Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-11-19DOI: 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 : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-11-06DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106863
Oleksandra Topal , Inna Novalija , Dunja Mladenić , Elena Gobbo , Manja Zupan Šemrov
Understanding horse fearfulness is crucial for building strong human–animal relationships, influencing training methods, task selection, and predicting reactions to new stimuli. This interdisciplinary study aimed to identify key characteristics for predicting a horse’s fearfulness. Using classical machine learning, we analyzed anatomical, kinematic, and housing-related data from 49 horses, with fear scores obtained through a standardized behavioral test. To ensure an unbiased evaluation, the leave-one-out cross-validation method was applied. The study’s main contributions are: (1) an iterative feature selection approach that reduces the number of required measurements while maintaining prediction accuracy; (2) a unique dataset on Lipizzan horses, revealing that head and body anatomical characteristics are critical for assessing fearfulness; (3) identification of the Decision Tree algorithm as the most accurate machine learning method for modeling fearfulness; (4) integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate clear, interpretable textual explanations of the Decision Tree, improving the understanding of key predictive features. This study bridges behavioral science and artificial intelligence, offering a novel AI-driven approach to equine behavior analysis, with practical applications in horse training, selection, and welfare management.
{"title":"Predicting equine behavior from small datasets using machine learning with LLM-generated explanations","authors":"Oleksandra Topal , Inna Novalija , Dunja Mladenić , Elena Gobbo , Manja Zupan Šemrov","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106863","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106863","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding horse fearfulness is crucial for building strong human–animal relationships, influencing training methods, task selection, and predicting reactions to new stimuli. This interdisciplinary study aimed to identify key characteristics for predicting a horse’s fearfulness. Using classical machine learning, we analyzed anatomical, kinematic, and housing-related data from 49 horses, with fear scores obtained through a standardized behavioral test. To ensure an unbiased evaluation, the leave-one-out cross-validation method was applied. The study’s main contributions are: (1) an iterative feature selection approach that reduces the number of required measurements while maintaining prediction accuracy; (2) a unique dataset on Lipizzan horses, revealing that head and body anatomical characteristics are critical for assessing fearfulness; (3) identification of the Decision Tree algorithm as the most accurate machine learning method for modeling fearfulness; (4) integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate clear, interpretable textual explanations of the Decision Tree, improving the understanding of key predictive features. This study bridges behavioral science and artificial intelligence, offering a novel AI-driven approach to equine behavior analysis, with practical applications in horse training, selection, and welfare management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"293 ","pages":"Article 106863"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145475477","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 : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-10-28DOI: 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 : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-08-18DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106795
Megan E. Lucas, Lucy Wotherspoon, Amelia Sofra
Pigs in outdoor production systems have opportunities to engage in experiences that enhance their welfare but are also challenged with stressors like coping with harsh climatic conditions. Cold weather is a particular challenge for neonatal piglets that have a limited capacity to thermoregulate and increased risk of dying in winter. This research examined if adding door coverings to outdoor farrowing huts in winter could increase the temperature of pigs’ shelters and translate to improved thermal comfort and survival for piglets. Two hundred litters were studied over six time replicates from early winter until early spring at a commercial piggery in Australia. Pigs were housed in group farrowing paddocks containing eight huts each. A randomised complete block design was used to assign treatment (with or without a rubber door flap over the entryway) to huts within each paddock. Hut microclimate, piglet thermoregulatory behaviours, and piglet survival were examined. Door flaps were effective at increasing temperature, with the daily minimum temperature in huts with door flaps 2.4°C (SE = 0.2) warmer than huts without (p < 0.0001). Door flaps had no negative effects on other aspects of the hut microclimate, including humidity, ammonia, or bedding moisture (p > 0.05). Piglets in huts with door flaps compared to without were less likely to shiver from 0 to 4 days of age (OR = 0.77; 95 % CI = 0.39–1.50; p = 0.0002). At this same age, there was also an indication that piglets from huts with door flaps were less likely to be in physical contact with the sow when resting, although the evidence was not strong (OR = 0.81; 95 % CI = 0.66–1.0; p = 0.057). There was no significant effect of door flaps on huddling behaviour (p > 0.05). While door flaps had no significant effect on the number of piglet losses within 24 h of age before piglet processing, they improved survival after this time. Specifically, door flaps reduced the hazard of piglets dying between processing until 12 days of age by a factor of 0.65 (95 % CI = 0.47–0.89; p = 0.007). These findings demonstrate that simple modifications to existing outdoor farrowing huts can improve thermal comfort and piglet survival in winter. Overall, door flaps present a practical and beneficial strategy for improving piglet welfare and farm productivity in outdoor systems, even in relatively moderate climates like Australia.
