Animal Behavior Research blog posts
25 Jun
animal behavior research
Other (Animal)
The welfare of therapy dogs
Dogs have been used with adult substance abuse patients in animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) and animal-assisted therapy (AAT). Why use dogs in therapy? The impact of animal-assisted therapy on the dogs.
23 Jun
animal behavior research
Other (Animal)
How to measure emotions in pigs
A commonly used assay for assessment of fear in animals is the novel environment test.In this test, an animal is placed in an arena for a particular time period and behaviors are scored.
12 Jun
animal behavior research
Research Methods
6 things you must consider to improve your open field testing
Here are six recommendations the authors list to improve the translational and predictive value of behavioral readouts.
05 Jun
animal behavior research
Research Methods
The do’s and don’ts in behavioral testing: improve your open field test
Scientists have been performing open field tests for quite some time now. Over the years it has become one of the most popular tests in rodent behavioral research. So what’s not to love?
03 Jun
animal behavior research
Other (Animal)
Insect damage on leaves changes the reproductive strategy of plants
We all know that the majority of plant species depends on pollinators, like bees and syrphid flies, for reproduction. What most of us do not know is that this process is far more complex than it looks at first sight.
12 May
animal behavior research
Zebrafish Research
How zebrafish regenerate (and how to measure their recovery)
We all know of animals that are able to regenerate: lizards that grow back their tails, flatworms that can grow into new worms when cut in half. Zebrafish have this special ability as well.
01 May
animal behavior research
Zebrafish Research
How zebrafish are changing neuroscience
Zebrafish. This little fish is a vertebrate, and a relatively complex one. Looking at the major neurotransmitters and hormones that are investigated in neuroscience, they are as good of a model as many mammalian species.
10 Apr
animal behavior research
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Are there objective tests for predicting autism severity?
Some disorders cannot simply be diagnosed with a blood test or tissue-culture. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a good example; its diagnosis relies upon behavioral tests and questionnaires.
03 Apr
animal behavior research
Social Behavior
Why wolves cry out for their friends
Why do wolves howl? From research, movies, and even television series, we learn that wolves cry out to each other to facilitate the reassembling of a pack when members have strayed.
20 Mar
animal behavior research
Zebrafish Research
How to mark zebrafish without compromising their behavior
How to mark zebrafish without compromising their behavior? They may have just found the answer to this at the University of Toronto. Cheung et al. tried out a method using subcutaneous injection with dyes.