Table 7C.

Example welfare/behavioral criteria for assessment of stress: some key signs: amphibians.

Behavioral sign	Cause/Problem
Rapid body movements, such as jumping and climbing with falling	1, 2
Body “flattened” against cage floor, lethargy	1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9
Closed eyes	1, 4, 5, 6, 9
Lethargy/reduced responsiveness	1, 4, 5, 6

Derived from reviewed literature (1, 8, 44, 57, 79, 81, 115, 116).

Cause/problem keys:

¹Overly restrictive/incorrect environment/inability to hide/retreat. ²Co-occupant aggression/harassment. ³Fear/defense. ⁴Pain/trauma/disease. ⁵Environmental stressor e.g., hyperthermia. ⁶Environmental stressor e.g., hypothermia. ⁷Environmental stressor e.g., hypoxia. ⁸Hunger. ⁹Environmental stressor e.g., incorrect humidity. ¹⁰Excessive handling. ¹¹Learned helplessness” (includes apparently normal behaviors in highly adverse conditions). ¹²Under-stimulation.