Animal Husbandry and Environment Flashcards
7 cards from real ALAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Animal Husbandry and Environment flashcards as text
What is the recommended relative humidity range for most laboratory rodent housing facilities?
Answer: 30–70%
The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals recommends maintaining relative humidity between 30–70% for most rodent species.
Which type of bedding material is considered most appropriate for laboratory mice to reduce ammonia buildup?
Answer: Hardwood chip bedding
Hardwood chip bedding (such as aspen) is preferred because it is absorbent, low in aromatic compounds, and helps control ammonia levels.
A technician notices that group-housed male mice are showing increased aggression and wounding. Which environmental modification is the FIRST recommended intervention?
Answer: Provide environmental enrichment such as huts or shelters
Adding enrichment items like shelters gives subordinate animals refuges and often reduces aggression-related wounding in group-housed males.
How often should water bottles and sipper tubes be changed or sanitized as a minimum standard in rodent facilities?
Answer: At least weekly
Water bottles and sipper tubes should be sanitized at least weekly to prevent microbial contamination and biofilm formation.
What is 'ringtail' in laboratory rats, and what environmental factor primarily causes it?
Answer: Annular constriction of the tail caused by low humidity
Ringtail is annular constriction and necrosis of the tail caused by low relative humidity, most commonly seen in neonatal rats.
Which lighting schedule is most commonly used to regulate circadian rhythms in standard laboratory rodent colonies?
Answer: 12 hours light / 12 hours dark
A 12:12 light/dark cycle is the standard photoperiod used in most rodent facilities to maintain normal circadian rhythms and reproductive cycling.
When performing a cage change for immunocompromised mice housed in individually ventilated cages (IVCs), where should the procedure be performed?
Answer: Inside a biosafety cabinet or laminar flow hood
Cage changes for immunocompromised animals must be performed inside a biosafety cabinet or laminar flow hood to protect the animals from environmental pathogens.