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Brain hemispheres have different functions and control the movements of the contralateral side of the body. One of these functions is the process of emotions. The right hemisphere hypothesis suggests that the right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for emotional processing, and so the left side of the body is activated in emotive contexts such as social interactions. In contrast, the valence hypothesis proposes that both hemispheres are involved in emotional processing, with the left hemisphere processing positive emotions and the right hemisphere dealing with negative emotions. As sociality can influence emotional states, studying behavioral lateralization in social contexts, and the effect of rank on laterality should help to clarify the role of brain hemispheres in social responses. The aim of this study was to investigate whether and how target animacy (interaction with inanimate and animate targets) affected manual laterality in 12 zoo-housed Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus). We focused on both the direction and the strength of hand preference and tested the effect of social rank on lateralization. We used continuous focal animal sampling to record bouts of hand preference when interacting with inanimate targets and animate targets (during social and self-directed behaviors). and recorded social interactions to measure the rank. For inanimate targets, 14 15-minute sessions were done. For animate targets, 14 2-hour morning sessions and 14 90-minute afternoon sessions were done. At the individual level, six of nine lateralized macaques were significantly right-handed when interacting with inanimate targets, whereas only three subjects showed a significant (right) lateralization when interacting with animate targets. Thus, inanimate targets seem to elicit manual laterality to a greater extent than animate targets. However, we found no group-level hand preference for actions directed toward inanimate or animate targets in general. However, we found a group-level right-hand bias for affiliative behaviors, whereas no effects of social rank on lateralization was present. Based on our results, both hemispheres seem to process emotions, influencing hand preference during social interactions, as suggested by the valence hypothesis. Despite the limitations due to the small sample size, these findings suggest that Barbary macaques show hand preference patterns similar to those found in great apes and other catarrhines in interactions with both inanimate and animate targets

Animal welfare assessment has undergone considerable development. The management and rearing of big cats may lead these animals to express behavioral problems. This study was performed to assess the well-being of a non-breeding pair of Siberian tigers using ethological and physiological parameters. During the day, the animals were kept together in the outdoor exhibit, whereas overnight the tigers were individually housed. Twenty 45-min sessions were run for each subject. The Focal Animal Sampling method was used to record individual and social behaviors. In addition, fecal cortisol levels were monitored and determined by enzyme immunoassay. Single case analysis was run to analyze behavioral data and cortisol levels. Findings highlight that species-specific behaviors were performed by both animals. However, significant differences between the two tigers were observed in stress-related behaviors: the female showed stereotypic behavior, whereas the male did not. No significant differences in fecal cortisol levels were observed. Results suggest that the ethological parameters could be more sensitive than the physiological ones in detecting a stressful condition. Analyzing behavioral data together with physiological stress markers may allow for a more complete assessment of animal welfare.

A novel irregularly shaped and slightly curved rod bacterial strain, GLDI4/2T, showing activity of fructose 6-phosphate phosphoketolase was isolated from a faecal sample of an adult gelada baboon (Theropithecus gelada). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA genes as well as multilocus sequences (representing fusA, gyrB and xfp genes) and the core genome revealed that GLDI4/2T exhibited phylogenetic relatedness to Alloscardovia omnicolens DSM 21503T and to Alloscardovia macacae DSM 24762T. Comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences confirmed the phylogenetic results showing the highest gene sequence identity with strain A. omnicolens DSM 21503T (96.0 %). Activities of α- and β-gluco(galacto)sidases were detected in strain GLDI4/2T, which is characteristic for almost all members of the family Bifidobacteriaceae . Compared to other Alloscardovia species its DNA G+C content (43.8 mol%) was very low. Phylogenetic studies and the evaluation of phenotypic characteristics, including the results of biochemical, physiological and chemotaxonomic analyses, confirmed the novel species status for strain GLDI4/2T, for which the name Alloscardovia theropitheci sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is GLDI4/2T (=DSM 106019T=JCM 32430T).

