Fluxman S, Haim A
University of Haifa, Oranim, Kiryat Tivon, Israel.
Chronobiol Int. 1993 Jun;10(3):159-64. doi: 10.3109/07420529309073884.
Two species of spiny mice of the genus Acomys--the golden spiny A. russatus and the common spiny A. cahirinus--are sympatric in the arid and hot parts of the Rift Valley in Israel. The coexistence of these two species is due to exclusion of A. russatus mice by A. cahirinus mice from nocturnal activity. The aim of this research was to study if odor signals released by A. cahirinus mice can play a role in the exclusion of A. russatus mice. A. russatus mice with an implanted transmitter recording body temperature (Tb) were kept alone in a metabolic chamber under constant conditions of ambient temperature (27 degrees C) and photoperiod (12 h light:12 h dark). After 5 days of recording, chemical signals from an A. cahirinus mouse were added through the air tube going into the metabolic chamber of the A. russatus mice. This treatment caused a shift of approximately 2 h in Tb daily rhythm of the naive tested A. russatus mice, whereas no shift was observed in A. russatus mice that had been kept in the same room with the A. cahirinus mouse before measurements. These results strongly support the idea that chemical signals released by A. cahirinus mice can entrain the Tb rhythms of A. russatus mice. Therefore, it may be assumed that the exclusion of A. russatus mice from nocturnal activity by A. cahirinus mice could be achieved through the odor released by the latter.
刺巢鼠属（Acomys）的两种刺毛鼠——金刺毛鼠（A. russatus）和普通刺毛鼠（A. cahirinus）——在以色列裂谷炎热干旱的地区同域分布。这两个物种的共存是由于普通刺毛鼠在夜间活动中将金刺毛鼠排挤在外。本研究的目的是探究普通刺毛鼠释放的气味信号是否在排挤金刺毛鼠的过程中发挥作用。将植入了记录体温（Tb）的发射器的金刺毛鼠单独置于代谢室中，使其处于环境温度（27摄氏度）和光周期（12小时光照：12小时黑暗）恒定的条件下。记录5天后，通过通入金刺毛鼠代谢室的空气管添加来自一只普通刺毛鼠的化学信号。这种处理使未经测试的金刺毛鼠的Tb日节律发生了约2小时的偏移，而在测量前与普通刺毛鼠饲养在同一房间的金刺毛鼠中未观察到节律偏移。这些结果有力地支持了普通刺毛鼠释放的化学信号能够调节金刺毛鼠Tb节律的观点。因此，可以推测普通刺毛鼠通过释放气味将金刺毛鼠排挤在夜间活动之外。
