Pub Date : 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106867
Shuang Yang , Xi Lu , Jiaju Liu , Shuangping Yu , Zuwei Yang , Anru Zuo , Ruixin Mo , Dong Zhu , Shilong Liu , Yubao Duan
{"title":"Corrigendum to “Effects of birdwatching tourism on breeding behaviour and reproductive success of hornbills” [Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 292 (2025) 106763]","authors":"Shuang Yang , Xi Lu , Jiaju Liu , Shuangping Yu , Zuwei Yang , Anru Zuo , Ruixin Mo , Dong Zhu , Shilong Liu , Yubao Duan","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106867","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106867","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"293 ","pages":"Article 106867"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145690733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106856
Laize Guedes do Carmo , Matheus Borges de Carvalho , Pedro Vicente Michelotto , Ruan Rolnei Daros
Neuroticism is one of the five personality traits described in the Five-Factor Model and is associated with emotional instability and behavioural rigidity. It reflects an individual’s sensitivity to negative emotions, resulting in repetitive behavioural responses aimed at avoiding novelty and the unknown. Although this trait has been assessed in horses through questionnaires, no behavioural test had been developed to measure it objectively. This study aimed to propose a novel behavioural test to assess neuroticism in horses based on patterns of food-choice repetition. Fifteen adult mixed-breed mares were tested over five consecutive days in a familiar arena. The test comprised two phases: (1) food recognition and (2) assessment of repetitive patterns in food consumption. Five food types (carrot sticks, carrot cubes, chicory, apple semicircles, and triangular apple pieces) were placed in five divisions of a table. In phase 1, mares underwent five consecutive three-minute sessions, each presenting a single food type. In phase 2, all five foods were presented simultaneously in a fixed arrangement, and each mare completed one five-minute session per day for four days. The sequence in which each food item was consumed was recorded manually. A repetition-based "interday score" was calculated for each mare to quantify behavioural consistency across days. Scores ranged from 32 to 138 points, indicating individual variability in food-choice patterns. To evaluate whether the score represented a new personality trait, principal component analyses were conducted using behavioural data from three validated personality tests (open field, novel object, and startle tests). The interday score did not load with any component extracted from these tests, suggesting it captured a distinct behavioural dimension. This new test generated diverse, consistent response patterns among individuals and appears to assess a personality trait related to neuroticism; however further validation against questionnaires or other tests that measure (or intent to) neuroticism are still needed. Nonetheless, the findings offer a novel behavioural approach to better understand equine personality.
{"title":"Can we assess neuroticism in horses? A study on a novel behavioural test","authors":"Laize Guedes do Carmo , Matheus Borges de Carvalho , Pedro Vicente Michelotto , Ruan Rolnei Daros","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106856","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106856","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Neuroticism is one of the five personality traits described in the Five-Factor Model and is associated with emotional instability and behavioural rigidity. It reflects an individual’s sensitivity to negative emotions, resulting in repetitive behavioural responses aimed at avoiding novelty and the unknown. Although this trait has been assessed in horses through questionnaires, no behavioural test had been developed to measure it objectively. This study aimed to propose a novel behavioural test to assess neuroticism in horses based on patterns of food-choice repetition. Fifteen adult mixed-breed mares were tested over five consecutive days in a familiar arena. The test comprised two phases: (1) food recognition and (2) assessment of repetitive patterns in food consumption. Five food types (carrot sticks, carrot cubes, chicory, apple semicircles, and triangular apple pieces) were placed in five divisions of a table. In phase 1, mares underwent five consecutive three-minute sessions, each presenting a single food type. In phase 2, all five foods were presented simultaneously in a fixed arrangement, and each mare completed one five-minute session per day for four days. The sequence in which each food item was consumed was recorded manually. A repetition-based \"interday score\" was calculated for each mare to quantify behavioural consistency across days. Scores ranged from 32 to 138 points, indicating individual variability in food-choice patterns. To evaluate whether the score represented a new personality trait, principal component analyses were conducted using behavioural data from three validated personality tests (open field, novel object, and startle tests). The interday score did not load with any component extracted from these tests, suggesting it captured a distinct behavioural dimension. This new test generated diverse, consistent response patterns among individuals and appears to assess a personality trait related to neuroticism; however further validation against questionnaires or other tests that measure (or intent to) neuroticism are still needed. Nonetheless, the findings offer a novel behavioural approach to better understand equine personality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"293 ","pages":"Article 106856"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145690734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-28DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106874
Travis E. Stoakley , Sarah M. Chinn , David A. Keiter , Linda S. Lee , James C. Beasley
