Refinement Database

Database on Refinement of Housing, Husbandry, Care, and Use of Animals in Research

This database, created in 2000, is updated every four months with newly published scientific articles, books, and other publications related to improving or safeguarding the welfare of animals used in research.

Tips for using the database:

  • This landing page displays all of the publications in the database.
  • Use the drop-down menus to filter these publications by Animal Type, Setting, and/or Topic.
  • Clicking on a parent category (e.g., Rodent) will include publications relating to all the items in that category (e.g., Chinchilla, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, etc.).
  • You may also add a keyword to further narrow your search.
  • Please note that at this time, only publications dated 2010 or later (with some exceptions) can be filtered by Animal Type and Topic, and only publications dated 2020 or later (with some exceptions) can be filtered by Setting. Most publications older than 2010 can only be searched by keyword. 
Rosskopf, W. J., Woerpel, R. W., Reed-Blake, S. 1986. Feather picking in psittacine birds: a clinician's approach to diagnosis and treatment. Proceedings of the Association of Avian Veterinarians, 265-278.
Roberts, M., Cunningham, B. 1986. Space and substrate use in captive western tarsiers, Tarsius bancanus. International Journal of Primatology 7, 113-130.

This species uses space in a distinctively nonrandom manner, exhibiting a preference for midlevel heights and upright, small-diameter substrates.

Robbins, D. Q., Zwick, H., Leedy, M. et al. 1986. Acute restraint device for rhesus monkeys. Laboratory Animal Science 36, 68-70.

One of the major drawbacks to the use of nonhuman primates is that they can be difficult and even dangerous to handle. Restraint is therefore necessary and desirable to protect both the investigator and the...

Reinhardt, V., Reinhardt, A., Houser, W. D. 1986. Hair pulling-and-eating in captive rhesus monkeys. Folia Primatologica 47(2-3), 158-164.

Hair pulling and eating has not yet received attention in the nonhuman primate literature. Hair pulling and eating was recorded 388 times in two heterogeneous troops of healthy rhesus monkeys that were kept according to...

Reinhardt, V., Reinhardt, A., Bercovitch, F. B. et al. 1986. Does intermale mounting function as a dominance demonstration in rhesus monkeys? Folia Primatologica 47(1), 55-60.

The relationship between dominance and intermale mounting was analyzed in two troops of captive rhesus monkeys. The data did not support the assumption that mounting among males functions as a dominance demonstration as described in...

Reinhardt, V., Dodsworth, R., Scanlan, J. 1986. Altruistic interference shown by the alpha-female of a captive troop of rhesus monkeys. Folia Primatologica 46(1), 44-50.

Interferences in aggressive disputes were recorded in a captive troop of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) comprising 19 mature females, 2 mature males and 12 immatures. The top ranking animal – the oldest female, Alpha, 23...

Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University 1986. Guide of the Care and Use of Laboratory Primates. Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.

Special consideration should be given to enriching the environment as appropriate to the animals, when they will be held for long periods.

Oranje, A. P., Peereboom-Whnia, J. D. R., De Raeymaecker, D. M. J. 1986. Trichotillomania in childhood. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 15, 614-619.
Norberg, A., Melin, E., Asplund, K. 1986. Reactions to music, touch and object presentation in the final stage of dementia - An exploratory study. International Journal of Nursing Studies 23, 315-323.
Mineka, S., Gunnar, M., Champoux, M. 1986. Control and early socioemotional development: Infant rhesus monkeys reared in controllable versus uncontrollable environments. Child Development 57, 1241-1256.

For the Master group, responses on the operant manipulanda resulted in the delivery of the appropriate reinforcements [food, water, treats]. For the Yoked group, the manipulanda were inoperative; the occurrence of reinforcements was dependent on...

Miller, L. C., Bard, K. A., Juno, C. J. et al. 1986. Behavioral responsiveness of young chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) to a novel environment. Folia Primatologica 47(3), 128-142.

