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. 
Marriott, B. M., Marriott, R. W., Norris, J. et al. 1993. A semi-natural habitat for housing small, nonhuman primates. Journal of Medical Primatology 22, 348-354.

A semi-natural habitat that was designed to house a group of squirrel monkeys is described. Animals maintained in this environment were healthy, and none of the animals exhibited locomotor stereotypies. This facility was easier and...

Reinhardt, V. 1992. Voluntary progression order in captive rhesus macaques. Zoo Biology 11,(1) 61-66.

The sequence in which 14 laboratory rhesus macaques left their home enclosure during a routine catching procedure was recorded on 30 occasions during 6 weeks. The animals were trained to voluntarily exit one by one...

Poenisch, T. 1992. Bedding for enrichment. The Newsletter 4(1), 1.

When forage materials [chicken scratch] are provided, bedding materials, such as straw or shredded newspaper, along with woodchips increase the amount of time the captive chimpanzee spends in search of forage materials. ... Whether this...

Pough, F. H. 1991. Recommendations for the care of amphibians and reptiles in academic institutions. ILAR Journal 33(4), S1-S21.

Amphibians and reptiles differ in many respects from the mammals and birds most commonly used in biomedical research. These differences affect the physical and biological requirements of amphibians and reptiles in captivity. In this contribution...

de Waal, F. B. M. 1989. Food sharing and reciprocal obligations among chimpanzees. Journal of Human Evolution 18(5), 433-459.

Food sharing has been proposed as the propeller of hominid evolution, particularly of the development of systems of mutual social obligation. Yet, food sharing in our closest relative has never been subjected to a rigorous...

Anderson, J. R. , Chamove, A. S. 1984. Allowing captive primates to forage. In: Standards in Laboratory Animal Management. Proceedings of a Symposium. 253-256. The Universities Federation For Animal Welfare, Potters Bar, UK.

A woodchip litter substrate reduces abnormal behaviours, primarily self-aggression, and encourages foraging, even in the absence of grain. Comparison between the bare floor and litter with grain showed that in the latter monkeys foraged more...

Reinhardt, V. 1980. Untersuchung Zum Sozialverhalten Des Rindes - Eine Zweijahrige Beobachtung an Einer Halb-Wilden Rinderhede (Bos Indicus) [Investigations on the Social Behaviour of Cattle - A Two-Year-Observation of a Half-Wild Cattle Herd (Bos Indicus); German Text With English Summary]. Birkhauser Verlag, Boston, MA.

The social behavior of a semi-wild cattle herd was described and analysed covering a 2-year observation period. In cattle husbandry, livestock should be only kept in such systems that meet the species-specific social needs of...

Murphy, D. E. 1976. Enrichment and occupational devices for orangutans and chimpanzees. International Zoo News 137(23.5), 24-26.

A heavy metal cylinder, 60 cm long and 45 cm in diameter, was capped on each end and bolted to a platform. Three 8 cm holes in the cylinder allowed access to the inside. A...

Köhler, W. 1921. Intelligenzprüfungen an Menschenaffen. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Germany.

Chimpanzees readily use tools in most intelligent ways to retrieve food items.

Tardif, S. D., Bales, K., Williams, L. et al. 2006. Preparing New World monkeys for laboratory research. ILAR Journal 47(4), 307-315.

New World monkeys represent an important but often poorly understood research resource. The relatively small size and low zoonotic risk of these animals make them appealing as research subjects in a number of areas. However...