{"id":16958,"date":"2024-03-14T12:47:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-14T12:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/14\/some-perplexing-animal-mysteries-stumped-scientists-during-the-2017-eclipse-heres-why\/"},"modified":"2024-03-14T12:47:00","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T12:47:00","slug":"some-perplexing-animal-mysteries-stumped-scientists-during-the-2017-eclipse-heres-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/14\/some-perplexing-animal-mysteries-stumped-scientists-during-the-2017-eclipse-heres-why\/","title":{"rendered":"Some perplexing animal mysteries stumped scientists during the 2017 eclipse. Here\u2019s why"},"content":{"rendered":"
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During the\u00a0Great American Eclipse of 2017, zoo animals acting strangely took researchers by surprise \u2014 the giraffes gathered and broke into a gallop, the Gal\u00e1pagos tortoises began to mate, and the gorillas started to get ready for bed. <\/p>\n

These odd behaviors were just a few of several anomalies that scientists stationed at the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina, observed during the historic solar event spanning the United States, according to a\u00a0March 2020 report. <\/p>\n

\u201cGiraffes are kind of delicate, they don\u2019t run a lot. When they run, it\u2019s because they\u2019re running from a predator or something like that,\u201d said lead study author\u00a0<\/strong>Dr. Adam\u00a0Hartstone-Rose, professor of biological sciences at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was kind of amazing and mind-blowing,\u201d he said. Animal keepers at the\u00a0Nashville Zoo at Grassmere\u00a0also documented giraffes galloping during the brief moments in 2017 when the sky darkened in the middle of the day. <\/p>\n

With the upcoming solar eclipse on April 8, the researchers plan to build upon their past study at a different zoo located within the path of totality. That\u2019s the swath of Mexico, the US and Canada that the moon\u2019s shadow will cross, obscuring the sun for\u00a0three or four minutes\u00a0at a time at geographical points along the way. <\/p>\n

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Related article<\/span> Why the 2024 eclipse will be a different experience from 2017<\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

And you can help scientists unlock the mysteries of these unusual behaviors. While many people prepare to look to the sky for the dazzling event, others may want to take a few moments to watch the critters in their own backyard, said Hartstone-Rose, who is one of the principal investigators of\u00a0Solar Eclipse Safari, a citizen project aiming to collect observations from people viewing the eclipse across the entire path. <\/p>\n

Get involved in unraveling animal secrets<\/h3>\n

Hartstone-Rose plans to bring a team of graduate student researchers to the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas, which will experience the solar eclipse on April 8 from about 12:22 p.m. to 3:01 p.m. CT, with the moment of totality occurring for nearly 2 \u00bd minutes at 1:40 p.m. CT,\u00a0according to NASA. The researchers will study certain animals to determine whether they repeat the same odd behaviors. But members of the public also can help with their own research. <\/p>\n

And regular folks won\u2019t just be watching at a zoo. The citizen project calls for observations from all sorts of environments, including cities with pigeons and squirrels, mountain ecosystems with woodland critters, farms with livestock, and more. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere could be all sorts of things. We\u2019re hoping that we even get kids watching their dogs in their backyard and seeing if their dogs behave interestingly during the eclipse,\u201d Hartstone-Rose said. <\/p>\n

The path of totality spans across\u00a0more than a dozen US states, but even someone who is not directly on the path will most likely experience some percentage of the sun being covered by the moon. Hartstone-Rose is interested in reports from across North America to determine whether some animals only respond at a certain percentage of the sun\u2019s coverage, he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a project that anybody anywhere on the path of totality, or even not in the path of totality, could do using\u00a0our protocols\u00a0and contribute data to our study, and help us understand more broadly how animals behave during the eclipse,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n

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Related article<\/span> What to expect during April\u2019s total solar eclipse<\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

But that\u2019s not the only way citizen scientists can get involved. You could also join NASA\u2019s\u00a0Eclipse Soundscapes Project. The space agency will collect observations from the public on animal behaviors as well as human reactions to the eclipse through written multisensory reports \u2014 such as what the observer saw, heard or felt \u2014 and audio recordings of the environment during the solar event. <\/p>\n

Total solar eclipses are infrequent events that provide scientists with rare opportunities to collect data on behavioral responses to the phenomenon, said Kelsey Perrett, communications coordinator for the Eclipse Soundscapes Project. The next total solar eclipse that will be visible across the contiguous United States won\u2019t appear until August 2044. <\/p>\n

Why do animals react to the eclipse?<\/h3>\n

Reports of animals acting strangely during a solar eclipse date back hundreds of years,\u00a0according to NASA, but the causes and effects of the unusual behaviors are not fully understood. <\/p>\n

The researchers studied 17 species during the 2017 event and found behavioral responses to the eclipse in approximately 75% of the zoo animals observed, with the majority either displaying evening activities or behaviors that signal anxiety. <\/p>\n

Hartstone-Rose believes there are two possible reasons for the animals\u2019 responses to the eclipse. First, the animals were reacting to the natural light dimming and the temperature dropping as the sun disappeared behind the moon. Second, the animals were reacting to the crowd of zoo goers\u2019 excitement and commotion while the eclipse was happening. <\/p>\n

The moon\u2019s interference with daylight caused by a total solar eclipse likely affects animals because of what is known as circadian rhythm, the internal biological 24-hour clock that tells a person or an animal how to respond to the amount of light they are receiving, said Dr. Bryan\u00a0Pijanowski, professor of forestry and natural resources and the director for the\u00a0Center for Global Soundscapes\u00a0at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. He was not involved in the March 2020 study. <\/p>\n

