Artificial light at night disturbs the activity and energy allocation of the common toad during the breeding period.

ABSTRACT: The presence of artificial light at night (ALAN) is currently a global phenomenon. By altering the photoperiod, ALAN may directly affect the physiology and behaviour of many organisms, such as the timing of daily rhythms, hormonal regulation, food intake, metabolism, migration and reproduction. Surprisingly while it is known that ALAN exposure strongly influences health of humans and laboratory animals, studies on wildlife remain scarce. Amphibians are one of the most nocturnal groups of vertebrates and exhibit an unfavourable conservation status in most parts of the world. In order to gain insight into the consequences of ALAN, we experimentally exposed 36 adult breeding male common toads, Bufo bufo, to a light intensity of 0.1, 5 or 20 lux for 20 days, to investigate the activity

SUBMITTER: Touzot M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6364289 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature