Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026
Introducing Clicker Training as a Cognitive Enrichment for Laboratory Mice
Published on: March 6, 2017
Positive reinforcement-based magnet training permits social housing in catheterized squirrel monkeys
Alexandra N Johansen1, Hector M Figueroa2, Jacquelin C Hecker1
1National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Background:
Non-human primates play a critical role in neuroscience research. Though they are social animals, laboratory study requirements can sometimes require single housing and thereby prevent social housing.
New Method:
To eliminate single housing and promote well-being within our squirrel monkey colony, we used positive reinforcement training in combination with magnetic/mechanical clasps and custom jackets to permit pair housing of catheterized squirrel monkeys used in behavioral studies.
Results:
Adult Saimiri boliviensis boliviensis monkeys (n = 7) readily progressed through a six-stage training procedure for cooperative handling and transport from the home cage to the experimental testing rooms.
Comparison With Existing Methods And Conclusions:
Given the evidence of isolation induced stress and neurobiological consequences in multiple species, and consistent with an increased regulatory emphasis on social housing of non-human primates, the methods presented herein provide a method for handling squirrel monkeys in behavioral studies that is compatible with social housing.
