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Photoperiodic Influence on the Hibernation of Jumping Mice
Author(s) -
Neumann Richard,
Cade Tom J.
Publication year - 1964
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1933855
Subject(s) - hibernation (computing) , darkness , biology , jumping , zoology , ecology , physiology , botany , state (computer science) , algorithm , computer science
On September 15, a group of 5 jumping mice was placed on 8 hr of light and 16 hr of darkness in a refrigerator at 2 to 5°C, and another group of 5 was put on the reverse light regime at the same temperature. The mice on short days fattened before hibernation, and they hibernated for longer periods (mean of 9.4 days) and were awake for shorter intervals (mean of 1.5 days) between bouts of hibernation than the long—day mice which hibernated for mean periods of 3.3 days and were awake for an interval of 2.9 days between bouts of hibernation. The long—day mice did not fatten before hibernation but lost weight until death ensued. These data indicate that some aspects of seasonal hibernation can be influenced by changes in photo period.