From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2006-03-22 17:30:16 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] scotobiology
To: ferret-list@cunyvm.cuny.edu, FHL <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Given the melatonin discussions and increasing evidence of the many
useful functions of melatonin in bodies, the ancestral dawn and dusk
activity for ferrets, and the ever increasing work on negative health
impacts of too much light exposure for a wide range of mammals
(including ferrets and humans) I figured that these would be interest:
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20060318/bob10.asp
(This one may not be available to all viewers until next week, but I
think it should be available now. It affects most of us more than
the parks, but you get the point about degrees.)
http://www2.nature.nps.gov/air/lightscapes/
http://www.inquinamentoluminoso.it/worldatlas/pages/fig1.htm
(Here is a satellite view of how darkness levels vary at night around
the globe. It is very intriguing that not all industrial world
populated areas are as bright as others. For instance, although we
are in an area which is suburban and near preserves including a
national one, the region is close enough to NYC and highly populated
enough that it is far brighter than even the cities of Australia
which I guess either means that they are much less populated or they
are doing something very right in terms of light pollution, or both.)
In so much of the human range we have made night no longer night for
all species.
You can learn more by searching on such terms as:
scotobiology
and
melatonin
To see more on various functions of melatonin in bodies:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
One of our ferrets is currently not sleeping in darkness as much as
he should, but it is short term. While I have had influenza Hilbert
(who is typically trustworthy for not getting himself into harm's
way) has been lying down on the floor about 5 feet away from me and
guarding me very often during the fevers. Ferrets are so marvelous.
Steve and I did it for him when he was ill and now he is doing it for
me.
-- Sukie (not a vet)
Ferret Health List co-moderator
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives fan
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
replacing
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International Ferret Congress advisor
http://www.ferretcongress.org
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