Inherent rhythms of activity of the northern flying squirrel in relation to illumination and to lunar and solar photoperiodism
department or school: Science, Faculty of
department or school: Zoology, Department of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Radvanyi, Andrew
issued: 2012-02-20T20:54:56Z
issued: 1959
related degree: Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: For more than three and one-half years a study was made of the amount of locomotor activity of the northern flying squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus (Shaw). These nocturnal animals were studied in captivity under both natural climatic (outdoor) and controlled artificial (indoor) environmental conditions. Over a sixteen month period, 1285 observations were made under all kinds of weather upon the time at which flying squirrels became active. The average "awakening" time was 35.4 minutes after sunset. Spontaneous locomotor activity, of both individual and groups of flying squirrels, were recorded under natural climatic conditions by means of activity wheels, a treadle-board activity recorder, and an electronic vibration amplifier. Under these outside conditions an inverse relationship exists between the level of activity and the intensity of the nocturnal illumination. Locomotor activity was at a high level between the last and first quarter phases of the moon and declined markedly at full moon, or just afterwards. The relationship appeared to be unaltered by temperature, vapor pressure, the season, or the sex of the animal. The internal physiological "clock" governing this activity cycle persisted even after nine months under constant environmental conditions in which only the light was manipulated to produce 2-3 month periods of continuous light, continuous darkness, or light-dark periods in normal or reversed sequences. In later experiments manipulation of artificial moonlight was used to produce in the animals cycles of activity corresponding to lunar cycles of normal duration and lengthened cycles of 40-days duration or shortened cycles as brief as 7-days in duration. Under 8-hours light and 8-hours darkness (a 16-hour day instead of a 24-hour day), responsiveness differed markedly from the previous experiments i. e. the animals became almost as active under illumination as under darkness. Only after two months under these conditions did daylight activity begin to dec…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/40823
note: %\\t ptmui>rstij| of ^ t o t a l i Qlolumbta Faculty oi Graduate Studies PROGRAMME OF THE FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION FOR THE D E G R E E OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY °t ANDRAS (ANDREW) RADVANYI B. A., McMaster University, 1951 M. Sc., McMaster University, 1955 IN ROOM 187A, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES BUILDING FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1959 at 3:30 P. M. COMMITTEE IN CHARGE DEAN W. H. GAGE: Chairman J. R. ADAMS W. D. KITTS H. ADASKIN G. G. E . SCUDDER J. F. BENDELL A. J. WOOD I. McT. COWAN External Examiner: A. STAKKER LEOPOLD University of California INHERENT RHYTHMS OF ACTIVITY OF THE NORTHERN FLYING SQUIRREL IN RELATION TO ILLUMINATION AND T O LUNAR AND SOLAR PHOTOPERIODISM A B S T R A C T For more than three and one-half years a study was made of the amount of locomotor activity of the northern flying squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus (Shaw). These nocturnal animals were stud-ied in captivity under both natural climatic (outdoor) and controlled artificial (indoor) environmental conditions. Over a sixteen month period, 1285 observations were made under all kinds of weather upon the time at which flying squirrels became active. The average "awakening" time was 35.4 minutes after sunset. Spontaneous locomotor activity, of both individual and groups of flying squirrels, were recorded under natural climatic conditions by means of activity wheels, a treadle-board activity recorder, and an electronic vibration amplifier. Under these out-side conditions an inverse relationship exists between the level of activity and the intensity of the mocturnal illumination. Locomotor activity was at a high level between the last and first quarter phases of the moon and declined markedly at full moon, or just afterwards. The relationship appeared to be unaltered by temperature, vapor pressure, the season, or the sex of the animal. The internal physiological "clock" governing this activity cycle persisted even after nine months under constant environmental conditions in which only the light was manipulated to prod…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0106516
language: eng
degree discipline: Zoology
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
scholar level: Graduate
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/40823