The ability to monitor and anticipate reproductive activity is essential to effectively control invasive wildlife species, especially for globally-distributed vertebrates like wild pigs (Sus scrofa) that incur immense management costs each year. While recent studies have made substantial progress in clarifying the temporal dynamics of wild pig reproductive ecology, several aspects of the spatial dynamics of wild pig reproductive ecology warrant additional attention. Specifically, the factors that influence selection of nesting sites (called farrowing sites for wild pigs) are understudied. While previous studies have characterized nest dimensions, composition, and associated plant species, the multi-scale vegetation community composition and environmental predictors of farrowing site selection are relatively uncharacterized. To better understand the spatial component of wild pig farrowing site resource selection, we assessed the fine- and broad-scale land cover and environmental predictors of farrowing sites for 24 mature female wild pigs at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, USA, between May 2016 – February 2020. Wild pigs monitored in our study established farrowing sites in areas with diverse understory vegetation and were always near water. Compared to farrowing sites used in autumn-winter, sites used in spring-summer had greater light intensity but not greater canopy cover. Nests were predominantly located in upland pine stands or hardwood-dominated riparian areas, and selection was generally proportional to the land cover composition of the study area. Distance to water was the only statistically predictive broad-scale land cover covariate of farrowing site selection in our study. Fine-scale vegetation analyses outperformed broad-scale analyses for predicting farrowing site selection, which inherently hinder managers’ ability to use publicly-available satellite imagery to readily identify areas where parturition is most likely to occur. Therefore, knowledge of fine-scale vegetation composition of an area can improve managers’ ability to discover active or recently used farrowing sites—signals of reproductive activity that are essential for managers to monitor during intensive management or eradication programs. Overall, understanding the spatial patterns of reproduction is important for managing and eradicating target invasive species, and the ability to monitor and anticipate where reproduction occurs around peak reproductive periods can guide management efforts.
{"title":"Multi-scale predictors of farrowing site selection of wild pigs (Sus scrofa)","authors":"Travis E. Stoakley , Sarah M. Chinn , David A. Keiter , Linda S. Lee , James C. Beasley","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106874","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106874","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ability to monitor and anticipate reproductive activity is essential to effectively control invasive wildlife species, especially for globally-distributed vertebrates like wild pigs (<em>Sus scrofa</em>) that incur immense management costs each year. While recent studies have made substantial progress in clarifying the temporal dynamics of wild pig reproductive ecology, several aspects of the spatial dynamics of wild pig reproductive ecology warrant additional attention. Specifically, the factors that influence selection of nesting sites (called farrowing sites for wild pigs) are understudied. While previous studies have characterized nest dimensions, composition, and associated plant species, the multi-scale vegetation community composition and environmental predictors of farrowing site selection are relatively uncharacterized. To better understand the spatial component of wild pig farrowing site resource selection, we assessed the fine- and broad-scale land cover and environmental predictors of farrowing sites for 24 mature female wild pigs at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, USA, between May 2016 – February 2020. Wild pigs monitored in our study established farrowing sites in areas with diverse understory vegetation and were always near water. Compared to farrowing sites used in autumn-winter, sites used in spring-summer had greater light intensity but not greater canopy cover. Nests were predominantly located in upland pine stands or hardwood-dominated riparian areas, and selection was generally proportional to the land cover composition of the study area. Distance to water was the only statistically predictive broad-scale land cover covariate of farrowing site selection in our study. Fine-scale vegetation analyses outperformed broad-scale analyses for predicting farrowing site selection, which inherently hinder managers’ ability to use publicly-available satellite imagery to readily identify areas where parturition is most likely to occur. Therefore, knowledge of fine-scale vegetation composition of an area can improve managers’ ability to discover active or recently used farrowing sites—signals of reproductive activity that are essential for managers to monitor during intensive management or eradication programs. Overall, understanding the spatial patterns of reproduction is important for managing and eradicating target invasive species, and the ability to monitor and anticipate where reproduction occurs around peak reproductive periods can guide management efforts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 106874"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145690427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-28DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106875
Francisco Ceacero , Maxime Bruneau , Martina Komárková , Radim Kotrba
Understanding the mechanisms underlying social hierarchy formation in ungulates is crucial for elucidating the dynamics of group living and intraspecific interactions. While absolute cues are used in every study, relative ones are frequently neglected. We investigated the role of absolute and relative morphometric traits as cues for assessing social rank in common elands (Tragelaphus oryx), a gregarious ungulate species with complex fission-fusion social structures. Through detailed observations and image analysis of 17 adult females and 22 males in two captive herds, we examined the relationships between absolute and relative morphometric traits (horn, body, and dewlap size) and social rank. Initial analyses showed that most absolute variables correlate with social rank in females, while just a few relative ones weakly correlated with rank. On the contrary, only dewlap-related variables, both absolute and relative, correlated with rank in males. This result is probably connected to the different functions of horns and dewlap for each gender. After deeper modelling, age emerged as a significant predictor of social rank, with older individuals occupying higher positions within the social hierarchy, being the main determinant of rank in females (no absolute or relative influence of body, horns or dewlap morphometrics), while the relative size of the dewlap was confirmed as a main determinant of rank in males. These results suggest that individuals may rely more on cues related to dewlap size, which may offer more easily discernible signals of dominance compared to absolute morphometric traits such as horn length or body size. Our study provides valuable insights into the factors influencing social hierarchy formation in social ungulates and highlights the importance of considering both absolute and relative morphometric traits in understanding dominance signalling mechanisms.
