Midnight siesta

Australian zoologists have discovered that northern marsupial martens, considered nocturnal animals, regularly fall asleep briefly at midnight. Researchers believe that midnight sleep may be related to digestion.

The northern marsupial marten, or northern quoll ( Dasyurus hallucatus ) is an animal 25–35 centimeters long, with an elongated snout and a long tail. Over the past 80 years, these animals have disappeared from most of their range. The main cause of their death was the aga toad, introduced to Australia, whose skin mucus is poisonous to many animals. In 2003, a reserve population of this species was created on the uninhabited islands of Astell and Pobassu, a few kilometers off the northern coast of Australia. 64 marsupial martens were brought there, and by 2016 their number increased to a thousand.

New research published by Western Australia's Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions has found that northern marsupial martens regularly take a siesta around midnight. "They are active early in the night, then rest, and then get up and move again just before dawn," says co-author Harry Moore.

According to Harry Moore, the researchers were surprised to learn that this trend persisted across all populations of northern marsupial martens. Several theories have been proposed, including adaptation to lunar phases and avoidance of times when the moon shines brightest. But scientists consider the most likely simple explanation: night sleep may be due to the fact that animals digest food. “Like many of us, sometimes after a big meal we like to lie down and do our digestion,” explains Harry Moore.