation of communicative signals, motivation, learning history, breed, genetics and temperament. Given the lack of consensus in the definition of these states, it is clearly important that authors and clinicians define their interpretation of key concepts, such as fear and frustration, when trying to communicate with others.

Companion Rabbits: A Case Study Concerning Sudden-Onset Inappropriate Urination

Abstract Despite their domestication some 1500 years ago, the behavioural repertoire of companion rabbits barely differs from that of wild rabbits. When presented with a companion rabbit behaviour issue, it is, therefore, necessary to consider their management in relation to the habitat, biology and behaviour of wild rabbits. Health factors may also be implicated; although as a prey species, rabbits naturally hide signs of disease or injury. This can complicate a health diagnosis. This case study concerns an elderly spayed female indoor rabbit, Meg, who shared a positive relationship with her caregiver. Meg had experienced degenerative musculoskeletal changes for which treatment was on-going, and had previously had treatment for dental spurs and pododermatitis. Prior to Meg’s behaviour assessment, her caregiver sought advice from their Veterinary Surgeon due to Meg’s recent-onset urination outside her litter-trays overnight and occasionally during the day. The Veterinary Surgeon referred Meg to a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB) for a behaviour assessment which was conducted remotely using a questionnaire, home-layout diagram, photographs, video-footage and video-conference software. A behaviour diagnosis was made regarding Meg’s emotional and motivational state, and additional stressors were identified. Due to likely health and behaviour overlap, the CCAB further liaised with the referring Veterinary Surgeon. A treatment plan was devised, which Meg’s caregiver diligently implemented. Meg responded well to her treatment plan and over the course of 3 weeks, inappropriate urination ceased. In turn, the welfare of Meg and her caregiver significantly improved. Information © The Author 2023

ДОМАШНІ ТВАРИНИ, ЯК ЧИННИК ІНДИВІДУАЛІЗАЦІЇ ІНТЕР’ЄРУ ПОМЕШКАНЬ

The architectural design of animal spaces is an increasingly important area of research and practice that aims to create comfortable and safe living conditions for animals in a variety of contexts, including animal shelters, farm animal enclosures, and zoo enclosures. However, designing animal-friendly spaces requires a thorough understanding of animal behavior, physiology and welfare, and the incorporation of appropriate design elements and materials. This article aims to provide an overview of the research that will be conducted to understand the principles of animal-centered design and its impact on animal welfare. The research will include a literature review of relevant articles, books and reports on animal-centred design, as well as case studies and expert opinions from architects, animal behaviorists and animal welfare experts. The review will focus on identifying key elements of animal-centered design, such as lighting, ventilation and temperature control, as well as the appropriate use of materials and spatial configurations to create a comfortable and stimulating environment for animals. The research will also examine the impact of animal-centred design on animal behaviour, health and welfare. By analyzing case studies and expert opinion, the research aims to understand how animal-centred design principles can improve animal welfare and contribute to positive behavioral outcomes such as reduced stress and increased engagement. Overall, this research aims to contribute to the understanding of the principles of animal-centred design and their application to the creation of spaces that promote the welfare and well-being of animals. The results of this study will be valuable to architects, animal welfare experts, and other professionals involved in the design of animal spaces, as well as to people interested in promoting more compassionate and sustainable relationships between humans and animals. At the modern stage, the issue of improving housing and combining the so-called "two worlds" under one roof, an animal and a person who keeps an animal in his apartment, has become relevant. Let's consider various examples. How to properly renovate an apartment, choose appropriate materials, and place a play area, a representative area, and other important points.

Honorary Lifetime Membership Award: Ellen D. Ketterson.

Honorary Lifetime Membership Award: Ellen D. Ketterson.

Using videos from social media to study the begging behaviour of peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) nestlings.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12210-022-01129-x.

Red Foxes in the Filing Cabinet: Günter Tembrock's Image Collection and Media Use in Mid-Century Ethology.

This paper considers the epistemic career of visual media in ethology in the mid‐20th century. Above all, ethologists claimed close contact with research animals and drew scientific evidence from these human‐animal communities, particularly in public relations. However, if we look into the toolboxes of comparative behavioral biologists, it becomes evident that scientifically valid research results were primarily obtained by experimenting with model images. These visual specimens tell a technical story of the methodological requirements in behavioral science necessary to bridge everyday observations between the laboratory and the field. By neutralizing individual traces of animal bodies as well as their observers, they prompted the abstraction of ethological hypotheses. The case study of East‐German biologist Günter Tembrock (1918–2011), who maintained his own collection of newspaper clippings, drawings, photographs, and films, offers a new perspective on the methodological development of this field. Furthermore, this article contributes to a scholarly discussion geared toward expanding the spaces of ethological research. My analysis of the image collections of the Forschungsstätte für Tierpsychologie presents the archive as a relevant site of study in the history of ethology.

