For the past 50 years, the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) has been a popular
animal model in numerous fields of research. The quail’s 16-d developmental period
and its easily accessible embryo make C. japonica a convenient model for studies of
developmental biology. Because its lifespan is relatively short and its physiology is
comparable to that of humans, the adult quail is useful for studies of aging and disease.
The authors describe the Japanese quail as an animal model and, drawing on their
experience raising a quail colony at the California Institute of Technology, present
detailed guidelines for the husbandry of the species