Animal Welfare and Behavior Flashcards

Which behavioral indicator is most reliable for assessing chronic pain in laboratory rodents?

Answer: Grimace scale scoring

The Mouse Grimace Scale quantifies facial action units (orbital tightening, nose bulge, cheek bulge, ear position, whisker change) that are validated markers of chronic pain.

The 'five freedoms' framework for animal welfare was originally developed by which organization?

Answer: Farm Animal Welfare Council (UK)

The Five Freedoms were articulated by the UK's Farm Animal Welfare Council in 1979 and have since become the global baseline for assessing animal welfare.

A dog repeatedly circles its kennel, vocalizes, and self-mutilates. These signs are most consistent with:

Answer: Stereotypic behavior from chronic stress

Repetitive, invariant motor patterns (stereotypies) plus self-mutilation in a restricted environment indicate chronic psychological stress and compromised welfare.

Environmental enrichment for non-human primates in research settings primarily serves to:

Answer: Promote species-typical behavior and reduce psychological distress

Enrichment provides cognitive stimulation and social outlets that allow expression of species-typical behaviors, directly improving psychological welfare.

Which regulatory body in the US directly oversees the Animal Welfare Act compliance for research institutions?

Answer: USDA APHIS Animal Care

USDA APHIS Animal Care conducts inspections and enforces AWA regulations at research facilities, zoos, and other covered establishments.

Tonic immobility in poultry is frequently used as a measure of:

Answer: Fear reactivity

Tonic immobility duration—the time a bird remains motionless after being placed on its back—is a validated index of fear in poultry welfare research.

In the context of humane endpoints, which criterion should trigger early euthanasia in a rodent tumor model?

Answer: Tumor volume exceeding 10% of body weight or causing mobility impairment

Humane endpoints specify objective criteria—typically tumor burden relative to body mass or functional impairment—to limit suffering before the scientific endpoint.