Animal Studies Commons^™

Body States Of Asian Elephants Within And Around Protected Areas In The Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary, Kanchanaburi, Thailand, Caitlyn Thai

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers are becoming increasingly aware that studying a species’ landscape of fear or, more broadly, their emotional states, can better inform cognitive questions about how animals navigate their environments. Vigilance behaviors are one way to determine how certain species perceive and respond to risky situations. Due to rapid environmental change, large animals such as elephants are experiencing risky encounters with humans more often than ever before. This study aims to investigate Asian elephants’ expressions of body states and how they might regulate their behavior based on perceived environmental risk or change. Specifically, we investigated the behavioral responses of Asian elephants …

249— The Role Of The Indirect Basal Ganglia Pathway In A Mouse Model Of Repetitive Circling Behavior, Gavin Vaughan, Allison R. Bechard

GREAT Day Posters

Repetitive behaviors are associated with a variety of disorders in humans and are diagnostic for autism spectrum disorders. Repetitive behaviors can be modeled in rodents. In our previous experiments, we have been able to reduce repetitive circling behaviors in mice using a ketogenic diet. The mechanisms behind the ketogenic diet are still under investigation. Previous investigations have indicated that the ketogenic diet plays a role in neurotransmitter functioning. This study sought to investigate the potential role of neurotransmitters in repetitive behaviors by investigating how three drugs (L-741,626, a dopamine receptor antagonist; CGS21680, an adenosine agonist; & CDPPB, a glutamate positive …

258— Differential Response To Cocaine In Mice Exposed To Stress, Gavin Vaughan, Melissa Herman, Isabel Ross, Katie Bugbee, April Rowell, Jennifer Bodzon, Allison R. Bechard Ph.D.

GREAT Day Posters

Exposure to trauma is a risk factor for substance use disorders. Using a mouse model of PTSD, we tested the effects of exposure to a stressor (synthetic fox pheromone: TMT) on response to cocaine. Cocaine induced locomotion and cocaine seeking behavior in a conditioned place preference (CPP) were assessed. TMT was an effective stressor, indicated by freezing behavior, which is a known fear response in mice. In both males and females, TMT-exposed mice showed a greater locomotor response to cocaine compared to control mice, resulting in the interaction between time and TMT treatment. TMT-exposed males, but not females, were overall …

055— Ketogenic Diet And Dendritic Morphology In A Mouse Model Of Repetitive Behavior, Samantha Seeger, Yume Iriyama, Allison R. Bechard

GREAT Day Posters

Repetitive motor behaviors are invariant movements with no apparent function. They are associated with several disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, little is known about the causes of these restricted behavior patterns, and effective treatments are lacking. ASD has recently been treated with a ketogenic diet (KD). Now a popular fad, KD is a high-fat, low-carb diet that has treated intractable epilepsy for decades. However, the mechanisms mediating KD’s beneficial effects are still unclear. We first show KD can attenuate repetitive circling behavior. We then assessed dendritic spine density in the left and right dorsolateral striatum as a potential …

The Importance Of Goats In The World, Mahendra Lohani, Dilip Bhandari

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

It is a challenge to transform the mindset of subsistence farmers to consider goats as a productive asset. Goat health, breeding, housing and nutrition are the main challenges in a smallholder production system. The development of the goat market sector is informal and underdeveloped. As a result, goats have not been identified as a significant contributor to the national gross domestic product. Many development organizations consider goats a preferred livestock commodity for poverty alleviation. Therefore, it is desirable to have a systematic approach to optimize goat production for smallholders. A smallholder goat value chain works well with a focus on …

Sugar Glider (Petaurus Breviceps) Behavior In Red Vs Blue Lighting, Elisa Hillman

Honors Thesis

Sugar gliders are an exotic pet that is increasing in popularity in households as well as in zoos. One challenge that caregivers have to manage is their nocturnal circadian rhythm. In order for people to view or interact with sugar gliders during their active time, many zoos will reverse their diurnal cycle with lights. The discovery of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) which seems to have an increased sensitivity to blue light and how these cells affect the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and circadian rhythm has led to an increase in awareness on the health effects of being exposed …

Americans Adopted Fewer Pets From Shelters In 2020 As The Supply Of Rescue Animals Fell, Shelly Volsche

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Demand for new pets certainly seemed to spike when the COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States in early 2020 and forced many Americans to spend more time isolated.

But adoptions from animal shelters and rescues actually fell 17% to approximately 1.6 million in 2020 from over 1.9 million in 2019, according to Shelter Animal Counts, a nonprofit that tracks data regarding animals that spend time in shelters.

