Module 1 > Animal Care > Environmental Conditions
Animal Care
Environmental Conditions
Many physical, chemical and biological factors can influence research animals and eventually modify the results of experimentation.
In nature, the animal can, up to a certain limit, choose its environment to adapt to climatic conditions. The animal can seek a cool shelter on hot summer days, dig a tunnel to hide from the daylight, or get away from stressful noise.
In an animal facility, however, the animal is totally dependant on the environmental conditions that are provided. These conditions must be constant and adapted to each species to avoid physiological stress to the animal, which could possibly affect its response to the experimentation. Animal facilities are designed to provide optimal environmental conditions.