Totality during solar eclipses affects the behavior of insects, including fireflies and crickets, and prompts them to go into their nighttime routine. This phenomenon is only seen during total solar eclipses, when sunlight is temporarily blocked. Researchers with Cornell University and the University of Oxford have found that birds and insects reacted in surprising ways to the 2017 U. S. total solar eclipse. The Eclipse Soundscapes Project will revisit an eclipse study from almost 100 years ago, which showed that animals and insects are able to differentiate groups of birds or insects from rain clouds by analyzing the shape of the eclipse.
In August 2017, millions peered through protective eyewear at the solar eclipse, and some wildlife can sense when a partial solar eclipse is happening. In India, a similar study targeted bees, with rock bees stopping flying abruptly during totality events and starting behavior consistent with shutting down for the night. Crickets can be heard chirping and fireflies tend to stay in their hives.
When the sun vanished, insects, birds, and plants seemed to enter into something approaching a nocturnal pattern. They reported seeing unusual activity up to 50 minutes before the eclipse reached totality, with many flying creatures returning to ground. Plants and animals will begin to react in the lead-up to totality as the light begins to dim.
| Article | Description | Site |
|---|---|---|
| Total Eclipse of the Bugs | This means they stopped flying abruptly during totality, even though they were still flying as it got darker or lighter on either side of the … | celestron.com |
| Why do insects behave strangely during a total solar eclipse? | Totality during solar eclipses also affects the behavior of insects, from fireflies to crickets, and prompts them to go into their nighttime routine. | blogs.ifas.ufl.edu |
| Insects may react to Monday’s solar eclipse. Here’s what to … | Honeybees tend to stay in their hives, and basically shut down for what they perceive as the night. Crickets can be heard chirping and fireflies … | floridatoday.com |
📹 Weird Things Animals Do During Eclipses
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What Is The Behavior Of Insects During Solar Eclipse?
During total solar eclipses, animals exhibit behaviors typically associated with nighttime. Bees stop foraging and return to their hives, displaying signs of shutting down for the night. Crickets and other nocturnal insects begin vocalizing as light diminishes, responding rapidly to changes in their surroundings. Various studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that many species, including birds, insects, and even plants, behave in ways reflecting an evening routine during these events. For instance, crickets are known to chirp more as the light fades, while honeybees retreat to their hives as if sensing nightfall.
Research teams from Cornell University and the University of Oxford observed that the 2017 U. S. total solar eclipse altered the behaviors of birds and insects in unexpected ways. Birds often fall silent, and many animals may even exhibit signs of anxiety, pacing or clustering together. Some nocturnal creatures, such as moths, become active as the environment darkens, while spiders may engage in more trapping behaviors.
Interestingly, scientists noted that the actions of animals and insects seem to mimic nocturnal patterns during totality, creating an intriguing spectacle beyond the eclipse itself. Instances of increased activity or unexpected movements, like birds taking flight or insects emerging, can even be detected on radar. This phenomenon highlights how significantly total eclipses can impact animal behavior across various species.
Do Spiders Take Down Webs During An Eclipse?
During a total solar eclipse on July 11, 1991, in Veracruz, Mexico, researchers observed the behavior of colonial orb-weaving spiders (Metepeira incrassata) as they dismantled their webs, mimicking their nighttime activity. This behavior has historical precedence, with studies from the 1960s and 1970s noting similar responses in light-sensitive crustaceans and zooplankton, which swim upward toward darkness during eclipses. The researchers hypothesize that spiders perceive the eclipse-induced darkness as a cue to remove web sections, interpreting it as night.
Observations indicated that while orb-weaving spiders began to take down their webs during the eclipse's totality, those exposed to artificial light did not display this behavior, suggesting that the response to light conditions may vary by species. Past studies also documented bats emerging from roosts during totality and chimpanzees reacting to an annular eclipse in 1984. The study highlights a fascinating adaptation among these spiders, as they instinctively dismantle their prey-catching structures in response to the atmospheric darkness, only to rebuild them once sunlight returns.