{"title":"Absolute vs. relative morphometric traits as indicators of social rank in common elands","authors":"Francisco Ceacero , Maxime Bruneau , Martina Komárková , Radim Kotrba","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106875","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106875","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the mechanisms underlying social hierarchy formation in ungulates is crucial for elucidating the dynamics of group living and intraspecific interactions. While absolute cues are used in every study, relative ones are frequently neglected. We investigated the role of absolute and relative morphometric traits as cues for assessing social rank in common elands (<em>Tragelaphus oryx</em>), a gregarious ungulate species with complex fission-fusion social structures. Through detailed observations and image analysis of 17 adult females and 22 males in two captive herds, we examined the relationships between absolute and relative morphometric traits (horn, body, and dewlap size) and social rank. Initial analyses showed that most absolute variables correlate with social rank in females, while just a few relative ones weakly correlated with rank. On the contrary, only dewlap-related variables, both absolute and relative, correlated with rank in males. This result is probably connected to the different functions of horns and dewlap for each gender. After deeper modelling, age emerged as a significant predictor of social rank, with older individuals occupying higher positions within the social hierarchy, being the main determinant of rank in females (no absolute or relative influence of body, horns or dewlap morphometrics), while the relative size of the dewlap was confirmed as a main determinant of rank in males. These results suggest that individuals may rely more on cues related to dewlap size, which may offer more easily discernible signals of dominance compared to absolute morphometric traits such as horn length or body size. Our study provides valuable insights into the factors influencing social hierarchy formation in social ungulates and highlights the importance of considering both absolute and relative morphometric traits in understanding dominance signalling mechanisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 106875"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145690426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-27DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106872
Renee Denby , Lauren Hopkins , Lauren Little , Grant W. Tempero , Clare Browne , Melissa Collins , Nicholas Ling , Timothy L. Edwards
Dogs have been demonstrated to be capable detectors of some aquatic species. However, taking dogs into the field for aquatic species detection is not always practical. A recently developed system that involves bringing water samples from the field into a laboratory environment to be evaluated by dogs has shown promise for koi carp (Cyprinus rubrofuscus) detection. In the present study, we replicated these methods to evaluate dogs’ ability to detect brown bullhead catfish (Ameiurus nebulosus). In Experiment 1, we evaluated the dogs’ detection thresholds for catfish detection and determined that they can detect the presence of catfish at operationally useful biomass concentrations in dechlorinated municipal water. To be operationally feasible, samples taken from field sites would need to be preserved between collection and evaluation. Therefore, in Experiment 2, we examined the influence of two water preservation methods, refrigeration and freezing, and found no evidence of any deleterious effect of either method on dogs’ catfish-detection performance. In Experiment 3, we evaluated the dogs’ performance when working with water from natural water sources and, therefore, containing other volatile organic compounds. Under these conditions, dogs were capable of accurately classifying samples at low biomass concentrations, similar to their performance in Experiment 1. These findings strengthen the evidence for the utility of this system for monitoring waterbodies for incursions of a variety of invasive aquatic species.