户外生产系统中的猪有机会参与提高其福利的体验，但也面临着应对恶劣气候条件等压力因素的挑战。寒冷的天气对新生仔猪来说是一个特别的挑战，它们的体温调节能力有限，冬季死亡的风险增加。本研究考察了冬季在室外产房添加门套是否可以提高猪舍的温度，从而改善仔猪的热舒适和存活率。从初冬到早春，在澳大利亚的一个商业猪场对200窝仔猪进行了6次重复研究。猪被安置在群产围场，每个围场有8个小屋。采用随机完全块设计对每个围场内的小屋进行处理（在入口通道上有或没有橡胶门挡板）。研究了猪舍小气候、仔猪体温调节行为和仔猪存活率。门扇在提高温度方面是有效的，有门扇的小屋的日最低温度比没有门扇的小屋高2.4°C (SE = 0.2) （p <； 0.0001）。门扇对小屋小气候的其他方面没有负面影响，包括湿度、氨或垫层湿度（p >； 0.05）。在0 - 4日龄的仔猪中，有门板的仔猪与没有门板的仔猪相比，更不容易发抖（OR = 0.77; 95 % CI = 0.39-1.50; p = 0.0002）。在相同的年龄，也有迹象表明，来自有门板的猪舍的仔猪在休息时与母猪的身体接触较少，尽管证据不强（OR = 0.81; 95 % CI = 0.66-1.0; p = 0.057）。门扇对抱团行为无显著影响（p >； 0.05）。虽然门扇对仔猪加工前24 h龄内的仔猪死亡数量没有显著影响，但在这段时间后，它们提高了仔猪的存活率。具体而言，门扇降低了仔猪在加工至12日龄期间死亡的风险，降低系数为0.65（95 % CI = 0.47-0.89; p = 0.007）。这些结果表明，对现有室外产房进行简单改造可以改善冬季热舒适和仔猪成活率。总的来说，门挡板是一种实用而有益的策略，可以改善户外系统中的仔猪福利和农场生产力，即使在澳大利亚这样相对温和的气候下也是如此。
{"title":"This little piggy got cold: Door flaps on outdoor farrowing huts improve piglet survival during winter in Australia","authors":"Megan E. Lucas, Lucy Wotherspoon, Amelia Sofra","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106795","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106795","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pigs in outdoor production systems have opportunities to engage in experiences that enhance their welfare but are also challenged with stressors like coping with harsh climatic conditions. Cold weather is a particular challenge for neonatal piglets that have a limited capacity to thermoregulate and increased risk of dying in winter. This research examined if adding door coverings to outdoor farrowing huts in winter could increase the temperature of pigs’ shelters and translate to improved thermal comfort and survival for piglets. Two hundred litters were studied over six time replicates from early winter until early spring at a commercial piggery in Australia. Pigs were housed in group farrowing paddocks containing eight huts each. A randomised complete block design was used to assign treatment (with or without a rubber door flap over the entryway) to huts within each paddock. Hut microclimate, piglet thermoregulatory behaviours, and piglet survival were examined. Door flaps were effective at increasing temperature, with the daily minimum temperature in huts with door flaps 2.4°C (SE = 0.2) warmer than huts without (<em>p</em> < 0.0001). Door flaps had no negative effects on other aspects of the hut microclimate, including humidity, ammonia, or bedding moisture (<em>p</em> > 0.05). Piglets in huts with door flaps compared to without were less likely to shiver from 0 to 4 days of age (OR = 0.77; 95 % CI = 0.39–1.50; <em>p</em> = 0.0002). At this same age, there was also an indication that piglets from huts with door flaps were less likely to be in physical contact with the sow when resting, although the evidence was not strong (OR = 0.81; 95 % CI = 0.66–1.0; <em>p</em> = 0.057). There was no significant effect of door flaps on huddling behaviour (<em>p</em> > 0.05). While door flaps had no significant effect on the number of piglet losses within 24 h of age before piglet processing, they improved survival after this time. Specifically, door flaps reduced the hazard of piglets dying between processing until 12 days of age by a factor of 0.65 (95 % CI = 0.47–0.89; <em>p</em> = 0.007). These findings demonstrate that simple modifications to existing outdoor farrowing huts can improve thermal comfort and piglet survival in winter. Overall, door flaps present a practical and beneficial strategy for improving piglet welfare and farm productivity in outdoor systems, even in relatively moderate climates like Australia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106795"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144917041","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 : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-10-09DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106831
Sara L. Hanson , Alexandra L. Whittaker , Bridget Cooper-Rogers , Gordon M. Burghardt , Eduardo J. Fernandez
Non-avian reptiles are commonly kept in captivity, including zoos, aquariums, farms, laboratories, classrooms, rehabilitation centres, and homes. With this wide range of captive conditions and potential diversity of species housed, it is crucial to ensure that these animals are housed appropriately. Lack of data from wild populations for many species limits the foundation of husbandry practice parameters. In the absence of field data, facilities should use data from related species as well as research in applied settings to inform decisions on captive animals. Together these constitute evidence-based husbandry. A systematic scoping review was performed to examine publications that evaluated modifications in the maintenance of captive reptiles with the aim to improve welfare. Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science and Zoological Record databases were searched for publications that implemented at least one modification applied to a reptile in a captive setting and where at least one welfare-based metric was used to assess the impact of the change. A total of 72 papers were identified, consisting of 75 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Data extracted from each paper included the setting type, taxon, modification type, welfare measures, and the overall outcomes. The most common taxonomic order studied were Squamata. Housing modifications were the most common type of intervention, with the majority adding or altering furnishings to the enclosure. Behavioural metrics were the most frequently used measure of impact. Overall, studies often concluded either neutral/ambiguous or positive effects of the modifications. With the high prevalence of neutral outcomes, more research is needed to further determine optimal husbandry and welfare strategies. Additionally, with only 72 identified papers there is greater need for more published research focused on evidence-based husbandry practices for captive reptile species, and greater focus on some taxa is urgently needed.
非鸟类爬行动物通常被圈养，包括动物园、水族馆、农场、实验室、教室、康复中心和家庭。由于圈养条件范围广泛，而且圈养物种可能存在多样性，因此确保这些动物得到适当的圈养是至关重要的。许多物种的野生种群数据的缺乏限制了畜牧业实践参数的基础。在缺乏实地数据的情况下，设施应利用来自相关物种的数据以及应用环境中的研究，为圈养动物的决策提供信息。这些共同构成了循证畜牧业。我们进行了一项系统的范围审查，以审查那些评估圈养爬行动物的维护方式以改善福利的出版物。我们检索了Scopus、PubMed、Web of Science和Zoological Record数据库，寻找至少对圈养环境中的爬行动物实施了一项修改，并且至少使用了一项基于福利的指标来评估该变化的影响的出版物。共纳入72篇论文，其中75篇研究符合纳入标准。从每篇论文中提取的数据包括设置类型、分类单元、修改类型、福利措施和总体结果。最常见的分类目是鳞片目。房屋改造是最常见的干预类型，其中大多数是增加或改变围栏的家具。行为指标是最常用的影响衡量标准。总的来说，研究通常得出的结论要么是中性的/模糊的，要么是积极的。由于中性结果的高流行率，需要更多的研究来进一步确定最佳的饲养和福利策略。此外，只有72篇论文被确定，因此更需要发表更多关于圈养爬行动物的循证饲养实践的研究，并且迫切需要更多地关注某些分类群。
{"title":"Putting the evidence into evidence-based husbandry: A scoping review of empirical approaches to improving captive reptile welfare","authors":"Sara L. Hanson , Alexandra L. Whittaker , Bridget Cooper-Rogers , Gordon M. Burghardt , Eduardo J. Fernandez","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106831","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106831","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Non-avian reptiles are commonly kept in captivity, including zoos, aquariums, farms, laboratories, classrooms, rehabilitation centres, and homes. With this wide range of captive conditions and potential diversity of species housed, it is crucial to ensure that these animals are housed appropriately. Lack of data from wild populations for many species limits the foundation of husbandry practice parameters. In the absence of field data, facilities should use data from related species as well as research in applied settings to inform decisions on captive animals. Together these constitute evidence-based husbandry. A systematic scoping review was performed to examine publications that evaluated modifications in the maintenance of captive reptiles with the aim to improve welfare. Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science and Zoological Record databases were searched for publications that implemented at least one modification applied to a reptile in a captive setting and where at least one welfare-based metric was used to assess the impact of the change. A total of 72 papers were identified, consisting of 75 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Data extracted from each paper included the setting type, taxon, modification type, welfare measures, and the overall outcomes. The most common taxonomic order studied were Squamata. Housing modifications were the most common type of intervention, with the majority adding or altering furnishings to the enclosure. Behavioural metrics were the most frequently used measure of impact. Overall, studies often concluded either neutral/ambiguous or positive effects of the modifications. With the high prevalence of neutral outcomes, more research is needed to further determine optimal husbandry and welfare strategies. Additionally, with only 72 identified papers there is greater need for more published research focused on evidence-based husbandry practices for captive reptile species, and greater focus on some taxa is urgently needed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106831"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145262710","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 : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-07-21DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106763
Shuang Yang , Xi Lu , Jiaju Liu , Shuangping Yu , Zuwei Yang , Anru Zuo , Ruixin Mo , Dong Zhu , Shilong Liu , Yubao Duan
Birdwatching tourism, as a form of sustainable ecotourism, has gained increasing attention and popularity. While bringing significant economic benefits to local areas, it may also impact on local wildlife. Yingjiang County, located in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, leverages its abundant avian resources to develop the birdwatching industry vigorously. Three hornbill species—Anthracoceros albirostris, Rhyticeros undulatus, and Buceros bicornis—form stable breeding populations there and have become focal species for birdwatching tourism. However, research on the impacts of birdwatching tourism on the behavior and breeding ecology of hornbills remains scarce.
