This document provides taxonomic classifications for various laboratory animals. It begins by defining laboratory animals as any non-human members of the animal kingdom kept for experimental or observational purposes. It then defines an animal model as a living organism that resembles a human or animal pathological process. The document goes on to discuss the basic taxonomic hierarchy and provides clarification on terms like genus, species, breed, strain and variety. It also lists some of the most widely used laboratory animals, including mice, rats, guinea pigs and rabbits, and provides their full taxonomic classifications. Less widely used animals like fish, amphibians and birds are also briefly mentioned.
2. LABORATORY ANIMALS
Any non human member of animal kingdom
which is kept in captivity for experimental
or observational purposes
3. ANIMAL MODEL
A living organism with an inherited, naturally acquired, or
induced pathological process that in one or more respects
closely resembles the same phenomenon in humans (or
animals)
“A living organism in which normative biology or behaviour can be
studied, or in which a spontaneous or induced pathological process
can be investigated, and in which the phenomenon in one or more
respects resembles the same phenomenon in humans or other
species of animal”
6. GENUS
A group of animals (or plants), more closely related than a
family, but less similar than a species
Genus : Rattus
Rattus refers to all the rats in Family Muridae
The Muridae, or murids, are the largest family of rodents
and of mammals, containing around 300 genera and 1300
species
7. SPECIES
All domestic pet rats and
laboratory rats belong to a
single species
Rattus norvegicus
More than 65 species within
genus Rattus
8. BREED
A group of animals presumably related by descent from
common ancestors and visibly similar in most
characteristics
No separate breeds of rats
Beagle, Labrador Retriever, Doberman Pincher, etc. are
examples of dog breeds
9. STRAIN
Group of individuals which share a presumed common
ancestry and have clear-cut physiological but not
usually morphological distinctions
Rat strains – Wistar, Fisher, Sprague Dawley, etc. and
their hundreds of internal divisions
10. VARIETY
Group of animals that share a single physical trait
Rats with curly fur belong to the rex variety
Rats with low-set ears are called dumbo variety
Rats with thinner long coat with lustrous sheen is satin
variety
Rats without hair are called hairless variety
Tailless variety
Standard variety, etc.
13. ANIMALS USED IN RESEARCH
Most Widely Used (Mammals)
Mouse
Rat
Guinea Pig
Rabbit, Hamster, Gerbil, Ferret, Cat, Dog, Sheep, Pig, Non-
Human Primates, etc.
Less widely used
Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, Fishes, Nematodes, Molluscs,
Arthropods, etc.
14. MOST WIDELY USED LABORATORY ANIMALS –
MAMMALS
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
15. RODENTS (Order : Rodentia)
Mouse
Rat
Gerbil
Hamster
Guinea Pig
Family : Muridae
16. MOUSE (Mus musculus)
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Rodentia
Family : Muridae
Genus : Mus
Species : M. musculus
20
PAIRS
17. RAT (Rattus norvegicus)
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Rodentia
Family : Muridae
Genus : Rattus
Species : R. norvegicus
21
PAIRS
18. MONGOLIAN GERBIL (Meriones unguiculates)
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Rodentia
Family : Muridae
Genus : Meriones
Species : M. unguiculates
21
PAIRS
19. GOLDEN/ SYRIAN HAMSTER (Mesocricetus auratus)
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Rodentia
Family : Cricetidae
Genus : Mesocricetus
Species : M. auratus
22
PAIRS
20. GUINEA PIG (Cavia porcellus)
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Rodentia
Family : Caviidae
Genus : Cavia
Species : C. porcellus
32
PAIRS
21. RABBIT (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Lagomorpha
Family : Leporidae
Genus : Oryctolagus
Species : O. cuniculus
22
PAIRS
22. FERRET (Mustela putorius)
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Carnivora
Family : Mustelidae
Genus : Mustela
Species : M. putorius
20
PAIRS
23. CAT (Felis catus)
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Carnivora
Family : Felidae
Genus : Felis
Species : F. catus
19
PAIRS
24. DOG (Canis lupus familiaris)
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Carnivora
Family : Canidae
Genus : Canis
Species : C. lupus familiaris
39
PAIRS
25. Sheep (Ovis aries)
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae
Genus : Ovis
Species : O. aries
28
PAIRS
26. Pig (Sus scrofa domesticus)
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Suidae
Genus : Sus
Species : S. scrofa domesticus
19
PAIRS
27. NON-HUMAN PRIMATES (NHPs)
Mainly Rhesus macaque/monkey.
Great apes were used earlier. Now it has restrictions.
(Chimpanzees)
Lesser number of squirrel monkeys, marmosets,
tamarins, spider monkeys, owl monkeys, vervet
monkeys, baboons, etc. are used in Europe and US.
28. RHESUS MACAQUE (Macaca mulatta)
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Primates
Family : Cercopithecidae
Genus : Macaca
Species : M. mulatta
24
PAIRS
29. LESS WIDELY USED LABORATORY ANIMALS
Molluscs (Phylum : Mollusca)
Nematodes (Phylum : Nematoda)
Arthropods (Phylum : Arthropoda)
Reptiles (Phylum : Chordata, Class : Reptalia)
Amphibians (Phylum : Chordata, Class : Amphibia)
Birds (Phylum : Chordata, Class : Aves)
Fishes (Phylum : Chordata, Class : Chondrichthyes,
Osteichthyes)
30. LESS WIDELY USED LABORATORY ANIMALS
Freshwater Snail (Lymnaea stagnalis)
Nematode (Caenorhabditis elagans)
Common Fruit Fly (Drosophila melanogaster)
Crocodiles, Lizards, Turtles
African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis), Western Clawed
Frog (Xenopus tropicalis), Ornate Chorus Frog (Microhyla
fissipes)
Poultry, Zebra Finches, Canaries, Parrots, Parakeets, etc.
Zebrafish (Danio rerio)