This research underscores the intriguing ways in which creatures in nature adapt their behavior in response to environmental cues, exemplified by the orb-weavers' web dismantling during an eclipse, a phenomenon indicative of their natural rhythms and ecological interactions.
What Happens To Bees During A Solar Eclipse?
During a total solar eclipse, bees demonstrate a fascinating behavior: they abruptly stop flying and become completely silent. Citizen scientists involved in a recent study anticipated a gradual decrease in bee activity as light diminished. However, research conducted during the 2017 eclipse revealed that bees remained active until the moment of totality, after which they ceased all activity. As the eclipse darkened the environment, the bustling buzz of bees vanished; they returned to their hives, seemingly disoriented when sunlight reappeared.
This study utilized tiny microphones placed among flowers to capture the sound of bees throughout the eclipse's stages. The researchers noted that while bees foraged energetically during the partial phases, they exhibited a stark cessation of movement during totality. Previous research supported these findings, showing that bees rely heavily on environmental cues, responding to the abrupt darkness by retreating to their hives.
Bees possess their own circadian rhythms, typically adapting their foraging schedules to daylight. As the eclipse progressed, they misinterpreted the temporary darkness as nighttime, thus deciding to cease foraging altogether. It was only when the sun regained strength that their activities began to resume. This behavior mirrors those of other animals, like birds, which also tend to go quiet during eclipses.
Overall, this research highlights how significant environmental changes, like a solar eclipse, can override bees' natural instinctual behavior and internal clocks, prompting them to take cover in their hives until light returns.
What Happens To Pets During A Solar Eclipse?
During a solar eclipse, pets generally won't be adversely affected by the celestial event itself. However, if they attempt to look directly at the eclipse, they could suffer from eye damage and potentially blindness. To safeguard pets, it's advised to close curtains or blinds to prevent them from seeing the eclipse. Some animals may show altered behavior as the sky darkens; for instance, dogs might hide, howl, pace, or pant, while certain birds may stop flying and nocturnal creatures might emerge. Although domestic pets like dogs and cats are less likely to be impacted by the eclipse than livestock or wildlife, they could still experience anxiety or stress due to changes in their environment.
Veterinary experts recommend that pet owners prepare for potential distress signals from their animals, which might include pacing, panting, or whining. While the solar eclipse occurs for only a brief period, its unexpected darkness can disrupt an animal's routine and lead to agitation. For those concerned about their pets' well-being during the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, it's suggested to avoid bringing them into crowded areas or settings with high traffic.
Instead, creating a calm and safe space at home may alleviate anxiety. If pets exhibit signs of distress, it's crucial not to panic, as most will adjust quickly after the event. Overall, while pets are unlikely to be seriously affected, proactive measures can ensure they remain safe and comfortable during this unique astronomical event.
How Do Solar Eclipses Affect Animals?
A citizen science project aims to investigate animal behavior during solar eclipses, traditionally noted for prompting odd behaviors in wildlife. Anecdotal reports and studies indicate that animals, including birds and insects, respond to the darkness as if it were nighttime—birds become silent, while bees return to their hives. Historical observations have documented changes in a variety of species, such as giraffes and whales, during eclipses. As a total solar eclipse crosses the United States on August 21, millions of people will witness this phenomenon, while scientists study the impacts on animal and plant activity.
Animals generally initiate nighttime behaviors as totality approaches, with vocal creatures like frogs and crickets becoming more active. Dolphins, with their complex emotional systems, and chimpanzees may also exhibit behavioral changes during the eclipse. The sudden darkness and temperature drop can prompt wildlife to shift routines, affecting species that rely on sunlight for navigation, such as monarch butterflies.
