Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
Proc Biol Sci. 2023 Apr 26;290(1997):20230526. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0526. Epub 2023 Apr 19.
Rodents are integral components of ecosystems as they provide several important ecosystem services. Despite their importance as prey, pollinators and seed distributors, African rodents are largely understudied. The effect of anthropogenic changes such as artificial light at night extends past urban areas to peri-urban and rural habitats, and can have profound effects on entire ecosystems. We investigated the effect of dim light at night (dLAN) on the locomotor activity rhythms of the African pygmy mouse (). Pygmy mice showed a dramatic, intensity-dependent reduction in their locomotor activity when subjected to dLAN, which was accompanied by a delay in the activity onset. We also considered masking responses with a dark pulse (DP) during the day and a light pulse at night. All animals became inactive in response to a light pulse during the night, whereas approximately half of the animals showed activity during a DP in the day. Our results suggest that the African pygmy mouse is highly sensitive to light and that their activity is strongly masked by light. In their natural environment, vegetation could shield pygmy mice against high light levels; however, other anthropogenic disturbances can alter the behaviour of these animals and could affect their survival.
啮齿动物是生态系统的重要组成部分，因为它们提供了几种重要的生态系统服务。尽管非洲啮齿动物作为猎物、传粉者和种子传播者具有重要意义，但它们在很大程度上仍未得到充分研究。人工夜间照明等人为变化的影响不仅局限于城市地区，还延伸到城市周边和农村栖息地，对整个生态系统可能产生深远影响。我们研究了夜间弱光 (dLAN) 对非洲小囊鼠 () 运动活动节律的影响。小囊鼠在受到 dLAN 照射时，其运动活动明显且强度依赖性降低，同时活动开始时间延迟。我们还考虑了白天用暗脉冲 (DP) 和夜间用光脉冲进行掩蔽反应。所有动物在夜间对光脉冲均无反应，而在白天，大约有一半的动物在 DP 期间表现出活动。我们的研究结果表明，非洲小囊鼠对光非常敏感，其活动受到光的强烈掩蔽。在其自然环境中，植被可能会使小囊鼠免受高强度光照的影响；然而，其他人为干扰可能会改变这些动物的行为，并可能影响它们的生存。