{"title":"Invasive catfish detection with scent detection dogs","authors":"Renee Denby , Lauren Hopkins , Lauren Little , Grant W. Tempero , Clare Browne , Melissa Collins , Nicholas Ling , Timothy L. Edwards","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106872","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106872","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dogs have been demonstrated to be capable detectors of some aquatic species. However, taking dogs into the field for aquatic species detection is not always practical. A recently developed system that involves bringing water samples from the field into a laboratory environment to be evaluated by dogs has shown promise for koi carp (<em>Cyprinus rubrofuscus</em>) detection. In the present study, we replicated these methods to evaluate dogs’ ability to detect brown bullhead catfish (<em>Ameiurus nebulosus</em>). In Experiment 1, we evaluated the dogs’ detection thresholds for catfish detection and determined that they can detect the presence of catfish at operationally useful biomass concentrations in dechlorinated municipal water. To be operationally feasible, samples taken from field sites would need to be preserved between collection and evaluation. Therefore, in Experiment 2, we examined the influence of two water preservation methods, refrigeration and freezing, and found no evidence of any deleterious effect of either method on dogs’ catfish-detection performance. In Experiment 3, we evaluated the dogs’ performance when working with water from natural water sources and, therefore, containing other volatile organic compounds. Under these conditions, dogs were capable of accurately classifying samples at low biomass concentrations, similar to their performance in Experiment 1. These findings strengthen the evidence for the utility of this system for monitoring waterbodies for incursions of a variety of invasive aquatic species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 106872"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145621646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
<div><div>Activity sensors provide an objective means to track movement and allow for automatic recognition of behavioural patterns. This study validates the use of sensor-based analysis for assessing daily patterns and behavioural differences related to housing system, age, and season at the onset of preparation for licensing of young warmblood stallions. Warmblood stallions (<em>n</em> = 29), aged 2 years (born between March and June), were categorised based on their housing system: indoor group housing (T1-group: <em>n</em> = 9) or individual stables (<em>n</em> = 20). The individually stabled horses were further divided by month at the onset of preparation for licensing (T1-Ind: June (<em>n</em> = 10) vs. T2-Ind: October (<em>n</em> = 10)), resulting in three cohorts of comparable size. Each stallion wore an activity sensor on a collar for 24 coherent hours per week during the first three months of the preparation period (T1: June-August; T2: October-December). Behavioural analysis was conducted using a deep neural network trained to classify distinct individual activities, including eating, resting and active behaviours. The time budgets of these activities per horse were compared between the cohorts. All the horses in the study displayed appropriate time budgets for each behavioural category, spending approximately 50 % of the day eating, followed by 30–38 % resting and 14–18 % being active, which is consistent with typical species patterns. Group-housed stallions presented more active behaviour within the indoor housing system (χ² (4) = 17.1, <em>P</em> < 0.01), likely due to greater space and social interactions. Stallions in group housing also displayed stronger correlations with synchronous eating (χ² (2) = 77.5, <em>P</em> < 0.001), resting (χ² (2) = 68.8, <em>P</em> < 0.001), and active (χ² (2) = 63.8, <em>P</em> < 0.001) behaviours, reflecting improved social cohesion. In contrast, individually stabled horses were more active in the paddock (χ² (4) = 44.6, <em>P</em> < 0.001), and covered greater distances, possibly compensating for reduced movement opportunities and limited social contact in the stable. Stallions trained in summer (T1) expressed more eating (χ² (4) = 25.6, <em>P</em> < 0.001) and less resting (χ² (4) = 28.7, <em>P</em> < 0.001) behaviours compared to winter (T2), likely due to seasonal factors such as daylight duration. In conclusion, housing systems had subtle effects on the expression of activity time budgets. Group housing was associated with greater behavioural synchrony and increased voluntary movement. A shorter daylight duration led to reduced eating and increased resting behaviour. Limitations of this study include the absence of recorded social behaviours, and a fourth cohort of group-housed stallions entering the preparation period in October. Sensor-based activity monitoring has proven to be an effective method for objectively quantifying behavioural time budgets, providing a valuable
