Abstract
Husbandry requirements differ greatly between species and failure to meet specific needs can result in widespread morbidity and mortality in populations of laboratory animals; this may be especially true in colonies of exotic animals. The author stresses the need to consider a species' natural history in providing housing and care in a research setting.
References
“The Laboratory Rat: A Natural History” (Manuel Berdoy, Oxford University, Oxford, UK, 2002).
Peplow, M. Lab rats go wild in Oxfordshire. news@nature.com (3 February 2004). http://www.nature.com/nsu/040202/040202-2.html.
Barnett, S.L., Cover, J.F., Jr. & Wright, K.M. in Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry (eds Wright, K.M. & Whitaker, B.R.) 35–61 (Krieger Publishing, Malabar, FL, 2001).
Donnelly, T.M. & Quimby, F.W. in Laboratory Animal Medicine 2nd edn (eds Fox, J.G., Anderson, L.C., Loew, F.M. & Quimby, F.W.) 247–307 (Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 2002).
Blanco, J.C., Pletneva, L., Boukhvalova, M., Richardson, J.Y., Harris, K.A. & Prince, G.A. The cotton rat: an underutilized animal model for human infectious diseases can now be exploited using specific reagents to cytokines, chemokines, and interferons. J. Interferon Cytokine Res. 24(1), 21–28 (2004).
Niewiesk, S. & Prince, G. Diversifying animal models: the use of hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) in infectious diseases. Lab. Anim. 36(4), 357–372 (2002).
Reichenbach-Klinke Heinz, H. & Elkan, E. The Principal Diseases of Lower Vertebrate. (Academic Press, London, 1965).
Wright, K.M. & Whitaker, B.R. (eds.) Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry (Krieger Publishing, Malabar, FL, 2001).
Ostrander, G.K. (ed.) The Laboratory Fish (Academic, San Diego, CA, 2000).
Institute of Laboratory Animal Research, National Research Council. Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1996).
Acknowledgements
The author thanks Drs. Janet Martin and Karl Andrutis for their valuable input.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mayer, J. The Importance of Understanding the Natural History of Novel Species Used in Research. Lab Anim 33, 32–34 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban1004-32
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/laban1004-32
- Springer Nature America, Inc.