Training common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) to cooperate during routine laboratory procedures: ease of training and time investment.
The first author trained 12 laboratory-housed common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) in pairs to assess the practicality of positive reinforcement training as a technique in the management of these nonhuman animals. Behaviors taught were (a) target training to allow in homecage weighing and (b) providing urine samples. Between 2 to 13, 10-minute training sessions established desired behaviors. Training aggressive animals only after they had been fed eliminated aggression during training. Trained animals proved extremely reliable, and data collection using trained animals was considerably faster than collection using current laboratory techniques. The results suggest that positive reinforcement training is a practical option in the management of laboratory-housed marmosets.
McKinley
Jean
J
Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Scotland. h.m.buchanan-smith@stir.ac.uk
Buchanan-Smith
Hannah M
HM
Bassett
Lois
L
Morris
Keith
K
D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002144:Callithrix / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000652:urine; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D005260:Female; D006799:Housing, Animal; D008297:Male; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D013997:Time Factors; D014554:Urination / Q000502:physiology