The thermoregulatory and metabolic responses to photoperiod manipulations of the macedonian mouse (Mus macedonicus), a post-fire invader

摘要

1. The Macedonian mouse (Mus macedonicus), a small (15 g) mesic rodent distributed in the Mediterranean ecosystem, is a species which invades post fire habitats in the first stages of habitat recovery. 2. In order to assess the seasonal acclimatization of thermoregulatory and metabolic mechanisms, the response of several physiological variables to photoperiod manipulations under a constant T_a were studied. 3. Our results show that mice acclimated to a short photoperiod increased their resistance to cold. while acclimation to a long photoperiod increased their resistance to high T_a~S and the effectiveness of their thermoregulatory mechanisms. Body mass increased in mice acclimated to a short photoperiod. We conclude that photo period is an important environmental cue for seasonal acclimatization of thermoregulatory and metabolic mechanisms in this species.