Artificial light at night alters behavior in laboratory and wild animals

Exposure to artificial light at night may disrupt circadian and seasonal behavior in wildlife.

• Laboratory studies indicate that nocturnal rodents exposed to light at night alter their daily activity patterns, shifting foraging to daytime.
• Even dim light at night appears to reduce anxiety-like behaviors in nocturnal rodents, leading to maladaptive responses in their natural environments.
• Photoperiodic animals may struggle to detect seasonal changes due to light at night, which could mislead them about day length.
• This disruption in natural behaviors could potentially decrease individual fitness and alter ecosystem dynamics.

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