Effect of Bedding Substrates on Blood Glucose and Body Weight in Mice.

Differences in cage microenvironments may contribute to variation in data and affect the outcome of animal studies involving metabolic diseases. To study this, we compared the effects 3 types of bedding-corncob bedding, hardwood bedding, and hardwood bedding plus a cardboard enrichment item-on baseline fasting and nonfasting blood glucose and body weight in mice. Mice housed on corncob bedding showed significantly higher fasting blood glucose than did mice housed on hardwood bedding, with or without the enrichment item.

A novel approach for documentation and evaluation of activity patterns in owl monkeys during development of environmental enrichment programs.

Documenting and evaluating the appropriateness of environmental enrichment programs has posed a challenge to many institutions. This paper describes a method for documenting and evaluating activity patterns for developing an environmental enrichment program. A colony of owl (or night) monkeys (Aotus lemurinus griseimembra) at the University of Hawaii were videotaped using infrared sensitive cameras and the duration and frequency of numerous activities were scored using an ethological analysis software program (Hindsight).