x. Other animals

27 November 2005 at 03:59 | Posted in Circadian rhythm | Leave a comment
Tags: Body clock, Daylength, Hamsters

 

                     Siberian hamsters in their summer and winter coats

 

 

Different organisms have different uses for day/night information.

 

By keeping their body clocks running correctly, some animals can stay hidden when their most dangerous predators are out and about.  Conversely, the early bird gets the worm, which is great for those who eat worms.  Day/night information is also daylength information.  It can tell a bird when to migrate or when to exchange brown feathers for white ones.  If it is important for an animal to have its babies in the springtime, the information about daylength will tell when’s the best time to start making babies.  Melatonin and the “body clock” are implicated in all of this.

 

 

_________________________________________________

Next post:  xi. My diagnosis!

_________________________________________________