# Zones and points for Behavior recognition

Aim

When you use the Rat/Mouse Behavior Recognition function, defining a few special zones and points significantly increases behavior recognition accuracy.

▪Drinking spout points to detect drinking. See To define the drinking spout points

▪Feeder zones to detect eating behavior at the feeder. See To define the feeder zones

▪Wall zones to detect rearing to wall. See To define the wall zones

Prerequisites

▪You need the Rat or Mouse Behavior Recognition Module of EthoVision XT.

▪You have read important notes about behavior recognition. See Behavior Recognition: Requirements

▪In the Experiment Settings under Tracked features you selected Center-point, nose-point, and tail-base detection. Under Behavior Recognition, you selected one or more of the options Feeder, Drinking bottle, Arena walls. If one of the options is not selected, the corresponding layer is not added in the Arena Settings.

▪Make sure that the outline of the arena covers all possible regions where all detected body points of the animal can be, including when rearing. See Draw the arena for the procedure. Make sure that the aspect ratio of the video image is correct.

To define the drinking spout points

1.In the Arenas and Zones section, click 3. Select Shape and draw Zones (Optional).

2.Click the Drinking Spout Points zone group.

3. Click the Add Point button on the toolbar. The mouse pointer changes to a cross.

4.Click the background image to position the point.

5. In the Add Point window, accept the default name (Spout 1 for the first point), or enter another name. Then click OK.

Repeat the steps above to define more points.

tip To have a better view of the background image and locate the tip of the drinking spout more easily, in the Arenas and Zones section deselect the View option for the Arena and other zone groups.

To define the feeder zones

1.In the Arenas and Zones section, click 3. Select Shape and draw Zones (Optional).

2.Click the Feeder Zones zone group.

3. Using one or more drawing tools available on the toolbar, draw the outline of the feeder.

4. If the Auto-label zone option is activated, the zone is automatically named Feeder Zone 1. Right-click the label to rename it.

Repeat the steps 3-4 above to define more feeder zones.

To define the wall zones

All the high objects that the rat can use for supported rearing should be defined as wall zones.

1.In the Arenas and Zones section, click 3. Select Shape and draw Zones (Optional).

2.Click the Wall Zones zone group.

3.Using the polygon drawing tool, draw the outline of the floor of the arena.

It is important that all sides of the arena are included in the wall zone, also when the side walls are barely visible.

4.If the Auto-label zone option is activated, the zone is automatically named Wall Zone 1. Right-click the label to rename it.

5.Make sure that the zone label points to the arena walls in the video image. If it points to the inside of the arena, move the label.

When the camera is not centered on the arena, like in a multiple arena setup, side walls may be partly or totally hidden. Draw the polygon in such a way that the wall zone also covers those regions.

Notes

▪In the Drinking Spout Points group, you can only define points, not zones.

▪You cannot delete one of the zone groups Drinking Spout Points, Feeder Zones and Wall Zones. You can delete the zone/point label, but the zone group itself remains. To delete a group, deselect the corresponding option under Behavior Recognition in the Experiment Settings.