They use echolocation (locating objects by reflected sound) to zip through the air with precision as they fly around in the dark in search of insects. Even whiskers and other specialized hairs can help animals find food in the dark. Some adaptations for living in the dark are even more specialized. Many nocturnal animals also have a keen sense of smell and communicate with other animals by leaving scents behind, National Geographic reports. Most have vision that is adapted to their dark lifestyle, and nocturnal animals like wildcats, rodents and owls also have an excellent sense of hearing to help them hunt under the cover of darkness, according to the National Park Service. No matter why animals are nocturnal, they do require certain adaptations to be able to survive and thrive at night. Even human activity such as hiking, which poses little threat to mammals, is enough to cause them to alter their daily schedules. Our presence in animal habitats does not have to be threatening to them to change their behavior to better avoid us, according to the study. All across the world, mammal species are becoming more nocturnal as a way to avoid the ever-expanding footprint humans have on our shared planet, according to a study published in a 2018 edition of the journal Science. It also turns out that some animals may be embracing the nocturnal lifestyle in an attempt to limit their encounters with us diurnal humans. And far from Will County, in extreme climates like deserts, being nocturnal is also a way to beat the heat, according to National Geographic. Night life can also be beneficial for some animals because there's less competition for resources - fewer creatures looking for a drink of water or on the hunt for prey means a better chance at success. What comes to mind? Owls, coyotes, red foxes? All these animals are nocturnal, hunting for rodents like mice and rats, which are also nocturnal. Think about animals that eat a lot of rodents. On the flip side of that, nighttime is a good time for hunting for some animals that specialize in eating certain types of animals, particularly small mammals. For some, being active at night does indeed help them avoid detection by potential predators and allows them to better camouflage themselves, reports. This may be because being active at night evolved as a means of avoiding being hunted by reptilian dinosaurs and other predators.Įven tens of millions of years after the age of the dinosaurs, being nocturnal can have advantages for animals. Most nocturnal animals are insects, birds and mammals, but not many reptiles are active at night. One theory for why so many species evolved to be nocturnal is avoidance of predators, according to. The advantages of being nocturnal vary among species. They are better able to survive in their habitat by conducting the business of their survival at night, under the cover of darkness. Plenty of animals are nocturnal, awake and active at night and sleeping the day away.Īnimals that are active at night live a nocturnal lifestyle because it's advantageous to them, according to. In the animal kingdom, however, it's not just owls that are night owls. Species A group of similar organisms capable of producing offspring that can survive and reproduce.Are you a night owl or an early bird? Unless we work an overnight shift, most of us humans are diurnal, or active during the day. Organism Any living thing, from elephants and plants to bacteria and other types of single-celled life. Nocturnal An adjective for something that is done, occurring or active at night. Mammal A warm-blooded animal distinguished by the possession of hair or fur, the secretion of milk by females for feeding their young, and (typically) the bearing of live young. There are hundreds of thousands of insects, which include bees, beetles, flies and moths. Insect A type of arthropod that as an adult will have six segmented legs and three body parts: a head, thorax and abdomen. Sometimes it’s even used to refer to a germ.ĭiurnal An adjective for some activity that is done during the day, or some organism that is active during the day. Most birds fly, but throughout history there have been the occasional species that don’t.īug The slang term for an insect. Birds are jacketed in feathers and produce young from the eggs they deposit in some sort of nest. Bat A type of winged mammal comprising more than 1,100 separate species - or one in every four known species of mammal.īirds Warm-blooded animals with wings that first showed up during the time of the dinosaurs.
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