{"title":"Sensor-based analysis of behaviour time budgets in young warmblood stallions entering initial preparation for licensing","authors":"Fabienne Eichler , Lara Klitzing , Saskia Strutzke , Franziska Pilger , Laura Kroschel , Christa Thöne-Reineke , Gundula Hoffmann , Katharina Kirsch","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106873","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106873","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Activity sensors provide an objective means to track movement and allow for automatic recognition of behavioural patterns. This study validates the use of sensor-based analysis for assessing daily patterns and behavioural differences related to housing system, age, and season at the onset of preparation for licensing of young warmblood stallions. Warmblood stallions (<em>n</em> = 29), aged 2 years (born between March and June), were categorised based on their housing system: indoor group housing (T1-group: <em>n</em> = 9) or individual stables (<em>n</em> = 20). The individually stabled horses were further divided by month at the onset of preparation for licensing (T1-Ind: June (<em>n</em> = 10) vs. T2-Ind: October (<em>n</em> = 10)), resulting in three cohorts of comparable size. Each stallion wore an activity sensor on a collar for 24 coherent hours per week during the first three months of the preparation period (T1: June-August; T2: October-December). Behavioural analysis was conducted using a deep neural network trained to classify distinct individual activities, including eating, resting and active behaviours. The time budgets of these activities per horse were compared between the cohorts. All the horses in the study displayed appropriate time budgets for each behavioural category, spending approximately 50 % of the day eating, followed by 30–38 % resting and 14–18 % being active, which is consistent with typical species patterns. Group-housed stallions presented more active behaviour within the indoor housing system (χ² (4) = 17.1, <em>P</em> < 0.01), likely due to greater space and social interactions. Stallions in group housing also displayed stronger correlations with synchronous eating (χ² (2) = 77.5, <em>P</em> < 0.001), resting (χ² (2) = 68.8, <em>P</em> < 0.001), and active (χ² (2) = 63.8, <em>P</em> < 0.001) behaviours, reflecting improved social cohesion. In contrast, individually stabled horses were more active in the paddock (χ² (4) = 44.6, <em>P</em> < 0.001), and covered greater distances, possibly compensating for reduced movement opportunities and limited social contact in the stable. Stallions trained in summer (T1) expressed more eating (χ² (4) = 25.6, <em>P</em> < 0.001) and less resting (χ² (4) = 28.7, <em>P</em> < 0.001) behaviours compared to winter (T2), likely due to seasonal factors such as daylight duration. In conclusion, housing systems had subtle effects on the expression of activity time budgets. Group housing was associated with greater behavioural synchrony and increased voluntary movement. A shorter daylight duration led to reduced eating and increased resting behaviour. Limitations of this study include the absence of recorded social behaviours, and a fourth cohort of group-housed stallions entering the preparation period in October. Sensor-based activity monitoring has proven to be an effective method for objectively quantifying behavioural time budgets, providing a valuable","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 106873"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145621648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-24DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106871
Ayodele Stephen AKE, Joseph Olusegun AYO
Pack donkeys are kept predominantly in the open field without any shelter in most tropical and subtropical countries. The study aimed to investigate the effects of melatonin administration on the thermoregulatory and behavioural responses in donkeys kept in the open field and subjected to packing (load-carrying) during hot-humid conditions. Eighteen Nubian pack donkeys served as subjects. They were divided randomly into two groups of nine animals each. Group 1 donkeys were administered melatonin orally pre-packing and subjected to packing (P + M), while Group 2 donkeys only carried load without pre-administration of melatonin (P only). Meteorological parameters were recorded pre- and post-packing concurrently with the measurement of rectal temperature (RT), body surface temperature, and respiratory and heart rates. Behavioural activities were recorded post-packing using the animal focal method for 1 h. The values of the meteorological parameters were higher (P < 0.05) post-packing. The RT value obtained pre-packing was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the P + M donkeys, compared with that recorded in P only donkeys. The frequencies of grooming and walking in P + M donkeys significantly (P < 0.05) reduced compared to the values recorded in donkeys without administration of melatonin. In conclusion, the administration of melatonin pre-packing to donkeys kept in the open field significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the pre-packing RT value, and the duration and frequency of grooming and walking post-packing. Pre-packing administration of melatonin reduced the negative effects of heat stress on the behavioural and thermoregulatory responses of the donkeys during the hot-humid conditions.
