Refinement Database

Database on Refinement of Housing, Husbandry, Care, and Use of Animals in Research

This database, created in 2000, is updated every four months with newly published scientific articles, books, and other publications related to improving or safeguarding the welfare of animals used in research.

Tips for using the database:

  • This landing page displays all of the publications in the database.
  • Use the drop-down menus to filter these publications by Animal Type, Setting, and/or Topic.
  • Clicking on a parent category (e.g., Rodent) will include publications relating to all the items in that category (e.g., Chinchilla, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, etc.).
  • You may also add a keyword to further narrow your search.
  • Please note that at this time, only publications dated 2010 or later (with some exceptions) can be filtered by Animal Type and Topic, and only publications dated 2020 or later (with some exceptions) can be filtered by Setting. Most publications older than 2010 can only be searched by keyword. 
Dollinger, P. 1971. Tod Durch Verhalten Bei Zootieren (Death Through Behavior in Zoo Animals [German Text]). Juris Druck, Z?rich, Switzerland.

Introduction of strangers into a zoo group of long-tailed macaques was associated with violent aggression.

Deag, J. M., Crook, J. H. 1971. Social behavior and 'agonistic buffering' in the wild barbary macaque Macaca sylvana. Folia Primatologica 15(3-4), 183-200.

In the Middle Atlas of Morocco Macaca sylvana live in multimale groups of 12 to 30 individuals. With extensive home range overlap intergroup encounters are frequent, usually peaceful and variable in nature. The social interactions...

Wood-Gush, D. G. M. 1971. The Behaviour of the Domestic Fowl - Heinemann Studies in Biology Volume 7. Heineman, London, UK.

Description of the species-typical behavior of the domestic fowl.

Van Oortmerssen, G. A. 1971. Biological significance, genetics and evolutionary origin of variability in behaviour within and between inbred strains of mice (Mus musculus). A behaviour genetic study. Behaviour 38, 1-92.

The biological significance, the origin and the genetical causation of differences in behaviour between inbred strains of mice have been studied. Three inbred strains with different origins were used, these were CPBs (Balb), CBA and...

Sambraus, H. H. 1971. Die soziale Rangordnung von Rindern und ihre Folgen. Der Tierz?chter 9, 249-251.
Riege, W. H. 1971. Environmental influence on brain and behavior of year-old rats. Developmental Psychobiology 4, 157-167.

The beneficial effects of environmental enrichment are not restricted to a brief cricial period in development. Positive effects occur also in rats aged 300 days when first placed in an enriched environment.

Reinhardt, V. 1971. Soziale Verhaltensweisen Und Soziale Rollen Des Hausmeerschweinchens [Social Behavior and Social Roles of Guinea Pigs]. Dissertationsdruck Novotny, S?cking/Starnberg, Germany.

The social and individual behavior of heterosexually group-housed and isosexually pair-housed guinea pigs is described and analyzed. The role of olfactory and behavioral factors as social communicators and social buffers is underscored. The protective effect...

Geist, V. 1971. Mountain Sheep; a Study in Behavior and Evolution. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL.

Excellent description and analysis of species-typical behavior.

Collier, G. H., Hirsch, E. 1971. Reinforcing properties of spontaneous activity in the rat. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology 77, 155-160.

Required 21 male sprague-dawley rats to bar press on an ascending sequence of fixed-ratio requirements in order to run in either a voluntary treadmill or a braked running wheel. In both testing situations the duration...

Berendt, R., Williams, T. D. 1971. The effect of restraint and position upon selected respiratory parameters of two species of Macaca. Laboratory Animal Science 21, 502-509.

Restraint significantly affected the tidal volume and respiration rate.

Berkman, P. L. 1971. Life stress and psychological well-being: a replication of Langner's analysis in the Midtown Manhattan Study. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 12, 35-45.

Earliest reference of the term psychological well-being.The Index of Psychological Well-Being takes Negative Feelings [very lonely, depressed, bored, restless, uneasiness] and Positive Feelings [excited or interested in something, pleased about having accomplished something] into account.

