Comfort behaviours in animals are activities that help maintain the pelage, feathers, integuement or musculoskeletal system and increase the physical comfort of the animal.[1]
Comfort behaviours are performed from an early age and change little during development.[2] Several comfort behaviours are associated with the beginning of a rest period (e.g. grooming), whereas others are associated with the end of a rest period (e.g. stretching), possibly to prepare the body for escape or hunting. Others, (e.g. dust bathing) will be performed only when the appropriate internal and external stimuli are present (see also sham dustbathing). Animals generally perform comfort behaviours only when they are not engaged in essential activities (e.g. feeding, drinking, hunting, escape); these behaviours are therefore sometimes categorised as luxury activities. However, animals can be highly motivated to perform some comfort behaviours (e.g. dust bathing in hens), and conditions that thwart these behaviours (e.g. battery cages) are considered to have a negative influence on animal welfare.[3]
- ^ Allaby, M. (1999). "Comfort behaviour". A Dictionary of Zoology. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
- ^ Bekoff, M., Ainley, D.G and Bekoff, A. "The ontogeny and organisation of comfort behavior in Adelie penguins". Retrieved March 27, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Lindberg A.C. and Nicol C.J. (1997). Dustbathing in modified battery cages: Is sham dustbathing an adequate substitute? Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 55: 113-128