All Outputs (23)

Novel Scent Enrichment Enhances Socio‐Sexual and Olfactory Behaviors in Zoo‐Housed Gentle Lemurs (2024)
Journal Article
Fontani, S., Glendewar, G., Cowen, R., Callagan, G., Costantini, A. B., Elwell, E., Dubreuil, C., Palframan, M., & Vaglio, S. (2025). Novel Scent Enrichment Enhances Socio‐Sexual and Olfactory Behaviors in Zoo‐Housed Gentle Lemurs. American Journal of Primatology, 87(1), Article e23716. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23716

The Alaotran gentle lemur (Hapalemur Alaotrensis) is one of the most endangered primates in the world and shows a low success rate in captive breeding programmes. We tested a novel scent enrichment, made up of a synthesized mixture likely conveying i... Read More about Novel Scent Enrichment Enhances Socio‐Sexual and Olfactory Behaviors in Zoo‐Housed Gentle Lemurs.

Evaluating the Impact of Synthesised Scent Enrichment on Behavioural and Endocrine Responses in Captive Alaotran Gentle Lemurs (Hapalemur alaotrensis) (2024)
Journal Article
Costantini, A. B., Glendewar, G., Fontani, S., & Vaglio, S. (2024). Evaluating the Impact of Synthesised Scent Enrichment on Behavioural and Endocrine Responses in Captive Alaotran Gentle Lemurs (Hapalemur alaotrensis). Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens, 5(4), 539-551. https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg5040036

The Alaotran gentle lemur (Hapalemur alaotrensis) is one of the world’s most endangered primates and shows low success rates in captive breeding programmes. This study tested biologically relevant scent enrichment using two synthesised mixtures likel... Read More about Evaluating the Impact of Synthesised Scent Enrichment on Behavioural and Endocrine Responses in Captive Alaotran Gentle Lemurs (Hapalemur alaotrensis).

Design and test of novel scent enrichments to enhance breeding of zoo-housed lemurs. (2024)
Journal Article
Elwell, E., Fontani, S., & Vaglio, S. (2024). Design and test of novel scent enrichments to enhance breeding of zoo-housed lemurs. F1000Research, 13, Article 123. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.144636.1

Background
Zoos use environmental enrichments, including scents, which may have applications to improve breeding success for taxa, such as lemurs, which rely heavily on olfactory communication. We aimed to develop novel, biologically-relevant scent... Read More about Design and test of novel scent enrichments to enhance breeding of zoo-housed lemurs..

Can an Enrichment Programme with Novel Manipulative and Scent Stimuli Change the Behaviour of Zoo-Housed European Wildcats? A Case Study. (2023)
Journal Article
Bertoni, V., Regaiolli, B., Cozzi, A., Vaglio, S., & Spiezio, C. (2023). Can an Enrichment Programme with Novel Manipulative and Scent Stimuli Change the Behaviour of Zoo-Housed European Wildcats? A Case Study. Animals, 13(11), Article 1762. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13111762

Objects and semiochemicals may be used as enrichment in zoos. Domestic cats release Fraction 3 of Facial Pheromone (F3) by rubbing the muzzle to convey relational and territorial information. We aimed to evaluate whether and how the introduction of n... Read More about Can an Enrichment Programme with Novel Manipulative and Scent Stimuli Change the Behaviour of Zoo-Housed European Wildcats? A Case Study..

Effects of pharmacological castration on endocrinological and chemical profiles in captive red and fallow deer (2023)
Journal Article
Marliani, G., Gelli, D., Bellinello, E., Costantin, R. S., Nicoloso, S., Accorsi, P. A., & Vaglio, S. (2023). Effects of pharmacological castration on endocrinological and chemical profiles in captive red and fallow deer. The European Zoological Journal, 90(1), 270-282. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2023.2190351

In wildlife captive management, contraception is highly desirable due to inbreeding risk and needed control of intra- and inter-specific aggressions. Deer, for which surgical castration can cause abnormal growth of the antlers, are suitable candidate... Read More about Effects of pharmacological castration on endocrinological and chemical profiles in captive red and fallow deer.

Primate Sex and Its Role in Pleasure, Dominance and Communication (2022)
Journal Article
Clarke, E., Bradshaw, K., Drissell, K., Kadam, P., Rutter, N., & Vaglio, S. (2022). Primate Sex and Its Role in Pleasure, Dominance and Communication. Animals, 12(23), https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12233301

Sexual intercourse in the animal kingdom functions to enable reproduction. However, we now know that several species of non-human primates regularly engage in sex outside of the times when conception is possible. In addition, homosexual and immature... Read More about Primate Sex and Its Role in Pleasure, Dominance and Communication.