This study investigated the effects of birdwatching activities at birdwatching hides on the behavioral expressions of these three hornbill species during the breeding period, using Number of birdwatchers, HidingCover, and Distance as key factors. Results showed that anthropogenic disturbances from birdwatching did not significantly impact hornbills, breeding success rates, nor did they affect locomotor, preening, or social behaviors. However, they significantly influenced breeding behaviors, particularly during the pre-nesting period, with weaker effects observed during the nesting period. Overall, the impacts of birdwatching at birdwatching hides are complex and multifaceted, with disturbances and protective effects coexisting in a non-mutually exclusive manner during the breeding period.
This study aims to reveal the impacts of birdwatching activities on hornbills' behaviors and breeding performance while exploring hornbills' response processes to anthropogenic disturbances. The findings will help establish rational birdwatching practices and standardize the planning and design of birdwatching sites, providing a scientific basis for sustainable birdwatching tourism and effective species conservation.
{"title":"Effects of birdwatching tourism on breeding behaviour and reproductive success of hornbills","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.2025.106763","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106763","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Birdwatching tourism, as a form of sustainable ecotourism, has gained increasing attention and popularity. While bringing significant economic benefits to local areas, it may also impact on local wildlife. Yingjiang County, located in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, leverages its abundant avian resources to develop the birdwatching industry vigorously. Three hornbill species—<em>Anthracoceros albirostris</em>, <em>Rhyticeros undulatus</em>, and <em>Buceros bicornis</em>—form stable breeding populations there and have become focal species for birdwatching tourism. However, research on the impacts of birdwatching tourism on the behavior and breeding ecology of hornbills remains scarce.</div><div>This study investigated the effects of birdwatching activities at birdwatching hides on the behavioral expressions of these three hornbill species during the breeding period, using Number of birdwatchers, HidingCover, and Distance as key factors. Results showed that anthropogenic disturbances from birdwatching did not significantly impact hornbills, breeding success rates, nor did they affect locomotor, preening, or social behaviors. However, they significantly influenced breeding behaviors, particularly during the pre-nesting period, with weaker effects observed during the nesting period. Overall, the impacts of birdwatching at birdwatching hides are complex and multifaceted, with disturbances and protective effects coexisting in a non-mutually exclusive manner during the breeding period.</div><div>This study aims to reveal the impacts of birdwatching activities on hornbills' behaviors and breeding performance while exploring hornbills' response processes to anthropogenic disturbances. The findings will help establish rational birdwatching practices and standardize the planning and design of birdwatching sites, providing a scientific basis for sustainable birdwatching tourism and effective species conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106763"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144724080","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 : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-10-12DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106837
Jade Fountain , Todd J. McWhorter , Robert Hewings , Susan J. Hazel
Scent-based activities are a popular activity to provide dogs an outlet centred on their natural abilities and dogs of any physical ability can participate. We aimed to investigate how professional dog trainers are using scent-based activities and explore perceptions around the impact of olfactory enrichment and exercises on behaviour in companion dogs. The online survey contained 29 questions across four sections, with a total of 566 responses analysed from trainers from around the world. The most commonly practiced scent-based training activity was scent work, training companion dogs to locate odours for a reward. Further, the most commonly used scent enrichment activity was sniff-based walks (sniffaris; 85 %), providing sensory garden spaces (46 %) or offering food via scatter feeding (92 %) or snuffle mats (87 %). Trainers have a belief that trained scent work tasks are good for dogs and that scent enrichment activities can be effective in reducing general fearfulness, anxiety, and addressing overexcitement. As evidence is currently limited in this area, future work should investigate which dog-centered scent-based activities may enhance their wellbeing.