Extreme distress reported previously for chimpanzees and human children when tested alone in a novel situation was rarely observed in these tests when an attachment figure [human caretaker] was present.

Meyerson, B. J. 1986. Ethology in animal quarters. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 554(Supplement), 24-31.

Everybody dealing with laboratory animals should have elementary knowledge about animal behaviour in order to be able to read the well-being of the animal, changes in its conditions and to adjust his own behaviour towards...

McKenzie, S. M., Chamove, A. S., Feister, A. T. C. 1986. Floor-coverings and hanging screens alter arboreal monkey behavior. Zoo Biology 5, 339-348.

The increased frequency of floor use and the increased speed of food retrieval with floor-coverings indicate that bare floors are aversive to these [group-housed] monkeys. Floor-coverings opened up a new area for these largely arboreal...

McGrew, W. C., McLuckie, E. C. 1986. Philopatry and dispersion in the cotton-top tamarin, Saguinus oedipus: an attempted laboratory simulation. International Journal of Primatology 7, 401-422.

A housing arrangement was designed in which a natural dispersion of group members was made possible by connecting indoor cages with an outdoor area by means of tubes.

McGrew, W. C., Brennan, J. A., Russell, J. 1986. An artificial 'Gum-tree' for marmosets (Callithrix j. jacchus). Zoo Biology 5, 45-50.

Simulating a natural food-source with an artificial device stocked with natural gum is cheap and easy.

Markowitz, H. , Spinelli, J. S. 1986. Environmental engineering for primates. In: Primates: The Road to Self-Sustaining Populations. Benirschke, K. (ed), 480-498. Springer, New York, NY.

A useful improvement for many animal care facilities would be the scheduling of time for humans to spend positively interacting with monkeys that must be housed individually.

Magere, W. B. , Griede, T. 1986. Using outside areas for tropical primates in the northern hemisphere: Callitrichidae, Saimiri, and Gorilla. In: Primates: The Road to Self-Sustaining Populations. Benirschke, K. (ed), 471-477. Springer, New York, NY.

In combination with good inside accommodation, an outside area can also be used [for tropical primates] in the winter in the northern hemisphere.

Lindburg, D. G. 1986. Animal introductions: Some suggestions for easing the trauma. Animal Keepers' Forum January, 8-11.

General considerations are outlined for the successful formation of new pairs and groups.

Honjo, S. 1986. On guiding principles for animal experiments using nonhuman primates. Reichorui Kenkyu/Primate Research 2, 109-110.

Japanese guiding principles for animal experiments using nonhuman primates.

Heger, W., Merker, H.-J., Neubert, D. 1986. Low light intensity decreases the fertility of Callithrix jacchus. Primate Report 14, 260 (Abstract).

Improvement of the light fixtures in both rooms doubled the lighting force and increased the breeding rate during the following 12 months approximately 20% in the upper and 130% in the lower cages.

Gould, E., Bres, M. 1986. Regurgitation in gorillas: possible model for human eating disorders (rumination/bulimia). Journal of developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics 7, 314-319.

Regurgitation and reingestion behavior in gorillas is compared with two human disorders, rumination and bulimia. Eighty-four percent of captive gorillas that are more than 5 years old regurgitate and reingest. Comparisons are made on the...

Gould, J. E., Bres, M. 1986. Regurgitation and reingestion in captive gorillas: Description and intervention. Zoo Biology 5, 241-250.

Feeding browse decreases r/r and increases time spent feeding from about 11% of the day to 27% of the day.

Grassian, S., Friedman, N. 1986. Effects of sensory deprivation in psychiatric seclusion and solitary confinement. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry 8, 49-65.
Goosen, C., Ribbens, L. G. 1986. Abnormal behaviour in rhesus monkeys may represent symptoms of mental disorder. Psychopharmacology 89, 42.
Goldmeier, J. 1986. Pets or people: Another research note. The Gerontologist 26, 203-206.