Stable individual differences in the frequency of chin‐marking behavior across development in the domestic rabbit

AbstractIndividual differences in behavior (“personality”) are of considerable interest to behavioral biologists. Important questions include how early in life such differences emerge, what factors influence their emergence, and whether they remain stable across development and into adult life. Given the demanding nature of longitudinal studies, there is a lack of information regarding these questions in mammals. Our aim in this study was to investigate the development of individual differences in chin‐marking behavior (chinning) in the domestic rabbit, a notable part of this species’ system of chemical communication, and to relate this to individual differences in growth and behavior among littermates during the early postnatal period. We tested repeatedly the frequency of chinning movements from weaning to sexual maturity in 63 chinchilla‐strain rabbits (35 females, 28 males) from 14 litters. Within litters, we found significant consistencies over time in this behavior, that is, in both sexes inter‐individual differences among litter siblings in the frequency of chinning movements remained stable across the postweaning period until sexual maturity. Unexpectedly, however, we found no significant associations with the morphological, physiological, or behavioral variables known to form a well‐correlated early developmental complex in this species. We tentatively conclude that in the rabbit, individual differences in the frequency of chinning have little relation to other previously studied aspects of individual developmental trajectories. The origin and functional significance of individual differences in chinning frequency, whether in reproductive or other social contexts is largely unknown and requires further investigation.

How to behave when marooned: the behavioural component of the island syndrome remains underexplored.

Animals on islands typically depart from their mainland relatives in assorted aspects of their biology. Because they seem to occur in concert, and to some extent evolve convergently in disparate taxa, these changes are referred to as the ‘island syndrome’. While morphological, physiological and life-history components of the island syndrome have received considerable attention, much less is known about how insularity affects behaviour. In this paper, we argue why changes in personality traits and cognitive abilities can be expected to form part of the island syndrome. We provide an overview of studies that have compared personality traits and cognitive abilities between island and mainland populations, or among islands. Overall, the pickings are remarkably slim. There is evidence that animals on islands tend to be bolder than on the mainland, but effects on other personality traits go either way. The evidence for effects of insularity on cognitive abilities or style is highly circumstantial and very mixed. Finally, we consider the ecological drivers that may induce such changes, and the mechanisms through which they might occur. We conclude that our knowledge of the behavioural and cognitive responses to island environments remains limited, and we encourage behavioural biologists to make more use of these ‘natural laboratories for evolution’.

Book Review

This Companion Animal Book Review from Claire Hargrave discusses the recently released second edition of Practical Canine Behaviour For Veterinary Nurses and Technicians by Stephanie Hedges, a UK-based Veterinary Nurse and Certified Clinical Animal Behaviorist with over 20 years experience working in the veterinary industry.

Book Review

This Book Review from Claire Hargrave discusses the recently released second edition of Practical Canine Behaviour For Veterinary Nurses and Technicians by Stephanie Hedges, a UK-based veterinary nurse and Certified Clinical Animal Behaviorist with over 20 years' experience working in the veterinary industry

Gal Gangs, Worm Lessons, and Elephant Bones

Scientists today believe that many nonhuman animals possess emotions. Additionally, they find that emotions are not limited to mammals, but that birds, reptiles, and fish also have feelings. Studying animal emotions may be the key to understanding creatures’ relationships with each other. In particular, what relationships do animals form when living in small groups? Ethologists observing animals in their natural habitats reveal many answers. First, animals in small groups employ a variety of leadership styles. Second, family relationships between parents and offspring, brother and sister, and elders and adolescents help the group survive and thrive. Third, when animals lose a member of their group, they appear to grieve in ways synonymous to humans. As they examine these relationships, animal behaviorists, including famed ethologist Marc Bekoff, help us dive deeper into the lives of animal communities so we can live with them in harmony with them.

ZNACZENIE ZMIAN BEHAWIORALNYCH W IDENTYFIKACJI BÓLU PRZEWLEKŁEGO I JEGO PRZYCZYN U PSÓW – OPIS PRZYPADKU

Chronic pain accompanying many diseases significantly impairs the quality of life and induces various changes in the behavior of animals. The present case report describes a dog with persistent chronic pain. The clinical signs demonstrated by the dog e.g. sneezing, rubbing the viscerocranium with thoracic legs, shaking the head, and avoidance of touch, clearly suggested discomfort localized in the muzzle. The final diagnosis of nasal adenocarcinoma was reached after over a year from the appearance of the first symptoms of discomfort. In retrospect, it is clear that the changes in the dog's behavior were caused by chronic pain. Presentation of new behaviors should be a signal to the owner indicating certain disturbances in the animal's well-being. There is a need for cooperation between the pet owner, veterinary doctor, and animal behaviorist in order to regard behavioral changes as a clue for the diagnosis of pain experienced by the animal and for treatment of its causes.

Focus on…

In this second article in a two-part series, Claire Hargrave, an ASAB certificated clinical animal behaviourist and a member of, and honorary secretary to, the Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians, explains how to help owners support the emotional and behavioural development of kittens and puppies.

How to...

