RECURRENT BREEDING SEASONS IN PINEALECTOMIZED OR OPTIC-NERVE-SECTIONED FERRETS

Abstract

The breeding seasons of two groups of pinealectomized ferrets and one group of blind ferrets, with appropriate controls, were observed for up to 5 years after the operations. All animals showed recurrent breeding seasons. Both pinealectomized and blind animals became increasingly asynchronous after the first season, but showed no evidence of a free-running, endogenous circannual periodicity nor of synchronization to light or other environmental cues.