Anogenital scent-marking signals fertility in a captive female Alaotran gentle lemur (2022)
Journal Article
Fontani, S., Kaburu, S. S., Marliani, G., Accorsi, P. A., & Vaglio, S. (2022). Anogenital scent-marking signals fertility in a captive female Alaotran gentle lemur. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 9, https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2022.940707

The Lake Alaotra gentle lemur (Hapalemur alaotrensis) is one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world and shows low success rate in captive breeding programmes. It is therefore vital to further understand its reproductive biology. We studied a... Read More about Anogenital scent-marking signals fertility in a captive female Alaotran gentle lemur.

The effects of a zoo environment on free‐living, native small mammal species (2021)
Journal Article
Elwell, E., Leeson, C., & Vaglio, S. (2021). The effects of a zoo environment on free‐living, native small mammal species. Zoo Biology, 40(4), 263-272. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21603

One of the main threats to native species conservation is urbanisation. It is causing changes to natural habitats and species composition. Urban green spaces have shown to have conservation value for native species by providing safe spaces in urban a... Read More about The effects of a zoo environment on free‐living, native small mammal species.

Female copulation calls vary with male ejaculation in captive olive baboons (2020)
Journal Article
Vaglio, S., Ducroix, L., Rodriguez Villanueva, M., Consiglio, R., Kim, A. J., Neilands, P., Stucky, K., & Lameira, A. R. (2020). Female copulation calls vary with male ejaculation in captive olive baboons. Behaviour, 157(8-9), 807-822. https://doi.org/10.1163/1568539x-bja10024

Copulation calls are mating-associated vocalizations that are common in primates, with females vocalizing after copulation in several Old World monkeys and apes. Baboon females typically produce copulation calls that correlate with fertile phase. Cal... Read More about Female copulation calls vary with male ejaculation in captive olive baboons.

Gum-feeder as environmental enrichment for marmosets and tamarins (2020)
Journal Article
Regaiolli, B., Angelosante, C., Marliani, G., Accorsi, P., Vaglio, S., & Spiezio, C. (2020). Gum-feeder as environmental enrichment for marmosets and tamarins. Zoo Biology, 39(2), 73-82. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21531

Tamarins and marmosets are small‐bodied social callitrichines. Wild callitrichines feed on exudates, such as sap and gum; particularly, marmosets are mainly gummivores, while tamarins consume gums only occasionally and opportunistically. Zoo marmoset... Read More about Gum-feeder as environmental enrichment for marmosets and tamarins.

Sex differences in scent-marking in captive red-ruffed lemurs (2019)
Journal Article
Janda, E., Perry, K., Hankinson, E., Walker, D., & Vaglio, S. (2019). Sex differences in scent-marking in captive red-ruffed lemurs. American Journal of Primatology, 81(1), Article e22951. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22951

Primate chemical communication remains underappreciated, as primates are considered to rely on other sensory modalities. However, various lines of evidence suggest that olfaction plays an important role in primate societies, including the conspicuous... Read More about Sex differences in scent-marking in captive red-ruffed lemurs.

Does positive reinforcement training affect the behaviour and welfare of zoo animals? The case of the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) (2017)
Journal Article
Spiezio, C., Vaglio, S., Scala, C., & Regaiolli, B. (2017). Does positive reinforcement training affect the behaviour and welfare of zoo animals? The case of the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta). Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 196, 91-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2017.07.007

Positive reinforcement training (PRT) is an established tool to facilitate animal husbandry, care and research in modern zoos, with potential positive implications for captive animal welfare. The study explored the role of an isolation PRT training p... Read More about Does positive reinforcement training affect the behaviour and welfare of zoo animals? The case of the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta).

Sternal gland scent-marking signals sex, age, rank and group identity in captive mandrills (2015)
Journal Article
Vaglio, S., Minicozzi, P., Romoli, R., Boscaro, F., Pieraccini, G., Moneti, G., & Moggi-Cecchi, J. (2016). Sternal gland scent-marking signals sex, age, rank and group identity in captive mandrills. Chemical Senses, 41(2), 177-186. https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/bjv077

Mandrills are one of the few Old World primates to show scent-marking. We combined ethological and chemical approaches to improve our understanding of this behavior in three zoo-managed groups. We observed the olfactory behavior performed by adults a... Read More about Sternal gland scent-marking signals sex, age, rank and group identity in captive mandrills.

