Avaliação da preferência pelo tipo de enriquecimento ambiental utilizado por camundongos Swiss Webster em biotério através do Sistema de Gaiolas Interligadas (SGI)

The mouse, among the different species is the most widely studied in the science of laboratory animals and the most scientifically known for testing purposes for teaching and biomedical research. Among the characteristics that make it suitable for use in scientific research we can mention body size, ease of handling, prolificacy, short life cycle, and biological and genetic similarity, which brings it closer to the human being. The non-isogenic lineage Swiss Webster (SW) presents a complex and varied repertoire of individual and social behaviors. In relation to the accommodation of these animals in a vivarium, knowledge of their behavior and the use of environmental enrichment (EE) to raise the welfare condition and minimize stress during the maintenance period of the individuals is paramount. The main objective of this work is to determine, through the application of the Interconnected Cage System (ICS), the relationship between the individual and social behavior of the animals and the use of different types of equipment for EE. Through our experimental scheme, we will try to clarify the preference, or the choice, of the mice of the respective lineage, in the infant, young and adult ages, of the EE type, and consequently, to demonstrate the influence on the well-being in the maintenance routine of these animals. Our results suggest that the most used EEs for the mice are Igloos and Absorbent Paper. Another important conclusion that our work can infer was that adult mice are more interested in EE than young or infants, with Igloo being the most preferred. We believe that the data obtained allow the refinement of the use of EE and the maintenance of animal welfare.