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Shedding ultraviolet light on welfare in laboratory rodents: suggestions for further research and refinement

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

DB SØrensen
DB SØrensen*
Affiliation:
University of Copenhagen, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Thorvaldsensvej 57, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
*
email: brat@sund.ku.dk
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Abstract

The welfare of laboratory rats and mice is sought to be optimised through adjustment of a variety of environmental factors, including light intensity and photoperiodicity. However, the fact that rodents are able to perceive ultraviolet (UV) light tends to be ignored. The importance of being able — as a rodent — to utilise this part of the visual spectrum has not been studied in great detail, but suggestions, based on the evolutionary success of this trait, indicate that the deprivation of ultraviolet light in mice and rats could perhaps impact negatively on the welfare of these animals. Further research into the importance of having a UV light source available to rats and mice should be encouraged.

Keywords

animal welfarehousingrodentsultravioletvisionvisual perception
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 23 , Issue 3 , August 2014 , pp. 259 - 261
Copyright
© 2014 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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