Unfortunately, some wildlife shows signs of anxiety during an eclipse; giraffes, typically calm, may exhibit distress and gather their young closely. Research indicates that about 75% of observed species display behavioral reactions, primarily reverting to nighttime routines. Domesticated animals like dogs and cats might experience confusion or fear due to disrupted internal clocks. While many animals may not be significantly impacted, brief episodes of disorientation are likely to occur. Overall, this citizen science initiative enables a deeper understanding of how eclipses affect animal behavior, providing scientific validation to long-held observations.
What Happens During The 2017 Total Solar Eclipse?
On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse, famously known as the "Great American Eclipse," traversed North America, with a path of totality approximately 73 miles wide. Observers within this path experienced the moon completely covering the sun, an event that allowed the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, to be visible. As totality approached, notable changes in the environment occurred: birds began to flock, farm animals acted as if it were night by returning to their barns, and temperatures dropped significantly.
During this eclipse, a research team led by Nat Gopalswamy at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center utilized a novel camera capable of capturing multiple wavelengths of polarized light from the sun simultaneously, enhancing the understanding of solar phenomena. Various events marked the occasion, such as the "OSU150 Space Grant Festival" at Oregon State University, which celebrated the eclipse with activities and a watch party, and viewing events at the Historic Farewell Bend State Recreation Area in Huntington.
As the moon's shadow swept across the U. S., the temporary twilight altered the behavior of wildlife: crickets chirped, and flowers began to close. The atmospheric changes during the total eclipse provided a unique opportunity for scientific study, allowing astronomers to gather data on the sun’s corona and solar activity, shedding light on the mysteries of its unexpectedly high temperatures.
The phenomenon occurred along a narrow band across the country, darkening areas for a few minutes in the middle of the day. In totality, observers saw stars and glimpsed the solar corona, creating an awe-inspiring visual spectacle. This event marked the first total solar eclipse visible across the contiguous U. S. since 1918, drawing considerable attention and highlighting the captivating interplay between the Earth, moon, and sun.
How Does Totality Affect Insects During Solar Eclipses?
During total solar eclipses, a unique phenomenon occurs where insects like fireflies, crickets, and bees exhibit nighttime behaviors, mistaking the darkness for night. This distinct response to totality has been observed during events such as the 2017 U. S. eclipse, where researchers from Cornell University and the University of Oxford recorded notable changes in animal behavior. Insects displayed activities reminiscent of their nighttime routines, prompting observations of crickets chirping, frogs croaking, and bees returning to their hives as the eclipse darkened the sky. Some researchers likened the reaction of these insects to their behavior during dark storm clouds.
Elise Ricard, a representative for an eclipse project, noted that anecdotal evidence supports the notion that various animals and even plants react to totality, with significant bursts of activity observed as the sun is obscured. Many participants reported unusual insect and bird behavior, highlighting an eerie silence from typically active creatures, as daytimer birds and insects ceased activity moments before totality. This intriguing behavioral shift suggests that totality not only serves as a celestial spectacle but also as a fascinating natural trigger for various life forms on Earth.
As millions prepare to witness the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, scientists continue to explore how this event influences the activity of plants and animals, reaffirming the profound effect of celestial events on terrestrial life. The culmination of these observations underscores the interconnectedness of life and nature during such extraordinary occurrences.
Does A Solar Eclipse Affect Insects?
Totality during solar eclipses triggers a significant behavioral shift in various insects, such as fireflies and crickets, causing them to transition into their nighttime activities. This unique phenomenon occurs exclusively during total solar eclipses. Crepuscular and nocturnal insects like crickets respond promptly to fading light, vocalizing as it dims. Spiders also exhibit changes, such as ceasing web construction as darkness approaches, similar to their behavior at twilight.
While human actions remain largely unaffected by solar eclipses, the impact on insects and wildlife is profound. For example, during upcoming eclipses—like the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023, and the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024—the Eclipse Soundscapes Project aims to study these effects, revisiting findings from nearly a century ago. Past observations indicate that as darkness envelops the sky, nocturnal creatures like bats and birds begin to emerge, often seen on radar due to their increased numbers.