{"title":"“Scent work is incorporated in almost everything I do”: Investigating dog trainers’ perceptions of scent-based activities for companion dogs","authors":"Jade Fountain , Todd J. McWhorter , Robert Hewings , Susan J. Hazel","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106837","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106837","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Scent-based activities are a popular activity to provide dogs an outlet centred on their natural abilities and dogs of any physical ability can participate. We aimed to investigate how professional dog trainers are using scent-based activities and explore perceptions around the impact of olfactory enrichment and exercises on behaviour in companion dogs. The online survey contained 29 questions across four sections, with a total of 566 responses analysed from trainers from around the world. The most commonly practiced scent-based training activity was scent work, training companion dogs to locate odours for a reward. Further, the most commonly used scent enrichment activity was sniff-based walks (sniffaris; 85 %), providing sensory garden spaces (46 %) or offering food via scatter feeding (92 %) or snuffle mats (87 %). Trainers have a belief that trained scent work tasks are good for dogs and that scent enrichment activities can be effective in reducing general fearfulness, anxiety, and addressing overexcitement. As evidence is currently limited in this area, future work should investigate which dog-centered scent-based activities may enhance their wellbeing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106837"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145332143","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 : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-07-21DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106761
Francieli Ubirajara India Amaral , Aline Pompermaier , Gabriela Rutikoski , Milena Zanoello Bertuol , Paola Aparecida de Almeida , Luciane Dallazari da Silva do Prado , Wagner Antonio Tamagno , Jennifer L. Freeman , Rodrigo Egydio Barreto , Leonardo José Gil Barcellos
The environment in which we live influences our biological traits throughout our ontogeny, being markedly significant during the beginning of our lives. Some characteristics inherited (genetically and/or epigenetically) from parents can also influence individual development, known as transgenerational effects. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the transgenerational effects in the offspring of parental fish prior exposed to different environments in terms of quality (from poor quality to good quality one). We evaluated the consequences of different parental environmental quality on survival and behavior of their offspring. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) was used as our experimental model. To do that, zebrafish breeders were kept in different environments (stressful (poor quality), standard (neutral) or enriched (high quality)) for 15 days before reproduction. After this maintenance period, the breeders reproduced, and their offspring were evaluated for survival and exploratory behavior. Our results show that breeders kept under low welfare conditions (stressful environment) produced offspring with higher mortality rates compared to the other environmental conditions. Also, the survived offspring of parents that were in low welfare conditions exhibited increased anxiety as detected in behavioral tests. Thus, we conclude that the maintenance environment of breeders significantly affects the development of traits of their offspring, emphasizing the importance of breeders’ welfare for both fish farming and scientific research laboratories.
