Animal Behavior Research Blog Posts

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Why rats help other rats

As humans, we help each other because it is the right thing to do. We help our friends and our family. And of course we help strangers as well. Right?

How to easily automate the elevated plus maze test

Anxiety. It is nature’s way to keep us out of harm’s way, so it is a useful emotion. At times, though, it can also be overwhelming. For some, it gets out of control, irrational, and even disabling.

How memory loss caused by diabetes was prevented in transgenic mice

Did you know that Alzheimer’s and diabetes are linked? Patients with diabetes have an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and patients with AD show impaired insulin function and glucose metabolism.

Why guinea pigs are just like us

If zebrafish are the new mice, guinea pigs might be the new rats. Guinea pigs differ from mice and rats, and that just might make them more suitable due to the fact that these results are more easily translated to humans.