In contrast, diurnal insects, including bees, become less active, and flowers may close their petals. Research has noted moments of diminished wildlife activity, with bird feeders left empty and insects quieting down during the peak of totality. While still limited, studies suggest that a total eclipse acts as a cue for various species, marking a dramatic shift in behavior akin to evening routines, with insects especially responsive once sunlight dips significantly.
Do Ants Chirp During An Eclipse?
Research on animal behavior during solar eclipses is not new; historical reports from the 1850s and 1930s noted reactions like ants stopping abruptly and crickets chirping loudly. However, the 2017 total solar eclipse led to unprecedented data collection regarding these behaviors. Humans often observe eclipses alongside animals, including pets and wildlife. During the August 21, 2017 eclipse, numerous behaviors were documented, such as crickets chirping, owls hooting, and bees returning to their hives as darkness fell. Observations spanned from Missouri to North Dakota, highlighting distinct changes in animals during the eclipse.
Historically, reports describe ants freezing when the sun disappeared and other species displaying nocturnal patterns. For instance, honeybees commonly retreat to their hives, perceiving it as nighttime, while crickets can be heard chirping as darkness sets in. In more intelligent animals like chimpanzees and dolphins, there are indications of them stopping to watch the sky. Many animals, including rodents and large mammals, experience few eclipses throughout their lifetimes.
During the 2017 eclipse, participants noted behavioral shifts, with chickens becoming quiet and groups of hens gathering, while ants appeared to slow down or halt completely. Spiders dismantled webs, and bats took flight in the mid-afternoon, showcasing the unusual animal behaviors prompted by this celestial event. As another eclipse approaches, insects and other wildlife are expected to display similar reactions.
Why Do Birds Quiet Down During A Solar Eclipse?
Basado en informes que se remontan a los años 1500, los investigadores anticipan que las aves en época de cría se callarán durante un eclipse, según Pease. Este fenómeno se considera un mecanismo de defensa para evitar la detección de depredadores en periodos oscuros. La principal causa de estos efectos es un cambio significativo en los estímulos luminosos. Observaciones han documentado la ausencia de vida silvestre durante el pico del eclipse, como comederos de aves vacíos, insectos en silencio y flores cerrándose.
El oscurecimiento del cielo y la caída de temperaturas durante un eclipse pueden provocar que las aves, sensibles a la intensidad de la luz, modifiquen su comportamiento. Aunque han circulado numerosas anécdotas sobre el comportamiento animal durante eclipses totales, faltan pruebas científicas sólidas.
Reportes del pasado han descrito a aves diurnas en silencio durante la totalidad, mientras que aves nocturnas como búhos vocalizaban. Se observó que bandadas de aves playeras alzaban el vuelo sin regresar tras la totalidad. La mayoría de las aves son activas durante el día, buscando alimento e interactuando, pero al caer la noche muchas se silencian. Durante el eclipse solar que cruzó América del Norte en agosto de 2017, se registraron comportamientos inusuales en totalidad.
La oscuridad puede confundir a las aves, llevándolas a comportamientos anormales, como posarse en momentos inapropiados. Expertos sugieren que la oscuridad puede activar un comportamiento nocturno. Las aves interpretan el eclipse como un anochecer y suelen ir a descansar, reflejando su conexión natural con la luz y la oscuridad.
📹 CRAZY Spider & Insect Behaviors During the Solar Eclipse
Solar Eclipses are few and far between and we have heard a lot about how different animals may behave during the totality.
UPDATE: The Eclipse Soundscapes project is no longer sending audio recording devices to participants interested in contributing to their study. However, they are still actively recruiting observers! If you are interested in helping the Eclipse Soundscapes project uncover the secrets of animal behavior during this year’s solar eclipse, please go to eclipsesoundscapes.org/observer/
I experienced a 6 min long total solar eclipse in Guatemala in 1991, on a mountain in a jungle. It was in the middle of the day, and long enough that the temperature dropped noticeably. I was only expecting a visual experience, but the sounds of the wildlife reacting to it was just as memorable. That, and how all the local humans seemed to vanish afterwards.