\u201cMost animals respond to (the light dimming from the eclipse) in a way where it\u2019s like, \u2018OK, it\u2019s time to either sit down and rest and go to sleep.\u2019 \u2026 And then there are the nocturnal animals that suddenly say, \u2018oh, it\u2019s time for me to wake up and be active,\u2019\u201d he added. <\/p>\n

A better understanding of how animals respond to the eclipse could inspire further research on how animals, particularly insects, are affected by light pollution,\u00a0said Pijanowski, who is also part of the science advisory board for the Soundscapes Project. <\/p>\n

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Related article<\/span> Moths actually aren\u2019t drawn to light as previously thought, study finds<\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

How have animals reacted during past eclipse events?<\/h3>\n

The most consolidated study is from nearly 100 years ago, when a team of scientists led by\u00a0entomologist William M. Wheeler\u00a0collected almost\u00a0500 observations\u00a0from the public. For example, people told the researchers that during the August 1932 eclipse\u2019s totality they noticed crickets chirping as if it were nighttime and bees attempting to return to their hives. The study, published in March 1935, also included observations of mammals, birds and cold-blooded vertebrates. <\/p>\n

Researchers have made additional observations of specific animals\u2019 reactions over the years during solar eclipse events, including studies of captive\u00a0baboons\u00a0that increased grooming behaviors,\u00a0brown pelicans\u00a0that began to roost,\u00a0colonial orb-weaver spiders\u00a0that took down their webs and certain\u00a0amphibians\u00a0that became more vocal. <\/p>\n

Hartstone-Rose plans to have researchers stationed near the giraffe enclosure in April to see whether the galloping behavior occurs again and is hoping people stationed at other zoos will do the same. <\/p>\n

A few of the other animals the research team will be scrutinizing include reptiles \u2014 particularly tortoises, to see whether the typically slow-moving giants will become more active \u2014 as well as primates, such as bonobos, which tend to have sex when under stress, Hartstone-Rose said. <\/p>\n

Watching the eclipse at a zoo<\/h3>\n

The researchers will have to be aware of the limitations of crowd participation impacting the findings when it comes to observing animal behavior at the Fort Worth Zoo this year, Hartstone-Rose said. But he hopes there will be plenty of other observations from people who are not near crowds. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the nature of the beast. Eclipses are super exciting. We don\u2019t want to do anything that diminishes people\u2019s excitement during the eclipse,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

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Related article<\/span> Here\u2019s what can happen when you view an eclipse incorrectly \u2014 and how to avoid that this April<\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The zookeepers also will contribute to data by observing animals within their area of expertise, said John Griffioen, assistant director of animal programs and conservation at Fort Worth Zoo. <\/p>\n

The highly vocal animals of the zoo that communicate with one another often, such as the elephants, flamingos and parrots, will be of particular interest, Griffioen said, to determine whether the totality causes the animals to become quieter or louder. <\/p>\n

In addition to the Fort Worth Zoo,\u00a0several zoos across the path of totality have announced events open to the public for eclipse viewing, including the Buffalo Zoo in New York, the Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas, the Toledo Zoo in Ohio and the Indianapolis Zoo. <\/p>\n

How you can help NASA with research<\/h3>\n

The Eclipse Soundscapes Project began last October with the annular eclipse, also known as the \u201cring of fire.\u201d More than 800 people participated in the project, Perrett said. The space agency is expecting far larger numbers for the 2024 total solar eclipse \u2014 nearly 2,500 people have already signed up, she added. <\/p>\n

Wheeler\u2019s 1935 citizen study inspired the project,\u00a0according to the website.\u00a0The space agency\u2019s\u00a0researchers are particularly interested in studying crickets and other vocal nocturnal insects to find out whether they will begin chirping as the moon shrouds the sun, Perrett\u00a0said. <\/p>\n

The NASA project is open to all volunteer participants, including those who are blind or have low vision, according to the\u00a0news release.\u00a0What\u2019s more, it\u2019s not necessary to have an animal within eyesight to take good observations, as listening is also an important sense to use during the eclipse,\u00a0Pijanowski\u00a0said. <\/p>\n

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\u201cIf we get even a handful of people who go out and experience the eclipse in a new way, we\u2019ll consider it a success,\u201d Perrett said in an email. \u201cWhen it comes to data, it\u2019s the more the merrier. The more people who participate, the better we can answer\u00a0our questions about how solar eclipses impact life on Earth.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Solar Eclipse Safari and Eclipse Soundscapes Project will capture the public\u2019s observations through forms found on their respective websites. But if you are just looking to take in the \u201conce in a lifetime\u201d solar event for yourself, that\u2019s fine, too, Hartstone-Rose said. <\/p>\n

\u201c(During a total solar eclipse) you have so many different ways the light is scattering, so there\u2019s these beautiful colors of orange and purple and green. \u2026 The wind speed drops and becomes very, very calm. And so everything happens within a very short time period, all at the same time,\u201d Pijanowski said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a great human sensory experience to be in the middle of a total solar eclipse.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

This post appeared first on cnn.com<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During the\u00a0Great American Eclipse of 2017, zoo animals acting strangely took researchers by surprise \u2014 the giraffes gathered and broke into a gallop, the Gal\u00e1pagos tortoises began to mate, and the gorillas started to get ready for bed. These odd behaviors were just a few of several anomalies that scientists stationed at the Riverbanks Zoo <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":16959,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-16958","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16958"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16958\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}