Building upon the success of previous editions of the bestselling Handbook of Laboratory Animal Science, first published in 1994, this latest revision combines all three volumes in one definitive guide. It covers the essential principles and practices of Laboratory Animal Science as well as selected animal models in scientific disciplines where much progress has been made in recent years. Each individual chapter focuses on an important subdiscipline of laboratory animal science, and the chapters can be read and used as stand-alone texts, with only limited necessity to consult other chapters for information.

With new contributors at the forefront of their fields, the book reflects the scientific and technological advances of the past decade. It also responds to advances in our understanding of animal behavior, emphasizing the importance of implementing the three Rs: replacing live animals with alternative methods, reducing the number of animals used, and refining techniques to minimize animal discomfort.

This fourth edition will be useful all over the world as a textbook for laboratory animal science courses for postgraduate and undergraduate students and as a handbook for scientists who work with animals in their research, for university veterinarians, and for other specialists in laboratory animal science.