I work for a soul crushing corporation. Even we got free eclipse glasses handed out so we could all go outside and observe. The animals in the area were probably like ‘wtf, there are over a thousand humans outside at the wrong time of day, all at once, and just standing there making sounds they never make!’
It reminds me of how when humans weren’t as advanced they were terrified by the solar eclipse, and were likely not sure what it was that was blocking the sun, but until we figured out it was the moon doing this, we became fascinated and excited by them, instead of scared. So I think if the animals somehow knew it was a normal thing for a eclipse, and it was only temporary they would probably act like they would normally.
I’ve been through many partial eclipses and the bird behavior really depends on how dark it gets. Flocking birds are the easiest to notice because they’ll go to their evening gathering points and chatter up a storm the way they usually do on a typical evening. If it gets dark enough, they’ll stop chattering entirely as if it’s about to be night. Solitary birds (woodpeckers, vultures, hawks, etc.) also do their evening/night behaviors, but they’re not as obvious to the average person as the chattering birds are. Looking forward to April’s eclipse.
I love how large groups of humans congregate and become much more sociable than normal. In our area, the birds were silent. Bugs were loud, but i’m not sure it was any more than normal for the time. I loved how the eclipse affected the shadows from the leaves in the tree. It reminded me of someone taking a photoshop image brush of the shape of the sun, and using it to create a textured shadow. It was eerily gorgeous.
I remember during the 2017 eclipse I had traveled into Nebraska and was perusal from a field near the road, and songs birds came swooping to trees, singing, went silent at totality, then began to sing more, and swooped back out into the sky. Like they were living through a day and night sped up. It was very interesting, looking forward to this year’s eclipse. 🙂
Fun anecdotal fact from my experience during the last big solar eclipse in the US. When it kicked off all the birds in the area started freaking out and singing super loudly, like they all wanted each other to notice what was going on. But when the full eclipse happened everything went totally silent. It felt like the whole world went still while we all stared skyward waiting to see if this would pass or if this was our new normal and the world would be shrouded in darkness forever
My first experience with an eclipse (partial) in 1970, the birds went absolutely bonkers when the sky darkened. I made a point to see the 2017 total eclipse and anticipated a cacophony of animal voices with the darkness. But not a peep. Not a chirp nor insect buzz. The silence was actually a bit unnerving. The first story is anecdotal, but I recorded the second so I have evidence of the silence.
I was on the beach in SC during 2017 in the path of totality. The birds did get loud and flew towards the inlet for bed. Also the crabs came out and ran along the beach like they normally do at night. The twilight sky color was amazing, but when the corona started shimmering and then the diamond ring….BREATHTAKING!!! 🌖🌗🌘🌑🌒🌓🌕
I went to Cairns, Australia in 2012 to view the eclipse down there, and we had our viewing from the balcony of a nature habitat. Many of us had our cameras trained on the various fauna in there and while the totality itself wasn’t much to look at (one annoying cloud in the way of an otherwise clear sky), the animals seemed to start going to sleep. Or perhaps they had no idea what to do because the sun had only come up an hour before so they freaked out and froze up. Either way the dead silence in a usually noisy greenhouse full of kookaburras and cassowaries was eerie.
Hey Cameron, make sure to listen out for the songbirds in April and get that repeat observation in! I do wonder, although complete eclipses are relatively rare, if we might be able to improve our sample sizes for these studies into animals with a bit of preparation. Perhaps if a bunch of scientists at different spots along the path of an eclipse took a common species (or handful of them) and all recorded down their behaviour at their point along the eclipse.
A few months ago, during the 2023 Annular eclipse, even though we weren’t in the Line Of Totality, the sunlight got noticeably dimmer at the apex. My nieces and I were perusal the eclipse through cereal boxes made into Eclipse Boxes, and my dad would come out and check every few minutes. During the apex, a few bees flying around us appeared lethargic, and one landed on me, and another on my dad, until it finished.
