Stereotypic Animal Behaviour: Fundamentals and Applications to Welfare

By: Georgia Mason and Jeffrey Rushen

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Synopsis: Abnormal behavior patterns, from the jumping and somersaulting of caged laboratory mice to the pacing of enclosed 'big cats', are displayed by many millions of farm, zoo, research and companion animals. Including new chapters and over 30 contributors, this book focuses on the causation and treatment of these environment-induced stereotypic behaviors, and their implications for animal welfare and normalcy of brain functioning. The book begins by taking an ethological perspective, focusing on the constraints captivity places on animals' normal behavioral repertoires, and the effects these have on specific motivational systems. It then addresses the role of dysfunction, particularly the impact of chronic stress and impoverished environments on brain functioning. The book then moves on to explore how stereotypic behaviors can be tackled, once they have emerged, using diverse techniques from environmental enrichment to pharmaceutical intervention. It concludes by giving a new definition for 'stereotypic behavior', and a discussion of future research directions.