{"title":"The effect of melatonin on the thermoregulatory and behavioural responses of donkeys in an open field subjected to heat and packing stresses","authors":"Ayodele Stephen AKE, Joseph Olusegun AYO","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106871","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106871","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pack donkeys are kept predominantly in the open field without any shelter in most tropical and subtropical countries. The study aimed to investigate the effects of melatonin administration on the thermoregulatory and behavioural responses in donkeys kept in the open field and subjected to packing (load-carrying) during hot-humid conditions. Eighteen Nubian pack donkeys served as subjects. They were divided randomly into two groups of nine animals each. Group 1 donkeys were administered melatonin orally pre-packing and subjected to packing (P + M), while Group 2 donkeys only carried load without pre-administration of melatonin (P only). Meteorological parameters were recorded pre- and post-packing concurrently with the measurement of rectal temperature (RT), body surface temperature, and respiratory and heart rates. Behavioural activities were recorded post-packing using the animal focal method for 1 h. The values of the meteorological parameters were higher (P < 0.05) post-packing. The RT value obtained pre-packing was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the P + M donkeys, compared with that recorded in P only donkeys. The frequencies of grooming and walking in P + M donkeys significantly (P < 0.05) reduced compared to the values recorded in donkeys without administration of melatonin. In conclusion, the administration of melatonin pre-packing to donkeys kept in the open field significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the pre-packing RT value, and the duration and frequency of grooming and walking post-packing. Pre-packing administration of melatonin reduced the negative effects of heat stress on the behavioural and thermoregulatory responses of the donkeys during the hot-humid conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 106871"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145621647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-14DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106870
Rodrigo Mendes Aguiar , Cristiano Schetini de Azevedo , Nicolas Châline
In Brazil, a lower economically developed country (LEDC) with a high proportion of endemic parrot species and strong cultural traditions in parrot keeping, wing clipping remains a widespread practice among caregivers of companion psittacines to limit flight and facilitate handling. Although often justified as a preventive measure, its welfare implications and the motivations guiding its use remain underexplored. This study evaluated the prevalence of wing clipping, caregivers’ perceptions of its effects on welfare, and the sources of information influencing this decision. Importantly, the findings are specific to the Brazilian context and may not be generalized to other countries, where parrot keeping traditions, husbandry practices, and cultural attitudes toward parrots can differ substantially. Generalized linear mixed models were used to analyze associations between wing clipping and caregiver profiles. Most respondents reported having clipped their birds’ wings at some point, although current use was more evenly distributed. Caregivers who had been advised by veterinarians or breeders were significantly more likely to perform wing clipping compared to those who received information from friends or online sources. While a large proportion of participants acknowledged that flight restriction might compromise psittacine welfare by limiting the expression of natural behaviors, many still considered wing clipping necessary or harmless. Previous exposure to flight training was associated with a lower probability of wing clipping. Overall, the results indicate that caregiver decisions in Brazil are influenced by both traditional guidance and increasing awareness of welfare principles. The prominent role of veterinarians and breeders in shaping caregiver behavior highlights the need for updated, welfare-aligned guidance regarding psittacine management.
{"title":"Wing clipping does not make birds safer: Caregiver perceptions, practices, and associated risks in Brazil","authors":"Rodrigo Mendes Aguiar , Cristiano Schetini de Azevedo , Nicolas Châline","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106870","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106870","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In Brazil, a lower economically developed country (LEDC) with a high proportion of endemic parrot species and strong cultural traditions in parrot keeping, wing clipping remains a widespread practice among caregivers of companion psittacines to limit flight and facilitate handling. Although often justified as a preventive measure, its welfare implications and the motivations guiding its use remain underexplored. This study evaluated the prevalence of wing clipping, caregivers’ perceptions of its effects on welfare, and the sources of information influencing this decision. Importantly, the findings are specific to the Brazilian context and may not be generalized to other countries, where parrot keeping traditions, husbandry practices, and cultural attitudes toward parrots can differ substantially. Generalized linear mixed models were used to analyze associations between wing clipping and caregiver profiles. Most respondents reported having clipped their birds’ wings at some point, although current use was more evenly distributed. Caregivers who had been advised by veterinarians or breeders were significantly more likely to perform wing clipping compared to those who received information from friends or online sources. While a large proportion of participants acknowledged that flight restriction might compromise psittacine welfare by limiting the expression of natural behaviors, many still considered wing clipping necessary or harmless. Previous exposure to flight training was associated with a lower probability of wing clipping. Overall, the results indicate that caregiver decisions in Brazil are influenced by both traditional guidance and increasing awareness of welfare principles. The prominent role of veterinarians and breeders in shaping caregiver behavior highlights the need for updated, welfare-aligned guidance regarding psittacine management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 106870"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145577885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-13DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106869
Jeffrey M. Goessling, Gabriel Weikert, Liza Conrad, Michael L. Hilton
Studies concerning the social behaviours of non-avian reptiles have generally lagged behind other taxa, yet many reptiles are among the most globally threatened animal groups, and their behaviours are key to conservation successes. Herein, we utilized a captive-reared cohort of headstart Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) to test if these animals first discern soil type by social familiarity and/or tortoise exposure and then we tested how social familiarity and sibling status affected social behaviours between individuals. We found that headstart Gopher Tortoises preferentially chose familiar soil over soil that had never been in contact with a Gopher Tortoise, but they also preferred soil that had been in contact with non-familiar individuals over familiar soil. Tortoises displayed the social behaviour of sniffing disproportionately to non-familiar individuals, regardless of sibling status, over familiar individuals. Other social behaviours of nipping, chasing, headbobbing, and colliding were performed independently of social familiarity or sibling status. Taken together, this set of experiments demonstrates that Gopher Tortoises have a high degree of social nuance that is built upon familiarity, and these results could have direct effects on how to optimize headstarting protocols for restoring wild populations.