Although some studies investigated lateralization in reptiles, little research has been done on chelonians, focusing only on few behaviours such as righting response and escape preference. The aim of this study was to investigate lateralization in Aldabra giant tortoises (Aldabrachelys gigantea), focusing on asymmetrical positioning of the limbs and the head during resting behaviour, called sleep-like behaviour, involving both wild tortoises and individuals under human care. Subjects of the study were 67 adult Aldabra tortoises (54 free ranging on Curieuse, 13 under human care in Mahè Botanical Garden). For each tortoise observed during sleep-like behaviour, we recorded the position of the head (on the left, on the right or in line with the body midline) and we collected which forelimb and hindlimb were kept forward. Moreover, the number of subjects in which limbs were in a symmetrical position during the sleep-like behaviour was recorded. Based on our results, the number of tortoises with asymmetrical position of head and limb was higher (head: 63%; forelimbs: 88%; hindlimbs: 70%) than the number of tortoises with symmetrical position of the head and the limb. Regarding the head, throughout the subjects found with the asymmetrical position of the head during sleep-like behaviour, tortoises positioning the head on the right (42%) were more than those sleeping with the head on the left (21%). We found a relationship between the position of the forelimbs and hindlimbs during sleep-like behaviour. We reported no differences between Mahè (under human care) and Curieuse (wild) tortoises. Findings of this preliminary study underlined traces of group-level lateralization in head positioning during the sleep-like behaviour, possibly due to a left-eye/right-hemisphere involvement in anti-predatory responses and threatening stimuli as reported in reptiles and other vertebrates. This study aims at adding data on brain lateralization, often linked to lateralized behaviours, in reptiles, especially in chelonians.

Corrigendum to Characterization of Bifidobacterium species in feaces of the Egyptian fruit bat: Description of Bifidobacterium vespertilionis sp. nov. and Bifidobacterium rousetti sp. nov.

Forty-three strains of bifidobacteria were isolated from the faeces of two adult black lemurs, Eulemur macaco. Thirty-four were identified as Bifidobacterium lemurum, recently described in Lemur catta. The nine remaining isolates were Gram-positive-staining, non-spore-forming, fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase-positive, microaerophilic, irregular rod-shaped bacteria that often presented Y- or V-shaped cells. Typing techniques revealed that these isolates were nearly identical, and strain LMM_E3T was chosen as a representative and characterized further. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences clustered this isolate inside the genus Bifidobacterium and showed the highest levels of sequence similarity with B. lemurum DSM 28807T (99.3 %), with Bifidobacterium pullorum LMG 21816T and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis ATCC 15697T (96.4 and 96.3 %, respectively) as the next most similar strains. The hsp60 gene sequence of strain LMM_E3T showed the highest similarity to that of Bifidobacterium stellenboschense DSM 23968T (93.3 %), and 91.0 % similarity to that of the type strain of B. lemurum. DNA–DNA reassociation with the closest neighbour B. lemurum DSM 28807T was found to be 65.4 %. The DNA G+C content was 62.3 mol%. Strain LMM_E3T showed a peptidoglycan structure that has not been detected in bifidobacteria so far: A3α l-Lys–l-Ser–l-Thr–l-Ala. Based on the phylogenetic, genotypic and phenotypic data, strain LMM_E3T represents a novel species within the genus Bifidobacterium, for which the name Bifidobacterium eulemuris sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is LMM_E3T ( = DSM 100216T = JCM 30801T).

Four novel Gram-stain-positive, non spore forming and fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase-positive strains were isolated from the faeces of a cotton top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) and an emperor tamarin (Saguinus imperator). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA revealed that bifidobacterial strains TRE 1T exhibit close phylogenetic relatedness to Bifidobacterium catulorum DSM 103154 (96.0%) and Bifidobacterium tissieri DSM 100201 (96.0%); TRE DT and TRE HT were closely related to Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum ATCC 15708T with similarity values of 97.4% and 97.5%, respectively; TRI 7T was closely related to Bifidobacterium tissieri DSM 100201 (96.0%). The Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) and in silico DDH (isDDH) analysis with closest neighbour supported an independent phylogenetic position of all strains with values ranged from 74 to 85% for ANI and from 24 to 28% for isDDH. DNA base composition of the four strains was in the range of 58.3–63.5 mol% G + C. Based on the phylogenetic, genotypic and phenotypic data, the strains TRE 1T, TRE DT, TRE HT and TRI 7T clearly represent four novel taxa within the genus Bifidobacterium for which the names Bifidobacterium primatium sp. nov. (type strain TRE 1T = DSM 100687T = JCM 30945T), Bifidobacterium scaligerum sp. nov. (type strain TRE DT = DSM 103140T = JCM 31792T), Bifidobacterium felsineum sp. nov. (type strain TRE HT = DSM 103139T = JCM 31789T) and Bifidobacterium simiarum sp. nov. (type strain TRI 7T = DSM 103153T = JCM 31793) are proposed.