Given how great apes tend to look at the eclipse I’m tempted to show them sun visors which allow them to see the eclipse more clearly and study that reaction. We know that the others (great apes) can display emotions quite similiar to us in a more child like manor so seeing them realise what’s up with that weird thing and the eclipse may get some rather cool reactions from them.
I saw a total solar eclipse when I was three years old. I remember the whole experience clearly. Parents told me not to look at it with my bare eyes, but of course I did. And yep, all the animals around the house were freaking out. It’s not that complicated. No animal species developed an universal reaction to such a rare event. They all react individually, or follow their own group.
2:02 “Specific places can go north of 100 years without a total eclipse! Last total solar eclipse in the Netherlands: May 11, 1901 Next total solar eclipse in the Netherlands Oct 2135 Last one was nearly a century before I was born, next one is more than a century away still. You mffs in the US get like 3 intersecting paths of totality in a decade time. It’s not fair.
I seen some weird things too in 2017 eclipse. There was one kind of birds that came out and started flying around. And that kind of birds usually gets like blind when the sun goes down, and doesn’t rely on the city lights. I also heard some really weird sounds coming from some trenches that were dug up from the city development and had fences around them, so I never seen what made the sounds. But they were weird enough to be impossible to recreate humanly. It was like moans and screams at the same time but it was like it was coming out of a machine… But it was 21-22:00, dark outside, nobody was working on anything. It was 100 weird.
It would be a good time to gather psychology data on humans to learn how much of our primal senses are hard wired into our psychologically driven reactions to a cosmic event. Essentially the question to pose would be if a group of volunteers isolated themselves from information and external sources of knowledge that the solar eclipse was occuring, would they exhibit neurologically identifiable responses on an EEG reading?
During an eclipse everything goes dark for 2 minutes. The opposite of that is turning on a light in the middle of the night, and we don’t really see anything special. Why? Because as was stated we tend to hyperfocus on every detail and attribute it to the eclipse even if it was natural behaviour. Also i know lights during the night can be extremly harmful to animals like bats, but what im trying to say here is that your cat doesn’t start freaking out when you go to the toilet at night and turn the light on
Eclipses are rare and can occur anywhere on Earth so I can’t see one, “that’s bad”. But this one will be just outside my window since I live in upstate New York, “that’s good”. Unfortunately it will happen in April where it will probably be cloudy here, “that’s bad”. Since I live nearby I can drive on the thruway to a nearby city or town to see it if that doesn’t have clouds, “that’s good”. I have to look online to see if the near cities have clouds or rain and make sure I leave early enough and hope the roads aren’t too crowded, “can I go now?”
I saw the 2017 total eclipse in Tennessee. During the literal first 5 seconds of totality, all sorts of various animal sounds just suddenly went DEAD silent. Not a bird chirping, a frog ribbiting, nor a deer rustling leaves. White rubber room at the asylum kind of silence. It’s honestly really creepy.
one confounding factor that could be attributed to the variation of observations of the same species over time is that most of our observations are of animals in captivity, & animals in captivity will have a different culture over time — especially when the entire group of animals has been completely changed since the last eclipse i grew up on a farm & noticed that our hens all started making a lot of excited noise when the first birth of the year happened, & all the other animals joined in, every year. eventually the flock got culled (every bird butchered so the farm could be shut down and worked on for a year) & the next year we raised a new flock with no connection to the previous one, and they didn’t celebrate the first birth of the year
Evey animals perception is different. They will react depending on how their eyes filter light because the eclipse creates circular patterns of light that are not normal so most animals probably think they’re hallucinations. The birds singing and wolves howling leads me to believe they are asking eachother if they’re experiencing the same thing. The same way humans will give side eye to eachother in awkward situations, its uncommon so it would be hard to study and differs by culture
I witnessed a partial solar eclipse when I was a kid and during the maximum part of it a squirrel descended from a tree and started behaving in a way I can only assume was trying to start a fight with our cat. It made a lot of noise and aggressive postures. Our cat I think was too confused by this to do anything about it. As soon as the moon moved away it went straight back up the tree.