{"title":"Old neighbours, long-lost siblings, and total strangers: Social environment impacts on headstart tortoise behaviours","authors":"Jeffrey M. Goessling, Gabriel Weikert, Liza Conrad, Michael L. Hilton","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106869","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106869","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Studies concerning the social behaviours of non-avian reptiles have generally lagged behind other taxa, yet many reptiles are among the most globally threatened animal groups, and their behaviours are key to conservation successes. Herein, we utilized a captive-reared cohort of headstart Gopher Tortoises (<em>Gopherus polyphemus</em>) to test if these animals first discern soil type by social familiarity and/or tortoise exposure and then we tested how social familiarity and sibling status affected social behaviours between individuals. We found that headstart Gopher Tortoises preferentially chose familiar soil over soil that had never been in contact with a Gopher Tortoise, but they also preferred soil that had been in contact with non-familiar individuals over familiar soil. Tortoises displayed the social behaviour of sniffing disproportionately to non-familiar individuals, regardless of sibling status, over familiar individuals. Other social behaviours of nipping, chasing, headbobbing, and colliding were performed independently of social familiarity or sibling status. Taken together, this set of experiments demonstrates that Gopher Tortoises have a high degree of social nuance that is built upon familiarity, and these results could have direct effects on how to optimize headstarting protocols for restoring wild populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 106869"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145577993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
<div><div>This study evaluates the procedure for collecting saliva to measure salivary cortisol levels in dogs, focusing on the potential stress induced by saliva collection in unfamiliar experimental settings. While salivary cortisol measurement is widely regarded as a non-invasive method for assessing stress in dogs, limited data exist on whether the procedure itself may cause discomfort or stress. By addressing this gap, the study aims to explore welfare-related challenges in interdisciplinary research involving non-human subjects and to contribute preliminary insights toward the development of animal-friendly, standardized methodologies. In addition, it sheds light on the organization of an interspecies study involving both human and non-human actors. The study included 19 companion dogs of various breeds, sizes, and temperaments to ensure diverse representation. Saliva samples were collected from dogs during sociological and psychological interviews, with salivary cortisol levels analyzed at the beginning and end of the session. A standardized saliva collection procedure was employed using SalivaBio Children’s Swabs (Salimetrics, State College, PA, USA). The swabs were placed under the dog’s tongue or inside the cheek pouch for approximately two minutes. The procedure was conducted in a controlled environment (a therapy room at the Institute of Psychology) to minimize external stressors. Salivary cortisol concentrations were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Behavioral observations were conducted via video recordings and analyzed by a zoopsychologist using Capra’s Ethogram (2012) as a reference framework. A total of 38 video recordings were analyzed to assess stress-related behaviors. The findings revealed that, while most dogs displayed mild to moderate stress during saliva collection, no extreme stress reactions were observed. Caregiver presence seemed to play a role in reducing visible signs of stress, with emotional support potentially mitigating dogs’ behavioral discomfort. However, these findings are based on qualitative observations and warrant further empirical investigation. Key challenges included variability in saliva production and occasional gum bleeding, which may exclude some samples from the analysis. These factors should be considered when designing future studies. Despite these challenges, salivary cortisol measurement proved to be a reliable and minimally invasive tool for assessing stress, especially when combined with behavioral observations to contextualize physiological data. This study underscores the necessity of standardized protocols that prioritize animal welfare, offering valuable insights to refine research methodologies and deepen our understanding of canine stress responses. Overall, the study proposes a protocol for saliva collection adapted for social science research involving dogs, with an innovative, structured preparatory stage designed to enhance animal comfort and minimize st