Claire Hargrave, an ASAB certificated clinical animal behaviourist and a member of, and honorary secretary to, the Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians, explains how puppy and kitten breeders can best prepare their young charges for their new forever homes.

Analysis of Bobbing Displays in the Grahami Series Anoles from Jamaica and Grand Cayman

Behavioral biologists have long been fascinated with the diversity of animal signals produced in the contexts of courtship and same-sex competition. In these contexts many lizards engage in conspicuous bobbing displays, and numerous studies have been devoted to describing these displays. Traditionally, bobbing displays are partitioned into units whose durations (and sometimes head amplitudes) are measured. Recently, Macedonia et al. (2019) introduced use of the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) as an alternative to unit-based variables for characterizing species-specific traits in display structure of Galápagos Lava Lizards (Microlophus spp.). The relative success of the two methods was not compared directly, however, because the homology of display units among species was uncertain. Here we overcome this problem using the “grahami series” of Anolis lizards—a monophyletic radiation of seven species on Jamaica and Grand Cayman. Our study had three primary goals. Our first goal was to discover whether DFT-based measures, unit-based measures, or their combination provided the best means to capture taxon-specific distinctiveness in display structure. To this end, we quantified bobbing displays and used nested analyses of variance (ANOVAs) to determine if particular variables were reliably superior at differentiating populations within a species. We then used principal components analysis to reduce the number of measurement variables, and entered the components into discriminant function analyses to determine which approach best discriminated among taxa. Results showed that no one type of measurement, or measurement combination, emerged as being consistently better at discriminating taxa across comparisons. Our second goal was to test a hypothesis that arose from our findings in Galápagos Lava Lizards—that the DFT may decrease in effectiveness as bobbing display structure increases in complexity. For this test we used four simple and compound display types from the species Anolis reconditus. Results of discriminant function analyses provided mixed support for the hypothesis, and we suggest that a definitive test of DFT performance and display complexity should utilize synthetic displays in which attributes of display structure are varied systematically. Last, we show how bobbing display structure maps onto alternative DNA-based phylogenies of the grahami series anoles. Whereas some species produced derived display types unanticipated from displays of more basal species in this adaptive radiation, others exhibited features that linked them to a particular population of a species in their clade.

How to minimize stress for your canine patients

Linda Ryan, a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Behaviour, and in Oncology, and a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist, offers advice on making your clinic ‘dog-friendly’, highlighting in-clinic considerations to help reduce the stress canine patients experience when visiting your practice.

New Dimensions for Animal Communication Networks:Space and Time.

Communication is a social process and usually occurs in a network of signalers and receivers. While social network analysis has received enormous recent attention from animal behaviorists, there have been relatively few attempts to apply these techniques to communication networks. Communication networks have the potential to offer novel insights into social network studies, and yet are especially challenging subjects, largely because of their unique spatiotemporal characteristics. Namely, signals propagate through the environment, often dissociating from the body of the signaler, to influence receiver behavior. The speed of signal propagation and the signal's active space will affect the congruence of communication networks and other types of social network; in extreme cases, the signal may persist and only first be detected long after the signaler has left the area. Other signals move more rapidly and over greater distances than the signaler could possibly move to reach receivers. We discuss the spatial and temporal consequences of signaling in networks and highlight the distinction between the physical location of the signaler and the spread of influence of its signals, the effects of signal modality and receiver sensitivity on communication network properties, the potential for feedbacks between network layers, and approaches to analyzing spatial and temporal change in communication networks in conjunction with other network layers.

Undergraduate behavioral biologists keep science careers in focus through pandemic challenges—but need support

Undergraduate behavioral biologists keep science careers in focus through pandemic challenges—but need support

Status and perception of intestinal parasitosis among students of a health professional institution in NDjamena, Chad

Intestinal parasitic diseases remain an epidemiology a real problem in Chad, but little research has been done in this area. The purpose of the study is to determine the status of intestinal parasites infection among students in a health professional training institution and to assess their level of perception of this health problem. This prospective and descriptive study took place between June and July 2018. A total of 107 stool samples were collected from students in a health professional training institution in the city of N’Djamena. Direct examination and formalin-ether concentration methods were used to search for parasites. The results showed that the overall prevalence of intestinal parasites among the students was 64.5%. The parasite species identified were Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, Ascaris lumbricoides, Taenia solium and Strongyloides stercoralis with respective percentages: 46.73, 13.08, 13.08, 1.87, and 0.93%. The rates of infestation according to the ethological factors were: - cooking water: 46.51 and 75.80% respectively for the national water company (SNE) and drilled water; feeding mode: 60 and 64.70% for respectively individual and collective; washing hands with soap before meals: 78.57 and 62.37% for respectively no and yes. To fight the diseases caused by parasitosis should involve a strategy on sanitation and health education.The species of parasites identified indicate that the fight against diseases caused by the above parasitosis should involve a strategy on sanitation and health education. Key words: Parasite, students, N’Djamena, health professional institution, Chad.