29th August 2020
The Small World system is a home cage environment in which various ecologically relevant resources are freely available at distinct positions. The fully automated monitoring of the rat behavior in this quasi-natural environment allows the study of motivation and value based decision making. The deeper knowledge of the needs and preferences of laboratory animals is essential for improving animal welfare (3Rs – Refinement).
The Small World for rats was developed in close cooperation with Dr. Lorenz Gygax, Humboldt University in Berlin.