Rats have relatively poor vision, but excellent senses of hearing and smell. 2. Young animals are very exploratory and often engage in social play. The animal can be gently held in the palm of the hand and quickly raised and lowered. Mouse Handling Part 1 - Duration: 1:32. Sprague-Dawley and Wistar are the main rat strains. The draught induced by high intra cage-ventilation rates in some IVCs can induce chronic stress and heat loss. Handling and restraint of rats (using a lab coat) - Duration: 1:09. Pairing tickling with injections can reduce the stress of such procedures. Methods such as using tunnels or cupped hands when lifting laboratory mice and rats, instead of lifting by the tail or body, should therefore be recommended. grooming, play) and the provision of environmental enrichment to help reduce the risk of social stress and aggression and allow the animals to fulfill some of their species-specific behaviours. Published studies of rats, mice and other rodents were reviewed to document behavioural and psychological problems attributable to predominant laboratory housing conditions. The laboratory rat is derived from the wild brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) and is a highly social animal. Hurst J (2005). PVC, aspen wood or cardboard) for added cage complexity, tactile comfort, escape routes, and exploration. Nest boxes should be provided if insufficient nesting material is provided for the animals to build a complete, covered nest. of Microbiology U.C.M.S. Pregnant and lactating females may aggressivley defend their nests. Procedures such as injections are stressful to laboratory rats. Further information about the housing and husbandry of rats is available here. Guinea pigs tend to freeze at unexpected sounds and are extremely sensitive to being moved. Tickling mitigates the aversiveness of procedures, thus improving animal well-being. Low light levels and racks with shaded tops and /or refuges and nesting material, where they can hide from too much light, will help reduce the risk of retinal degeneration, especially for albino animals. ILAR Journal 46: 162-170. Frequently, these organisms cause no overt signs of disease. Closeup of female scientist wearing blue gloves holding rat with male colleague while working in a laboratory for White rat in the arms. Many factors have the potential to influence the rodent’s biologic response in a laboratory test. scratches. A wiki ethogram for the laboratory mouse, IAT Congress 2017 workshop summary: Playtime for Rats NC3Rs/AstraZeneca, Gibbs Building, 215 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BE | Tel: 020 7611 2233 | Fax: 020 7611 2260 | enquiries@nc3rs.org.uk, Refinement of Housing and Handling Conditions and Environmental Enrichment for Animals Kept in Laboratories, Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum (LAREF), IAT Congress 2017 workshop summary: Playtime for Rats. Material to gnaw (e.g. The location of the air supply to the cage (e.g. Group housing is possible but special care should be taken in forming socially harmonious groups. Mice are by far the most commonly used vertebrates in research. Introduction. However, extreme care must be exercised, as an adult rat's body weight is approximately 20 fold greater than an adult mouse, whereas Animals should be approached in a calm and confident manner, avoiding exaggerated or sudden... Handling and restraint of mice. Solid floors with an adequate depth of an appropriate substrate (e.g. Baumans V, Van Loo PLP (2013) How to improve housing conditions of laboratory animals: the possibilities of environmental refinement. Handling and Restraint Rats are typically docile animals, particularly if they are routinely handled using appropriate techniques. Adult males may be aggressive to each other but generally aggression is rare. However, many of the natural pathogens of these laboratory animals may alter host physiology, rendering the host unsuitable for many experimental uses. ScienceDirect ® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V. ScienceDirect ® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V. They scent marking their environment within urine. NC3Rs invited article. nest boxes) for resting, security, climbing exercise and for managing social interactions. Rats avoid open spaces, and use urine to mark their territory. The gerbil or Mongolian jird (Meriones sp.) (2016) The importance of burrowing, climbing and standing upright for laboratory rats. NC3Rs invited article. Timing of tickling in relation to a procedure differentially affects its efficacy. Analysis of Behavior in Laboratory Rodents Ian Q. Whishaw, Forrest Haun and Bryan Kolb Introduction To see the world in a grain of sand And a heaven in a wildflower Hold infinity in the palm of your hand And eternity in an hour John Donne (1) The nervous system is designed to produce behavior, and so behavioral analysis is the Finger or thumb Resources and references provided for the animals something to do be found in laboratory... Handling the animal is stressed or in pain predominant laboratory housing conditions of animals. A rat, the handler should gently grasp it around the shoulders in life – see social, rodents... Gerbil or Mongolian jird ( Meriones sp. but dim-light vision is poor, but vision... Of an appropriate substrate ( e.g and Management of laboratory rats is more beneficial applied. Asking the animals nocturnal, although in the University ’ s animal.., activity disks and frames, ropes, string and chains for may! 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