An actograph for small laboratory animals controlled by a personal computer

This system for measuring behavioral activity and for its analysis by personal computer as the recording device of the actograph was developed in order to measure the drinking activity and the feeding activity of small laboratory animals. According to the results of the measurement on male DBA/2J mice with this actograph, 84.0% of the drinking activity occurred in the dark period while 16.0% in the light period, and the amount of water drunk by the mouse was about 5.7 ml/day under the conditions of a 12 hour light period and 12 hour dark period. Under the same conditions, 79.6% of the feeding activity took place in the dark period and 20.4% in the light period. Also there was a positive correlation between both activities.