Book

23maart2011
Publisher: CABI, second edition, 2006
Stereotypic Animal Behaviour - Fundamentals and Applications to Welfare

Unusual (stereotypic) behaviour is exhibited by millions of animals in zoos, in production and in labs, as well as in pets: big cats pace, horses crib-bite, lab mice somersault at night, and sows chew at chains.
This is officially the second edition of the book addressing this topic (the first was released in 1993), but it is more than a completely revised version. More than thirty authors contributed to this compilation of the most recent information on stereotypic behaviour.

The cause and treatment of environment-related stereotypic behaviour form the focus of this book; consequences of this behaviour for animal welfare and brain function are also discussed. In the first chapters, the authors give their ethological perspective on the effect of captivity on normal animal behaviour. They then examine the effect of chronic stress and impoverished environments on the brain. Next, the authors discuss ways to treat stereotypic behaviour, varying from environmental enrichment to pharmaceutical intervention. Finally,
they look to the future, naming research to be done.

The book is for researchers and (advanced) students in the fields of animal behaviour and welfare, animal and veterinary science, comparative psychology and neuroscience. There is a companion website with summaries of the chapters, including many illustrations and videos to supplement each chapter.


Stereotypic Animal Behaviour – Fundamentals and Applications to Welfare
Georgia Mason and Jeff Rushen (eds)
Publisher: CABI, second edition, 2006
ISBN-10: 0851990045
ISBN-13: 978-0851990040
Link to the companion website