All the mosquitoes came out in swarms about 10 minutes before totality 4/8/24 in VT. It was all the sounds and sensations of night not just the sun going dark. Very surreal experience. Then a mere ten minutes later it was afternoon like nothing ever happened. I remember walking around thinking I had to sit down because I was so thrown out of whack by it all. I can only imagine what animals experience. People at the park where I watched had dogs but I didn’t really notice how they reacted.
I work at a park and a few people hung out there to watch the 2017 eclipse. While they were waiting, they asked me why there were so few male ducks around. I explained that they were around, they just didn’t look like males because they were in their eclipse plumage. The people were amazed that the birds grew special feathers just for the solar eclipse (until I told them what the term actually meant).
Really hoping I can get off work for this. My boss has said I’m first on the list to get off that day if it’s okayed, but honestly it’s only happening if the bosses take off too. Last time it crossed directly overhead and the entire downtown area was blocked off for the eclipse so it wasn’t a question, but this time it’s about a 4 hour drive away.
I saw the same I the middle of a field, all bird where mute caws were laying as they would sleeping its was amazing, like the very first days of the world. I was wis a big groups of people, and not a noise not a gasp. Its was giving goose pumps its was in 19, or 20, in south on Belgium as it was only visible to south I travelled there. I was 19years. I am 45 I never forgot this strange feeling.
Give chimps protective glasses, that’s all I got 😂 I just think some animals respond with stress n anxiety, displaying in different ways. Like the turtles, my first thought was they started mating because it was some sort of trigger to their instinct to pass on genes as fast as possible. That’s my theory
Remember there was a night time eclipse one time. I climbed on the roof to have a better view and as I turned to go back down, there was a stray cat just sitting there staring at me dead on locked eyes did not move an inch as as I proceeded to go down. Normally the stray cats in our area are very afraid around people. Sh*t scared me real good. Also at that night my mom was slaughtering a chicken for dinner and I kid you not, the chicken did not bleed. Not a drop.
And in Warrior Cats, I believe (I haven’t read the book) they just stare at it in horror and deny the existence of their religion We had an eclipse once, but I was pretty young when it happened, and everybody was hogging our one pair of glasses so I never got to see. I don’t think the birds were silent, but lets be real, they never seem to shut up. One of our cats was just like “yeah uh, don’t care.”
To be fair, when the solar eclipse happens, everything else is also weird. It’s bright but not bright, dark but not dark? Imagine you’ve never seen this happen before and it just happened one day. I genuinely thought I was dreaming when it happened. It was eerily quiet too in my memory or that it took my attention enough. But then I connected the dots. Imagine if you were some prehistoric person or an animal.
I don’t think it’d be weird at all if all of these behaviors were more or less random expressions of fear or confusion. Animals have a pretty steady rhythm of how they behave during which time of day and an eclipse would surely throw that for a loop. I mean early humans were probably very stumped about it as well and were somewhere between panicky and / or on the verge of establishing some World End cult around it. Also, since it is a pretty rare Event (in a set location) how would it be encoded in DNA?
During the time of the prophet muhammad (may peace be upon him) an eclipse came about, and the people said “this is because his son Ibrahim died” so he replied: “The sun and the moon are two signs of Allah; they are not eclipsed on account of anyone’s death or on account of anyone’s birth. So when you see them, glorify and supplicate Allah, observe the Prayer, give alms.” Thank you for sharing this article.
I think researchers just think too hard about this stuff. Animals and people are quite similar. If one person or animal starts doing something abnormal during rare events, then others usually copy them. We’re just lucky that we have rational thinking and more understanding. For instance there was a blood moon during a Roman Campaign into Greece. The Roman general who had studied the lunar cycle (since Romans had a lunar calendar and I don’t remember the specifics here) had the foresight to understand that this might be unusual to people, so he reported the event to his soldiers and the night passed quietly for them. Whilst the Greek army thought that the gods were angry at them, so morale was lowered. Then you have events like C19, where even rational people panicked.
