Yes they can.
In labs you often put rodents (active during the night, sleep during the day) in reverse cycle for experiments purposes, so you simulate night time from 8 am to 10 pm and day time from 10 pm to 8 am. It’s as easy as turning of the light in the room with the rodents in it and it doesn’t take long for them to cycle accordingly, around 10-14 days.
And you can cycle them back up normally as well.
Probably not. Our lives have evolved to allow us to be up at night. If a nocturnal animal were to try and switch, they would be more at risk since they are not adapted to deal with the different environment. Even if they could deal with a different environment, they have no reason to switch. Humans do it for many reasons, such as social events, school/work and just simply boredom. Many nocturnal animals would not switch due to having sensitive eyes, extreme vulnerability in the light, among other physical disabilities.
Latest Answers