MadSci Network: Zoology
Query:

Re: What effects do the phases of the moon have on animal behavior?

Date: Sat Jan 27 18:07:33 2001
Posted By: Dr. Paramasivam Kumarasamy, Faculty, Zoology, The American College
Area of science: Zoology
ID: 977975480.Zo
Message:

Revolution of Moon around the Earth causes two major physical changes:

  1. The gravitational pull of Moon on the Earth causes the "tidal rhythms" of oceanic waters.
  2. As the Moon waxes and wanes the night time lunar light (Moon shine) varies.
Animal,s particularly those that live in the "intertidal zone" (such as crabs, clams etc. on the shore), exhibit an approximate 6 hour feeding rhythm even when the are kept under constant conditions (away from the shore) i.e. they exhibit what are called "circalunar rhythms" (refer to a popular book "Clocks that time us" written by Moore-Ede).

Except for this there are reports that traffic accidents, crime rate etc increase during full/new Moon days but with ambiguous claims.

The night time light intensity variations caused by Moon revolution seem have an influence on the foraging pattern of nocturnal animals in the wild. For example, I study the foraging activity of fruit bats ( Cynopterus sphinx), in which I observed that to avoid predation (by owls, night jars etc.) these bats spend little time flying under bright moon lit (as during full moon) nights compared to dark "star lit" (as during new moon) nights.


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