Positive reinforcement training: a tool for care and management of captive vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) (2015)
Journal Article
Spiezio, C., Piva, F., Regaiolli, B., & Vaglio, S. (2015). Positive reinforcement training: a tool for care and management of captive vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops). Animal Welfare Journal, 24(3), 283-290. https://doi.org/10.7120/09627286.24.3.283

In modern zoos, training should be an integral component of the animal care and management. The benefits of training include the opportunity for positive interactions with caretakers. This study was carried out with a group of vervet monkeys (Chloroc... Read More about Positive reinforcement training: a tool for care and management of captive vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops).

Local Sustainability and Cooperation Actions in the Mediterranean Region (2014)
Journal Article
Daddi, T., Vaglio, S., & Battaglia, M. (2014). Local Sustainability and Cooperation Actions in the Mediterranean Region. Sustainability, 6(5), 2929-2945. https://doi.org/10.3390/su6052929

The populations of the Middle East and Africa are increasing rapidly, contributing to rapid urban growth. This paper describes a 2-year action research process involving diverse public, private, and community stakeholders. The actions aimed to develo... Read More about Local Sustainability and Cooperation Actions in the Mediterranean Region.

Histology of the suprapubic and anogenital cutaneous glands in male cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) (2014)
Journal Article
Fontani, S., Tanteri, G., Vaglio, S., Delfino, G., & Moggi-Cecchi, J. (2014). Histology of the suprapubic and anogenital cutaneous glands in male cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus). Folia Primatologica, 85(2), 109-118. https://doi.org/10.1159/000360221

In cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) scent glands have been mostly studied on females from museum collections. This work aims to extend investigation to male specimens, introducing a novel source of skin samples. Two adult males pertaining to Zo... Read More about Histology of the suprapubic and anogenital cutaneous glands in male cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus).

Fecal concentrations of cortisol, testosterone, and progesterone in cotton-top tamarins hosted in different zoological parks: Relationship among physiological data, environmental conditions and behavioral patterns (2014)
Journal Article
Fontani, S., Vaglio, S., Beghelli, V., Mattioli, M., Bacci, S., & Accorsi, P. (2014). Fecal concentrations of cortisol, testosterone, and progesterone in cotton-top tamarins hosted in different zoological parks: Relationship among physiological data, environmental conditions and behavioral patterns. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 17(3), 228-252. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888705.2014.916173

The aim of this investigation was to study the welfare of three captive groups of cotton-top tamarins housed in different zoological parks. Ethological observations were conducted over one year. In addition, fecal samples were collected and the conce... Read More about Fecal concentrations of cortisol, testosterone, and progesterone in cotton-top tamarins hosted in different zoological parks: Relationship among physiological data, environmental conditions and behavioral patterns.

A therapeutic environmental enrichment programme for managing pathological behaviour in the fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) (2013)
Journal Article
Grisa, R., Bertelé, M., Vaglio, S., & Spiezio, C. (2013). A therapeutic environmental enrichment programme for managing pathological behaviour in the fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox). The Journal of zoo and aquarium research, 1(1), 41-43

This study is based on an adult male fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) that arrived at Garda Zoological Park (Italy) exhibiting stereotyped and self-injuring behaviours and follows its subsequent rehabilitation through a long-term environmental enrichment p... Read More about A therapeutic environmental enrichment programme for managing pathological behaviour in the fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox).

Red-green color vision in three catarrhine primates (2012)
Journal Article
Fornalé, F., Vaglio, S., Spiezio, C., & Prato Previde, E. (2012). Red-green color vision in three catarrhine primates. Communicative and Integrative Biology, 5(6), 583-589. https://doi.org/10.4161/cib.21414

The evolution of the red-green visual subsystem in trichromatic primates has been linked to foraging advantages, specifically the detection of either ripe fruits or young leaves amid mature foliage, and to the intraspecific socio-sexual communication... Read More about Red-green color vision in three catarrhine primates.

Odour signals major histocompatibility complex genotype in an Old World monkey (2011)
Journal Article
Setchell, J., Vaglio, S., Abbott, K., Moggi-Cecchi, J., Boscaro, F., Pieraccini, G., & Knapp, L. (2011). Odour signals major histocompatibility complex genotype in an Old World monkey. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 278(1703), 274-280. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2010.0571

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is an extraordinarily diverse cluster of genes that play a key role in the immune system. MHC gene products are also found in various body secretions, leading to the suggestion that MHC genotypes are linked... Read More about Odour signals major histocompatibility complex genotype in an Old World monkey.