{"title":"The maintenance conditions of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) breeding stock affect the survival and behavior of their offspring","authors":"Francieli Ubirajara India Amaral , Aline Pompermaier , Gabriela Rutikoski , Milena Zanoello Bertuol , Paola Aparecida de Almeida , Luciane Dallazari da Silva do Prado , Wagner Antonio Tamagno , Jennifer L. Freeman , Rodrigo Egydio Barreto , Leonardo José Gil Barcellos","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106761","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106761","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The environment in which we live influences our biological traits throughout our ontogeny, being markedly significant during the beginning of our lives. Some characteristics inherited (genetically and/or epigenetically) from parents can also influence individual development, known as transgenerational effects. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the transgenerational effects in the offspring of parental fish prior exposed to different environments in terms of quality (from poor quality to good quality one). We evaluated the consequences of different parental environmental quality on survival and behavior of their offspring. The zebrafish (<em>Danio rerio</em>) was used as our experimental model. To do that, zebrafish breeders were kept in different environments (stressful (poor quality), standard (neutral) or enriched (high quality)) for 15 days before reproduction. After this maintenance period, the breeders reproduced, and their offspring were evaluated for survival and exploratory behavior. Our results show that breeders kept under low welfare conditions (stressful environment) produced offspring with higher mortality rates compared to the other environmental conditions. Also, the survived offspring of parents that were in low welfare conditions exhibited increased anxiety as detected in behavioral tests. Thus, we conclude that the maintenance environment of breeders significantly affects the development of traits of their offspring, emphasizing the importance of breeders’ welfare for both fish farming and scientific research laboratories.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106761"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144679167","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 : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-09-21DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106823
Péter Pongrácz, Irene Camerlink
{"title":"First step after submitting your paper: The preliminary checks done by the editors","authors":"Péter Pongrácz, Irene Camerlink","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106823","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106823","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106823"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145424616","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 : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-07-21DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106762
Connor H. Reid , James A. Crossman , Marco M. Marello , Luc LaRochelle , Steven J. Cooke
The white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) is a large-bodied imperilled fish species of significant conservation interest in western North America. Since 2002, hatchery-origin fish have been released in the Upper Columbia River’s Transboundary Reach to support population recovery, and captured with baited setlines as part of routine monitoring of fish health and reproductive status. Here, we investigated whether the use of increasingly long and intensive sampling protocols was associated with differences in short-term post-release behaviour derived from biologger data. In addition to basic sampling (e.g., body measurements, fin clipping), we exposed hatchery-origin juveniles to blood sampling; blood sampling and ultrasonography for sex determination; and blood sampling, ultrasonography, and gonadal biopsy surgeries. We also quantified the stress of setline-captured fish prior to processing using whole-blood glucose and lactate and compared these values (mean ± SD glucose = 4.2 ± 1.4 mmol/l; lactate = 5.9 ± 3.0 mmol/l) to those from an angled baseline group (glucose 1.5 ± 0.2 mmol/l; most lactate < 0.3 mmol/l). Overall, sampling regime did not affect tri-axial accelerometer-derived post-release locomotor activity (overall and vectorized dynamic body acceleration) or depth preferences over the course of 10 min trials, and the stress induced by setline capture and retrieval appears to be a major contribution to the total stress experienced by these fish. We offer some recommendations to improve the routine sampling protocols used in management efforts in this system and elsewhere.
{"title":"Quantifying behavioural impairment as a proxy for physiological stress to improve welfare of imperilled white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) during routine sampling efforts","authors":"Connor H. Reid , James A. Crossman , Marco M. Marello , Luc LaRochelle , Steven J. Cooke","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106762","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106762","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The white sturgeon (<em>Acipenser transmontanus</em>) is a large-bodied imperilled fish species of significant conservation interest in western North America. Since 2002, hatchery-origin fish have been released in the Upper Columbia River’s Transboundary Reach to support population recovery, and captured with baited setlines as part of routine monitoring of fish health and reproductive status. Here, we investigated whether the use of increasingly long and intensive sampling protocols was associated with differences in short-term post-release behaviour derived from biologger data. In addition to basic sampling (e.g., body measurements, fin clipping), we exposed hatchery-origin juveniles to blood sampling; blood sampling and ultrasonography for sex determination; and blood sampling, ultrasonography, and gonadal biopsy surgeries. We also quantified the stress of setline-captured fish prior to processing using whole-blood glucose and lactate and compared these values (mean ± SD glucose = 4.2 ± 1.4 mmol/l; lactate = 5.9 ± 3.0 mmol/l) to those from an angled baseline group (glucose 1.5 ± 0.2 mmol/l; most lactate < 0.3 mmol/l). Overall, sampling regime did not affect tri-axial accelerometer-derived post-release locomotor activity (overall and vectorized dynamic body acceleration) or depth preferences over the course of 10 min trials, and the stress induced by setline capture and retrieval appears to be a major contribution to the total stress experienced by these fish. We offer some recommendations to improve the routine sampling protocols used in management efforts in this system and elsewhere.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106762"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144710967","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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