Applicability of I.R. thermography to the measurement of stress in rabbit

Among the main physiological stress indicators, the body temperature evaluation is very important and innovative because it may be monitored without directly interacting with the animal. The use of thermographic system, which is based on the detection of infrared radiation emitted by a subject, is a suitable method in order to measure temperature without any contact. A thermographic system was employed in order to single out the rabbit skin’s zones most suitable for the temperature monitoring during stress challenges. 6 hybrid rabbits were observed during induced stress. The areas selected as reference are: the ocular area (globe and periocular area), the internal auricle pavilion, and a shaved area of the head. Preliminary results of this pilot study show that the thermographic technique is a suitable method for the evaluation of temperature variation on rabbit, according to the applied stressor.