本研究评估了收集唾液以测量狗唾液皮质醇水平的程序，重点关注在不熟悉的实验环境中收集唾液引起的潜在压力。虽然唾液皮质醇测量被广泛认为是一种评估狗压力的非侵入性方法，但关于该过程本身是否会引起不适或压力的数据有限。通过解决这一差距，本研究旨在探索涉及非人类受试者的跨学科研究中与福利相关的挑战，并为动物友好的标准化方法的发展提供初步见解。此外，它还揭示了涉及人类和非人类参与者的物种间研究的组织。这项研究包括了19只不同品种、大小和气质的伴侣狗，以确保多样化的代表性。在社会学和心理学访谈中收集了狗的唾液样本，并在访谈开始和结束时分析了唾液皮质醇水平。采用标准化唾液收集程序，使用SalivaBio儿童拭子（Salimetrics, State College， PA， USA）。将棉签放在狗的舌头下或脸颊袋内约两分钟。这个过程是在一个受控的环境中进行的（心理研究所的治疗室），以尽量减少外部压力。采用酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）测定唾液皮质醇浓度。行为观察通过录像进行，并由动物心理学家使用Capra 's Ethogram（2012）作为参考框架进行分析。总共分析了38段录像，以评估与压力相关的行为。研究结果显示，虽然大多数狗在唾液收集过程中表现出轻度到中度的压力，但没有观察到极端的压力反应。看护者的存在似乎在减少可见的压力迹象方面发挥了作用，情感上的支持可能会减轻狗狗的行为不适。然而，这些发现是基于定性观察，需要进一步的实证调查。关键的挑战包括唾液产生的变异性和偶尔的牙龈出血，这可能会使一些样本被排除在分析之外。在设计未来的研究时应考虑这些因素。尽管存在这些挑战，唾液皮质醇测量被证明是一种可靠的、微创的压力评估工具，特别是当与行为观察相结合时，生理数据。这项研究强调了优先考虑动物福利的标准化协议的必要性，为改进研究方法和加深我们对犬类应激反应的理解提供了有价值的见解。总的来说，该研究提出了一个适用于涉及狗的社会科学研究的唾液收集方案，该方案采用了一个创新的、结构化的准备阶段，旨在提高动物的舒适度，并最大限度地减少与不熟悉的研究环境相关的压力。
{"title":"Assessing stress in dogs during saliva sampling in socio-psychological research: Preliminary development of animal-friendly practical procedures","authors":"Natalia Treder-Rochna , Elżbieta Chruściel , Magdalena Anita Gajewska , Alicja Dziadosz-Brzezińska , Lucyna Januszewska , Magdalena Żadkowska","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106868","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106868","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluates the procedure for collecting saliva to measure salivary cortisol levels in dogs, focusing on the potential stress induced by saliva collection in unfamiliar experimental settings. While salivary cortisol measurement is widely regarded as a non-invasive method for assessing stress in dogs, limited data exist on whether the procedure itself may cause discomfort or stress. By addressing this gap, the study aims to explore welfare-related challenges in interdisciplinary research involving non-human subjects and to contribute preliminary insights toward the development of animal-friendly, standardized methodologies. In addition, it sheds light on the organization of an interspecies study involving both human and non-human actors. The study included 19 companion dogs of various breeds, sizes, and temperaments to ensure diverse representation. Saliva samples were collected from dogs during sociological and psychological interviews, with salivary cortisol levels analyzed at the beginning and end of the session. A standardized saliva collection procedure was employed using SalivaBio Children’s Swabs (Salimetrics, State College, PA, USA). The swabs were placed under the dog’s tongue or inside the cheek pouch for approximately two minutes. The procedure was conducted in a controlled environment (a therapy room at the Institute of Psychology) to minimize external stressors. Salivary cortisol concentrations were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Behavioral observations were conducted via video recordings and analyzed by a zoopsychologist using Capra’s Ethogram (2012) as a reference framework. A total of 38 video recordings were analyzed to assess stress-related behaviors. The findings revealed that, while most dogs displayed mild to moderate stress during saliva collection, no extreme stress reactions were observed. Caregiver presence seemed to play a role in reducing visible signs of stress, with emotional support potentially mitigating dogs’ behavioral discomfort. However, these findings are based on qualitative observations and warrant further empirical investigation. Key challenges included variability in saliva production and occasional gum bleeding, which may exclude some samples from the analysis. These factors should be considered when designing future studies. Despite these challenges, salivary cortisol measurement proved to be a reliable and minimally invasive tool for assessing stress, especially when combined with behavioral observations to contextualize physiological data. This study underscores the necessity of standardized protocols that prioritize animal welfare, offering valuable insights to refine research methodologies and deepen our understanding of canine stress responses. Overall, the study proposes a protocol for saliva collection adapted for social science research involving dogs, with an innovative, structured preparatory stage designed to enhance animal comfort and minimize st","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 106868"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145577886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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