How did Americans end up welcoming fewer rescued animals into their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic? The short answer is that there weren’t enough furry friends to go around.

Practicum In Zoo And Aquarium Animal Science Avs 98, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Practicum In Zoo And Aquarium Animal Science (Temporary) Avs 398x, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Sheep Replace Pronghorn: An Environmental History Of The Mono Basin, Robert B. Marks

Eastern Sierra History Journal

This article examines the ways in which the hunting-gathering people of the Mono Basin lived before their way of life and environment was overturned by the nineteenth-century arrival of Euro-American settlers with vastly different ways of interacting with the environment. And it tracks some of these alterations by tracking when and how sheep replaced pronghorns.

Predictors Of Separation Anxiety In Dogs, Mckenna Yohe

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Understanding the potential causes and risk factors associated with separation anxiety in dogs is necessary to provide insight for possible prevention measures and to maintain the health and well-being of the animals affected by this condition. While a considerable amount of research has been done on this subject, it is still unclear what specific characteristics of dogs and their owners relate to the occurrence of separation anxiety and related behaviors. This study aimed to reexamine several dog and owner characteristics that have previously been evaluated in relation to the incidence of separation anxiety, as well as investigate how the frequency …

Sex-Specific Variation Of Social Play In Wild Immature Tibetan Macaques, Macaca Thibetana, Tong Wang, Xi Wang, Paul A. Garber, Bing-Hua Sun, Lixing Sun, Dong-Po Xia, Jin-Hua Li

Biology Faculty Scholarship

Theories proposed to explain social play have centered on its function in establishing social relationships critical for adulthood, its function in developing motor skills needed to survive, and promoting cognitive development and social learning. In this study, we compared variations in social play among infant and juvenile male and female Macaca thibetana. Given that this species is characterized by female philopatry and male dispersal, we hypothesized that immature females use social play as a mechanism to develop bonds that persist through adulthood whereas immature males use play to develop social skills needed to successfully enter new groups. The results indicated …

Effects Of Hierarchical Steepness On Grooming Patterns In Female Tibetan Macaques (Macaca Thibetana), Dong-Po Xia, Xi Wang, Paul A. Garber, Bing-Hua Sun, Lori K. Sheeran, Lixing Sun, Jin-Hua Li

Anthropology and Museum Studies Faculty Scholarship

Hierarchical steepness, defined as status asymmetries among conspecifics living in the same group, is not only used as a main characteristic of animal social relationships, but also represents the degree of discrepancy between supply and demand within the framework of biological market theory. During September and December 2011, we studied hierarchical steepness by comparing variation in grooming patterns in two groups of Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana), a primate species characterized by a linear dominance hierarchy. Using a focal sampling method, we collected behavioral data from two provisioned, free-ranging groups (YA1 and YA2) at Mt. Huangshan, China. We found …

Sexual Interference Behaviors In Male Adult And Subadult Tibetan Macaques (Macaca Thibetana), Kui-Hai Pang, Amanda K. Rowe, Lori K. Sheeran, Dong-Po Xia, Lixing Sun, Jin-Hua Li

Anthropology and Museum Studies Faculty Scholarship

Male nonhuman primate sexual interference, which includes copulation interruption and copulation harassment, has been related to reproductive success, but its significance has been challenging to test. Copulation interruption results in the termination of a copulation before ejaculation, whereas copulation harassment does not. We conducted this study using the all-occurrence behavior sampling method on sexual interference behaviors of seven adult and four subadult male Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) in mating and non-mating seasons at Mt. Huangshan, China, from August 2016 to May 2017. Our results showed that males’ individual proportion of copulation interruption and harassment was higher during the mating season …

Phenology Of Antler Casting And Occurrence Of Late-Breeding In Nebraska White-Tailed Deer, Brian C. Peterson, Patrick D. Farrell, Dave Fehlhafer, Miranda C. Reinson, Dustin H. Ranglack

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Nebraska primarily breed in November (stimulated by photoperiod), but this season extends into December and January for unfertilized females and healthy fawns reaching the appropriate breeding weight by winter. Variation in the typical mating period can be attributed to geographic region, skewed sex ratios, and fawns reaching sexual maturity during their first year of birth. During April of 2019, we observed late season breeding by a male white-tailed deer in the central Platte River valley and documented late antler casting for this same late-copulating male. An additional male was observed in April of …

Bred Heifer Price Determinants In The Southeast, Christopher Boyer, Andrew P. Griffith, Jada M. Thompson, Justin Rhinehart, Kenneth H. Burdine, Kevin Laurent

