Housing and Environment

Abstract

This chapter reviews environmental factors that may affect physiological and/or behavioral responses of the laboratory rat. Housing for laboratory rats, both primary and secondary enclosures, is reviewed. Additionally, a number of environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, light, noise, chemicals, personnel factors, enrichment, etc., are discussed. A number of these factors may potentially impact animal welfare. The effects may be so subtle that they are unobservable and yet significantly compromise research results. Every effort should be made to make the animals' environment as stable and nonstressful as possible. The animals' environment should be described in detail in research publications.