Preparation of domestically bred animals for research usually involves some combination of social separation, relocation, resocialization, alterations in physical space, photoperiod, and diet, as well as exposure to novel environments. The research literature that has...
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...
Our experience-based discussion suggests that social animals benefit from compatible companionship during post-operative recovery. The traditional practice of keeping animals alone in an unfamiliar environment after surgery increases the subjects surgery-associated stress. Providing a familiar...
An ethological understanding of a behavioral phenomenon incorporates four levels of explanation: development, mechanism, function, and evolution. The phenomenon of socially-mediated learning has garnered a great deal of attention from ethologists, prominently including primatologists. Gregarious...
Alopecia in laboratory monkeys can result from overgrooming (OG), medical conditions, or hormonal variation. Because hair loss is visible, disproportionate intervention may be expected relative to other indicators of potentially compromised well-being. Two analyses (α=0.05)...
Studies of the vocal behavior of captive nonhuman primates need to balance the requirement of maximizing the quality of the data collected with the desirability of minimizing the stress any procedures associated with data collection...
Based on clinical efficacy in the short-term treatment of self-injurious behavior in macaques, we performed a dose-finding study to establish optimal doses of fluoxetine (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor). The subjects were 11 male (aged 7...
Positive reinforcement training is an important element of behavioral management programs for nonhuman primates. However, more empirical information is needed to determine whether animals identified for intervention will engage in such training, affecting the amount...
Self-injurious behavior (SIB) presents a serious problem in laboratory macaques that cannot be socially housed for scientific reasons. Pharmaceutical treatments that alter the serotonin (5HT) system have sometimes proven effective in alleviating SIB in both...
Social grooming may have both social and hygienic functions. For this analysis, we assume the ‘pick’ grooming method is more effective at cleaning than stroke and social grooming on parts inaccessible to the groomee is...