Besch, E. L., Chou, B. J. 1971. Physiological responses to blood collection methods in rats. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine 138, 1019-1021.

Plasma glucose levels are related to the length of handling time during blood collection.

Terry, R. L. 1970. Primate grooming as a tension reduction mechanism. Journal of Psychology 76, 129-136.

In this paper grooming was considered as a response to tension generated by an event which threatens the integration of a specific member of the group. In response to this tension, grooming is engaged in...

Swan, S. M. 1970. An apparatus for the transportation and restraint of nonhuman primates. Laboratory Animal Care [Laboratory Animal Science] 20, 1131-1132.

After 1-1.5 hours of board-restraint, bonnet macaques exhibited signs of impaired mobility as a result of the restraint and consequent struggling.

Poirier, F. E. 1970. The Nilgiri langur (Presbytis johnii) of South India. In: Primate Behavior: Developments in Field and Laboratory Research, Volume 1. Rosenblum, L. A. (ed), 251-383. Academic Press, New York, NY.

Excellent overview of the species-typical behavior of wild langurs. Weaning was completed when the Nilgiri langur was approximately one year old. ... Juveniles often retained ties with the mother even after a successive infant was...

Mitchell, G. 1970. Abnormal behavior in primates. In: Primate Behavior, Volume 1. Rosenblum, L. A. (ed), 195-249. Academic Press, New York, NY.

Low levels of stimulation, lack of space, presence of human observers, and absence of friendly ties between animals are conditions conducive for the development of behavioral disorders. Subtle but sometimes severe behavioral abnormalities arise during...

Gallup, G. G. 1970. Chimpanzees: Self-recognition. Science 167, 86-87.

After prolonged exposure to their reflected images in mirrors, chimpanzees marked with red dye showed evidence of being able to recognize their own reflections. Monkeys did not appear to have this capacity.

Wada, J. A., Asakura, T. 1970. Circadian alteration of audiogenic seizure susceptibility in rats. Experimental Neurology 29, 211-214.

Genetically determined audiogenic seizure susceptibility in Wistar albino rats showed distinct rhythmicity with its increase and decrease during night and day, respectively. This rhythmicity is apparently regulated by light since its trend can be readily...

Oley, N. N., Slotnick, B. M. 1970. Nesting material as a reinforcer for operant behavior in the rat. Psychonomic Science 21, 41-43.

Rats will readily work for the acquisition of nesting material. Paper strips serves as an adequate reinforcer. .. Prior to parturiation, only a small daily nest was built and barpressing occurred only in the dark...

Manosevitz, M. 1970. Early environmental enrichment and mouse behavior. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology 71, 459-466.

Environmental enrichment affected open-field activity and defecation.

Mackintosh, J. H. 1970. Territory formation by laboratory mice. Animal Behaviour 18, 177-183.

In groups of mice there is usually one dominant adult male who vigorously defends territorial boundries against other subordinate males

Lockett, M. F. 1970. Effect of sound on endocrine function and electrolyte excretion. In: Physiological Effects of Noise. Welch, B. L. , Welch, A. S. (eds), 21-42. Plenum Press, New York.
Kvetnansky, R., Weise, V. K., Kopin, I. 1970. Elevation of adrenal Tyrosine hydroxylase and phenylethanolamine-N-methyl transferase by repeated immobilization of rats. Endocrinology 87, 744-749.

Immobilization result in a neuronally dependent elevation of tyrosine hydroxilase in the adrenal medulla.

Kvetnansky, R., Mikulaj, L. 1970. Adrenal and urinary catecholamines in rats during adaption to repeated immobilization stress. Endocrinology 87, 738-743.

Rats subjected to daily immobilization for up to one year still excreted greater amounts of epinephrine than did control animals or animals after their first immobilization. These increases levels of urinary ephinephrine were not accompanied...

Kilgour, R., de Langen, H. 1970. Stress in sheep resulting from management practices. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 30, 65-76.

Separation from conspecifics causes a sharp increase in cortisol concentration.