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As an undergraduate research project in Biological Sciences, this student conducted research using one of our animals, Petey, the green iguana (Iguana iguana). Below is an abstract of her project.
People have incorporated animals into their lives for hundreds of years. For what reason have people been drawn to having pets? What positive influence do pets have on their human companions? Many researchers have proposed several ideas and have encountered numerous answers. The most prevalent work in this area has focused around dogs. The interaction between dog and human has consistently displayed a reducing effect on human blood pressure. Human heart rate and respiration have also been significantly tested while in the presence of a pet. It has been noted by previous researchers that dogs tend to have a therapeutic affect on humans. The presence of the pet alone has not been the only factor involved in various studies. Petting the animal as well as talking to it has also been quite significant. This project will further these ideas and add a factor that may extend our idea of the ideal house pet.
After reading and studying
many articles published in this area, I noted that the studies primarily
involved dogs. The question remained: would the presence of a
non-traditional pet have similar effects on human physiological responses?
In this study a green iguana, approximately three feet long, was part
of the primary stimulus. The purpose of introducing a non-traditional
pet was to demonstrate that animals, on a broader scale, also have positive
effects on humans. A crucial factor of this study was the socialization
time between the human and the iguana. For the use of comparison data,
a dog was used in this project. This study investigated how animals of
various types are a positive influence in people's lives.
Your questions, comments and suggestions
are welcome. E-mail Jana