Desert rats seek darkness

1992/11/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ekologia

a group of iologists analyze the behavior of the kangaroo rat. The behavior depends on the different phases of the moon.

Scientists have always thought that animals flee the moonlight because the risk of being caught is greater, but this has never been proven.

A group of biologists explores the behavior of the kangaroo rat (Dipodomys sp) in the desert of Palma de California. The behavior depends on the different phases of the moon. For example, when there is full moon this night rodent remains in its nest.

Martin Daly and his research team at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, have spent ten years studying California desert rat kangaroos via radio waves. Thus, when there is a new moon, the animal leaves its nest without fear, but does not do the same when there is full moon.

In the middle of the moon, the kangaroo rat has an increased risk of being in the hands of other older animals or snakes. Moreover, when the moon is full, the early morning or the afternoon is more likely to be caught than when there is daylight.