CHAPTER-11: MICROSOFT POWERPOINT 2010-1 BRAIN DEVELOPER SECTION 4: THEORY QUESTIONS (UNSOLVED) 1. Presentation software is an application software, which is used to create multimedia presentations in the form of slide shows. A presentation is a collection of slides arranged in a sequential manner to convey, persuade, motivate, and entertain or to provide information. 2. A slide can be defined as a digital or an electronic page of a presentation. 3. The File tab launches the Microsoft Office Backstage View. This view allows us to create a new presentation, open an existing presentation, save, print, send, or close the presentation, Ribbon It is placed at the top area of the main window. It displays several tabs, such as File, Home, Insert, Design, Transitions, Animations, Slide Show, Review, View, and Acrobat. Each tab contains commands arranged into different groups. 4. A slide contains the following three basic elements: BACKGROUND: It is the base of a slide on which various elements like title, images, charts, etc. can be added. The background of a slide can be modified at any point of time TITLE: It is the heading of a slide which is used to guide the audience about the content of the slide. BODY TEXT: It contains the main content of the slide, generally formatted as a bulleted or numbered list. 5. The layout feature defines the basic structure of a slide and arranges your slide content. it provides you with different ways to position your text, images, and other graphic options.
I feel like the conclusion is a bit misleading. The fact that we should be careful to not be biased by our own reactions and expectations doesn’t necessarily imply that the research that has been gathered over time would likely be caused by that bias. Because then your reason would be biased again, but in the other extremity. The truth is we don’t know exactly and should be careful while gathering and reviewing the data
I was in Oregon at the big gathering. I saw an awful lot of people acting differently than normal, that’s for sure! But I didn’t really notice animals acting differently, it’s not like they were hanging out in the mass of humans, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they did. I’m sure they react to light levels just like humans do, it’s would be understandable and automatic, right? Or maybe like bears, they shrug their shoulders… meh. The totality doesn’t last that long anyway. “A day without sunshine is like… night.” — Steve Martin.
Id go on a wild guess here and say that some of the reactions animals have are similar to ancient humans thinking a diety or world ending disaster was causing the sun to black out so a ritual to prevent it must be made. It isnt too far fetched as some animals have been shown to have some almost primitive type of religious activities
this is an incredible evidence how indirectly motions in our solar system affects the biological life on earth on a semiperiodic sense. It would be a terrible mistake to ignore the biological life’s response to such events. Therefore, although not in the sense of astrology, but in the sense of semi or maybe full periodic effects from the typical periodic motion of planetary objects in our system (biggest would be the seasons), it is completely reasonable to expect that characteristics of individual members of a species might be shaped due to these motions and attain certain attributes over a year or so. Given enough time the biological response to such planetary motions might embeed in our system in such complex ways it would be extremely hard to pin point what is the mechanism behind it. It is so crucial to study such responses with a focus on interspecies scale. Not only among different animals species etc.
We think of religion and spirituality as purely hhuman but my guess is the behaviour is far more universal. There are the ones who clearly assume the sun has set and start nocturnal behaviour but then there are those that are clearly as bewildered as any primitive human would be as they likely have never even considered it possible
XD or we’re in a simulation and the animal.exe program hasn’t yet covered the behaviour file during an eclipse so it randomizes it to fill in the blanks… in all seriousness, what we see if probably just a shocked reaction from the animals because they’re thrown off from the change in their usual day cycle
@tarantulacollective, the music was so loud/quiet/horrible/distracting, that I now believe invertebrates will take over the world during the eclipse and become our benevolent overlords. Just kidding, thanks for all the interesting articles you do. You cover a lot of things like this that are not readily available anywhere else.