External factors controlling annual testosterone and thyroxine cycles in the edible dormouse Glis glis.

Annual patterns of hibernation, body weight, plasma testosterone and thyroxine were measured in two groups of edible dormice exposed to a constant photoperiod and to either environmental temperature (I), the four functions displayed annual cycles and the two hormonal cycles were parallel and restricted to the aroused state, while in group II only irregular infradian fluctuations were observed. However, a body temperature of 30 degrees C remained the critical lower limit enabling the start of the testosterone cycles for the two groups. Respective roles of endogenous and synchronizing mechanisms in controlling biological rhythms are discussed.