Tighmokinésie ??
Bonjour,
Toujours dans le cadre de notre TIPE sur les cloportes et leur relation avec l'humidité, nous sommes tombées sur des expériences ayant déjà été faites, et assez proches de notre sujet... Mais celles-ci parlent également de "thigmokinetic" ou "thigmokinésie" en français, et nous n'arrivons pas à savoir ce dont il s'agit, on pense toutefois qu'il s'agisse de la recherche de contact avec les autres cloportes, est-ce que quelqu'un pourrait nous dire s'il s'agit bien de ceci ?
Merci !
J'ai une piste en anglais:
Response to solid objects: thigmokinesis and thigmotaxis
Thigmokinesis is a characteristic response of the cryptozoa (animals living in soil and litter) and has been carefully investigated in woodlice by Friedlander (1963). The response is such that the animal is most active when the contact with the substrate is minimal—that is, when only the feet are on the ground. As soon as other parts of the body touch a surface the animal slows down and may stop if enough of the body makes contact. Thigmokinesis causes woodlice to congregate in crevices between stems of grass or leaves in the litter where they are protected against desiccation and predators. Even other woodlice qualify as solid objects, so that thigmokinesis contributes greatly to the build up of aggregations.
Aggregation is one of the most characteristic forms of woodlouse behaviour and is probably, to some extent, a purely accidental result of individuals acting in the same way to the same stimuli, with thigmokinesis as a prime cause. What biological significance aggregation may have is uncertain and needs investigation. It is known, however, that bunching reduces individual water-loss.
Thigmokinesis tends to supplement humidity and light reactions because crevices and narrow spaces in which it brings woodlice to rest are usually both dark and damp. The strength of the response varies with the desiccation of the animal and is most marked after exposure to dry air (as one might expect) because that is when the animal has most need of damp conditions.
This reaction has sometimes been called thigmotaxis but, as there is no orientation involved, the response cannot be regarded as a taxis. A different response is often seen in choice chambers where the animal, having once made contact with the wall of the chamber, follows it round for some distance. The stimulus appears to be tactile and the response is orientated to the wall. Thus, thigmotaxis appears to be the correct term to use in this case. The nature of the response needs to be examined thoroughly.
