Author : Daniel Hellman Gottlieb
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781267758026
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (58 download)
Book Synopsis Captive Rhesus Macaque Welfare by : Daniel Hellman Gottlieb
Download or read book Captive Rhesus Macaque Welfare written by Daniel Hellman Gottlieb and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rhesus macaques are one of the most commonly used primates in bio-medical research. The welfare of captive rhesus is a growing public concern, and empirical research is necessary to determine the best management practices for captive rhesus well-being. Unfortunately welfare research often has inconclusive results, which may in part be due to individual differences within animals. In this dissertation research, three independent studies on rhesus macaques are presented. The objective of the first study was to assess the efficacy of three types of foraging enrichment: puzzle balls, supertubes, and shakers. A significant increase in foraging behavior was found in all three groups, however the three enrichment devices had different effects on individual expression of stereotypy. The objective of the second study was to identify whether increasing the predictability of husbandry events could decrease stress and anxiety in singly housed animals. Results found that temporal predictability of feeding reduced stress and anxiety, and was thus considered beneficial to the animals. In both studies it was noted that not all subjects responded the same to the experimental treatments, and it was hypothesized that this was due to individual differences within subjects. The objective of the third study was to evaluate the human intruder test, a commonly used paradigm to measure individual differences in rhesus. Specifically, the aim of this study was to identify the underlying latent factors affecting different responses to the test. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of behavioral responses yielded a model with four-factors: "Activity," "Emotionality," "Aggression," and "Displacement." These results suggest that most of the variation in behavioral response to the human intruder test can be explained by these four latent factors.