Mastellone Vincenzo, Bovera Fulvia, Musco Nadia, Panettieri Valentina, Piccolo Giovanni, Scandurra Anna, Di Meo Carmelo, Attia Youssef A, Lombardi Pietro
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Napoli Federico II, Via F. Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy.
Department of Biology, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Cintia, 80126 Naples, Italy.
Animals (Basel). 2019 Aug 6;9(8):533. doi: 10.3390/ani9080533.
The aim of this research was to evaluate the possible usefulness of mirrors in improving rabbit behavior in a free-range breeding system. Three groups (each consisting of nine replicates of three animals) were compared: isolated, isolated with mirrors and separated by a wire mesh (possible visual and olfactory contacts). Rabbits allowed to have a visual and olfactory contact showed a significantly higher expression of important natural behaviors (olfactory investigation, gnawing, alertness, stretching, locomotion) compared to the isolated rabbits (with or without mirrors); while rabbits in the mirror group showed higher allo-grooming activity than those isolated and no different locomotion activity than those separated by wire mesh. Thus, mirrors seemed to be able to modify the behavioral repertoire of isolated rabbits by acting on social perception in rabbits reared in small groups in a free-range system. Nevertheless, despite it being advisable to use a combination of different indicators in order to assess the stress level of an animal, the accuracy of serum cortisol, as well as of some secondary stress markers assay, appeared to be limited in this type of breeding.
本研究的目的是评估镜子在改善散养繁殖系统中兔子行为方面的潜在作用。比较了三组（每组由三只动物的九个重复样本组成）：隔离组、带镜子隔离组以及用铁丝网隔开（可能存在视觉和嗅觉接触）的组。与隔离的兔子（无论有无镜子）相比，允许有视觉和嗅觉接触的兔子表现出重要自然行为（嗅觉探究、啃咬、警觉、伸展、运动）的显著更高表达；而镜子组的兔子比隔离组的兔子具有更高的相互梳理毛发活动，并且与用铁丝网隔开的兔子相比运动活动没有差异。因此，在散养系统中饲养的小群体兔子中，镜子似乎能够通过作用于社会认知来改变隔离兔子的行为模式。然而，尽管为了评估动物的应激水平建议使用不同指标的组合，但在这种养殖类型中，血清皮质醇以及一些次要应激标志物检测的准确性似乎有限。
