Golden hamsters are nocturnal in captivity but diurnal in nature.
Daily activity rhythms are nearly universal among animals and their specific pattern is an adaptation of each species to its ecological niche. Owing to the extremely consistent nocturnal patterns of activity shown by golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) in the laboratory, this species is a prime model for studying the mechanisms controlling circadian rhythms. In contrast to laboratory data, we discovered that female hamsters in the wild were almost exclusively diurnal. These results raise many questions about the ecological variables that shape the activity patterns in golden hamsters and the differences between laboratory and field results.
Gattermann
Rolf
R
Institute of Zoology, Martin-Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Domplatz 4, 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany.
Johnston
Robert E
RE
Yigit
Nuri
N
Fritzsche
Peter
P
Larimer
Samantha
S
Ozkurt
Sakir
S
Neumann
Karsten
K
Song
Zhimin
Z
Colak
Ercüment
E
Johnston
Joan
J
McPhee
M Elsbeth
ME
D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory / Q000502:physiology*; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000502:physiology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D008647:Mesocricetus / Q000502:physiology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D019370:Observation; D014421:Turkey