ABSTRACT
One of the significant challenges of maintaining animals in captivity is the development of abnormal behavior in some individuals. The presence of abnormal behavior is often construed as a marker for ill being, indicating some adverse exposure to psychosocial stress. Abnormal behavior is any pattern of activity that differs from some standard. The ethological standard focuses on species-typical behaviors that have been shaped by natural selection. Abnormal behavior patterns are classified into four broad categories: stereotypic behaviors, which include locomotor, mouth-directed, and body-directed activities; dangerous self-directed behaviors that can cause tissue damage; affective behaviors indicative of abnormal mood states; and displacement activities. An association between painful disorders and the development of abnormal behavior has been noted in some animals.