Forty-five microorganisms were isolated on bifidobacteria selective medium from one faecal sample of an adult subject of the cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus L.). All isolates were Gram-positive, catalase-negative, anaerobic, fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase positive, and asporogenous rod-shaped bacteria. In this study, only eight out of the forty-five strains were characterized more deeply, whereas the others are still currently under investigation. They were grouped by BOX-PCR into three clusters: Cluster I (TRE 17T, TRE 7, TRE 26, TRE 32, TRE 33, TRE I), Cluster II (TRE CT), and Cluster III (TRE MT). Comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences confirmed the results from the cluster analysis and revealed relatively low level similarities to each other (mean value 95%) and to members of the genus Bifidobacterium. All eight isolates showed the highest level of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with Bifidobacterium scardovii DSM 13734T (mean value 96.6%). Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) of five housekeeping genes (hsp60, rpoB, clpC, dnaJ and dnaG) supported their independent phylogenetic position to each other and to related species of Bifidobacterium. The G + C contents were 63.2%, 65.9% and 63.0% for Cluster I, Cluster II and Cluster III, respectively. Peptidoglycan types were A3α l-Lys-l-Thr-l-Ala, A4β l-Orn (Lys)-d-Ser-d-Glu and A3β l-Orn-l-Ser-l-Ala in Clusters I, II and III, respectively. Based on the data provided, each cluster represented a novel taxon for which the names Bifidobacterium aerophilum sp. nov. (TRE 17T = DSM 100689 = JCM 30941; TRE 26 = DSM 100690 = JCM 30942), Bifidobacterium avesanii sp. nov. (TRE CT = DSM 100685 = JCM 30943) and Bifidobacterium ramosum sp. nov. (TRE M = DSM 100688 = JCM 30944) are proposed.

Providing hidden food is a method of nutritional and environmental enrichment for captive animals and yogurt is sometimes used with this purpose for non-human primates. Objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of feeding fresh yogurt on the intestinal ecosystem of Emperor tamarins (Saguinus imperator). A population of nine adult/juvenile emperor tamarins received during the whole trial a diet mainly consisting of different fruits. During the first 30 d, the diet did not contain any yogurt; during the following 28 d, every two days, a total of 300 g of fresh fruit yogurt was provided to the animals. A fresh fecal sample was collected from each animal the day before administration of yogurt started (Day 0) and again after 21 and 28 days for chemical and bacterial determinations. Throughout the study, all tamarins remained in good health and no clinical signs of intestinal discomfort were observed. During yogurt supplementation, fecal pH, moisture and ammonia resulted unchanged respect to the beginning of the study. Similarly, fecal volatile fatty acids were not affected by the yogurt intake. On the contrary, fecal spermine concentration resulted significantly decreased at Day 28 respect to Day 0 (4.4 vs. 30.1 nmol/g of feces; P < 0.05). Furthermore, the consumption of yogurt resulted in reduced fecal concentrations of coliforms, enterococci and lactobacilli on Rogosa Agar (respectively,-1.9,-1.5 and-2.8 log CFU/g of feces; P < 0.05). Results from the present study showed that emperor tamarins can tolerate high amounts of yogurt in their diet without showing any signs of lactose malabsorption (for example, soft feces or diarrhea). On the other hand, yogurt ingestion failed to exert any major influence on the animals' intestinal microbiota.