Abstract
The golden spiny mouse Acomys russatus is a rock dwelling rodent which lives in extremely arid and hot habitats. In Israel it is nocturnal except in areas in which it coexists with the common spiny mouse A. cahirinus. In such places it is diurnal. The daily rhythms of body temperature (T b) and oxygen consumption (VO 2) were compared in mice acclimated to two different photoperiod regimes in the laboratory: 8L:16D (short day) and 16L:8D (long day) at a constant ambient temperature. The daily rhythms of VO 2 and of T b in A. russatus were found to differ greatly under long and short photoperiod. Both parameters peaked at lights-out under both photoperiod regimes. In short day acclimated mice the effect of transmitter implantation was also studied. VO 2 values at night were lower after implanting. The results of this study show that T b and VO 2 rhythms are altered by the lighting regimes. Seasonal acclimatization of thermoregulatory mechanisms in the golden spiny mouse are partly induced by changes in photoperiodicity.
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