• Effects of Supplemental Heat When Provided to Rodent Housing Units

    Laboratory rodents are typically kept in animal housing rooms set at temperatures between 20-22ºC as recommended by the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The rodent thermoneutral zone (TNZ) is a range of temperatures where rodents can maintain their body temperature and do not expend energy to warm or cool themselves. The…

  • Investigation Of A Novel Thermal Support System To Recover Post‑Anesthetized Mice

    Laboratory rodents are typically housed in rooms set at temperatures between 20-22°C, primarily to match the comfort requirements of the humans working in these rooms. These temperatures are well below the rodent thermoneutral zone of 30-32°C, temperatures at which rodents maintain their body temperature without expending extra energy to keep warm. Housing rodents in temperatures…

  • Updates on Rodent Thermoregulation: Is it Getting Hot in Here? by Dr. F. Claire Hankenson

    Laboratory mice and rats have been shown to prefer temperatures that are several degrees warmer than the environments in which they are typically housed. Animals housed under warmed environmental conditions have been shown to have decreased metabolic rates, lower heart rates and blood pressure, and improved immune function. Various disciplines of medical investigations, including cancer…