Journal of Applied Farm Economics

Price determinants for bulls, cows, and feeder cattle are well established in the literature but there has been little research on bred heifer price determinants and specifically the impact of feeder cattle prices on the purchase price of bred heifers. We estimated the impact of reproductive characteristics and feeder cattle prices on bred heifer prices for beef production. Data were obtained from a May and November bred heifer sale located in Kentucky and hedonic pricing models were estimated for bred heifers for each sale month. Prices for fall- calving heifers were influenced by number of months bred or expected calving …

Review Of Lisa Kemmerer's Sister Species: Women, Animals, And Social Justice, Marine Lercier

Between the Species

What do we have in common with animals, and what do these women have in common? We are Sister Species, if not sisters at all. Lisa Kemmerer invites us to realize that we are more alike than different and to become aware of what our animal brothers and especially sisters experience: the suffering they endure because of our absurd inconsistencies and oppositions - even within the animal rights movement, often unbeknownst to us. The goal: more effective discourse and action, educating us to the other in the face of a norm imposed by a power, a discourse of normalization …

Artistic Expressions Of Vegan Women With Disturbed Eating Behavior And Body Image Distress, Lee Ann Thill

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This research explores the experience of women who are vegan, and have disturbed eating behaviors (DEB) and body image distress (BID). Four participants completed a series of three art-making sessions. Participants were invited to visually explore their experience as a vegan woman with DEB/BID. They made a mixed media collage with an emphasis on layering in each session. They engaged in discussion about their process, and the final art piece’s meaning. Between sessions, researcher response art pieces were created for each participant piece, with accompanying journal reflections to engage with the ideas they explored. All participant sessions were video and …

Therapy Dog Ownership As Serious Leisure For Members Of A Therapy Dog Volunteer Group, Jonathan R. Hicks, Mary Kramer

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Therapy dogs are used in a variety of settings, including prisons, hospitals, and schools, for the purposes of providing emotional and psychological support to humans. They are trained to be well behaved and to be perceived as supportive of humans. This study sought to explore the benefits to the human individuals who facilitate trained therapy sessions. Specifically considered were the ways in which therapy dog ownership is a form of serious leisure and the ways in which that leisure influences owners’ day- to- day lives. Findings suggest owners of therapy dogs experience enhanced personal enrichment, relationship with dog(s), and sense …

Animal-Assisted Interventions: Relationship Between Standards And Qualifications, Greta Kerulo, Niko Kargas, Daniel S. Mills, Graham Law, Rise Vanfleet, Tracie Faa-Thompson, Melissa Y. Winkle

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Ethical practice of animal- assisted interventions (AAI) requires appropriate qualifications and experience for all parties involved. Recently introduced and updated Standards of Practice emphasize the importance of AAI- specific training and qualification for different types of AAI, which should only be delivered within the scope of one’s professional competence. The purpose of this study was (1) to explore how a self- selected group of practitioners delivering AAI describe their work in relation to recent attempts to develop a terminological consensus (IAHAIO, 2014, 2018), and (2) to describe how AAI best practice recommendations (AAII, 2018) are implemented into professional practice among …

Why We Need To Account For Human Behavior And Decision-Making To Effectively Model The Non-Linear Dynamics Of Livestock Disease, Scott C. Merrill, Gabriela Bucini, Eric M. Clark, Christopher J. Koliba, Luke Trinity, Asim Zia, Ollin Langle-Chimal, Nicholas Cheney, Trisha R. Shrum, Timothy L. Sellnow, Deanna D. Sellnow, Julia L. Smith

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

Animal disease costs the livestock industries billions of dollars annually. These costs can be reduced using effective biosecurity. However, costs of biosecurity are steep and benefits must be weighed against the uncertain infection risks. Much effort has gone into determining efficacy of different biosecurity tactics and strategies. Unfortunately, the variability in human behavior and decision-making when confronted with risk information has largely been overlooked. Here we show that use of the human behavioral component is necessary to understand the patterns of infection incidence in livestock industries. Using an agent-based model developed with a foundation of supply chain and industry structural …

Effects Of Human-Animal Interactions On Affect And Cognition, Elise L. Thayer, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Human-animal interaction has clear positive effects on people’s affect and stress. But less is known about how animal interactions influence cognition. We draw parallels between animal interactions and exposure to natural environments, a research area that shows clear improvements in cognitive performance. The aim of this study is to investigate whether interacting with animals similarly enhances cognitive performance, specifically executive functioning. To test this, we conducted two experiments in which we had participants self-report their affect and complete a series of cognitive tasks (long-term memory, attentional control, and working memory) before and after either a brief interaction with a dog …

Dog And Owner Characteristics Predict Training Success, Jeffrey R. Stevens, London M. Wolff, Megan Bosworth, Jill Morstad

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Teaching owners how to train their dogs is an important part of maintaining the health and safety of dogs and people. Yet we do not know what behavioral characteristics of dogs and their owners are relevant to dog training or if owner cognitive abilities play a role in training success. The aim of this study is to determine which characteristics of both dogs and owners predict success in completing the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen training program. Before the first session of a dog training course, owners completed surveys evaluating the behavior and cognition of their dog and themselves. …

Are Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus Spp.) Sensitive To Lost Opportunities? The Role Of Opportunity Costs In Intertemporal Choice, Elsa Addessi, Valeria Tierno, Valentina Focaroli, Federica Rossi, Serena Gastaldi, Francesca De Petrillo, Fabio Paglieri, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Principles of economics predict that the costs associated with obtaining rewards can influence choice. When individuals face choices between a smaller, immediate option and a larger, later option, they often experience opportunity costs associated with waiting for delayed rewards because they must forego the opportunity to make other choices. We evaluated how reducing opportunity costs affects delay tolerance in capuchin monkeys. After choosing the larger option, in the High cost condition, subjects had to wait for the delay to expire, whereas in the Low cost different and Low cost same conditions, they could perform a new choice during the delay. …

Animal-Human Vocabulary Builder, Domenick Acocella, Rene Cordero

Open Educational Resources

The assignment helps students individually build a usable, expanding vocabulary of terms and concepts, enabling each to further contribute to the ongoing, evolving written, oral, and visual conversations centered on the use of and thought about animals for food, clothing, work, entertainment, experimentation, imagery, and companionship.

No Ape Left Behind: Orangutan Conservation Education Project, Danna Boshak

All Graduate Projects

Orangutans are critically endangered and if action is not taken, their extinction is imminent. Zoological institutions worldwide serve as an educational means to engage the broader public in conservation awareness and action behaviors. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) created the Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) initiative to provide zoos with a platform to expand conservation efforts beyond their institutions. In collaboration with the Orangutan SAFE (OSAFE) education committee, the No Ape Left Behind: Orangutan Conservation Education Project develops educational activity resources that provide information about orangutan behavior and ecology as well as action items that individuals can take …

Examining Neuroanatomical Effects Of Prenatal Valproic Acid And Postnatal Testosterone In A Mouse Model Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Bishakha Kumari, Elizabeth Ann Gordon, Cynthia Corbitt

Undergraduate Arts and Research Showcase

Sex differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are well documented; males are diagnosed 4:1 over females. Testosterone (T) is one factor that differs by sex in humans and mice that could increase vulnerability to developing ASD in males. Valproic acid (VPA) is an anticonvulsant that has been found to increase the risk of autism in male offspring of pregnant women who take it to control seizures and is commonly used in mouse models of ASD. After prenatal VPA or vehicle on embryonic day 13, testosterone (T) or vehicle was administered to the mice on postnatal day 2 to investigate whether …

Effects Of Facility Dogs On Emotional Wellbeing Of Pediatric Hospital Personnel, Abhinav Ramesh

Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship

Healthcare is one of the most demanding professions, and approximately 45% of physicians experience job-related burnout (Dyrbye et al., 2018). While previous research has shown that working with facility dogs in hospitals may improve job satisfaction (Jensen et al., 2021), little research has been done on specific observed factors related to emotional wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to examine effects of working with facility dogs on emotions using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). One advantage of EMA over traditional assessments is the elimination of temporal bias, by asking participants about their current state rather than asking them to recollect …

Spatial Disparities In Access To Veterinary Care: Problems, Politics & Policies, Sue Neal

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Access to veterinary care is a complex and wicked social problem. The problem is multidimensional in nature, comprised of a number of barriers ranging from financial to cultural to physical. The Multiple Streams Framework is used to provide a theoretical foundation for the analysis. Subsequent chapters identify the problem, politics and policy streams surrounding this issue. This research examines the issue of access to care as a spatial construct by identifying and analyzing the geographic distribution of the ratios of veterinary staff across the United States to the number of households and predicted companion animal populations. It uses spatial statistics …

Effects Of Artificial Enrichment On Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla) Activity Budgets, Angela Perretti

West Chester University Master’s Theses

The benefits of enrichment and proper husbandry protocols and their applicability in wildlife research have been important topics of zoological research. Examining activity budgets of various species throughout zoological facilities reap biological, educational, and conservation benefits. We collected data on the behavioral responses of five western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) (1 adult male, 2 adult females, 2 infants/juveniles) to a novel climbing structure in the outdoor enclosure at the Philadelphia Zoo. Over a period of 53 nonconsecutive months, we conducted 30-minute focals with 2-minute scan samples on the gorillas (488 total observation hours). We recorded the frequency of …