Why do some animals hunt only at night? Nocturnal animals. Photographer Traer Scott Examples of nocturnal animals

All animals on our planet adapt to their living conditions and environment. And in force various factors some of them preferred to be nocturnal. This means that animals show their maximum activity at night, and not during the day; during daylight hours they prefer to rest or are inactive.

Nocturnal animals

The diversity of living creatures active at night is truly great. Some of them are very rare and few in number, and some representatives are found only in one country. However, there are also such, for example, owls, the number of species of which exceeds 100, and according to other sources - even 200. So, what animals are nocturnal? Here are some of them:

• most species of owls and their direct relatives;
• nightjars;
• lions;
• Humboldt squid;
• hippos (hippos);
• pit vipers (about two hundred species);
• red wolves;
• bats;
• coyotes;
• night monkeys;
• most felines, including domestic ones;
• hares;
• wild goats;
• wild boars and many others.

In the dark, these representatives of the fauna obtain food for themselves and their offspring, and during the day they hide in their homes or in dense vegetation (trees, bushes), waiting for sunset to continue hunting again. Night helps some of them to hide from predators, and for those, in turn, on the contrary, to find prey. This is how this eternal struggle takes place.

Humboldt squid

These predatory invertebrate mollusks see perfectly in the dark and are able to camouflage themselves by changing their color, which allows them to get food at night and evade dangerous predators who are not averse to eating them themselves. They usually move and hunt in schools of up to 1200 individuals. During the feeding period they become extremely aggressive and can attack divers. Due to their ability to flash red and white while hunting, they have earned the nickname "red devil".

These nocturnal animals live in the ocean, spend daytime at a depth (about 700 m), and with the onset of darkness they rise closer to the surface (about 200 m) to hunt. These are large animals, sometimes reaching 1.9 m in length along the mantle, and their weight is approximately 50 kg. Facts recorded aggressive behavior Humboldt squid to objects unfamiliar to them. In addition, they are cannibals: a wounded or weakened relative is attacked by representatives of the pack. Due to this, they quickly gain weight and size, although they do not live long - only 1-2 years. Its habitat ranges from to California, and it extends north to the coasts of Washington, Oregon, Alaska and

Red wolves

These predators are excellent night hunters. To do this, they have perfectly developed all senses: vision, hearing and smell. They were considered an extinct species, but, fortunately, it was possible to discover their population in North America, where they are now under constant guard. This is the rarest subspecies of the common wolf, the result of crossing gray wolf and a coyote. The red animal is smaller than its gray counterpart, but it also has ears, but it has shorter fur, the color of which includes red, gray, black and brown colors. It got its name thanks to Texas populations in which the red color predominated.

These nocturnal animals are unpretentious in food; their diet consists of: rodents, rabbits, raccoons, nutria, muskrats, insects, berries and carrion. Sometimes the pack hunts deer. The red wolves themselves are also not immune to danger: they become victims of their relatives and other wolves, the young are hunted by alligators and live for about 8 years in natural conditions, and up to 14 in captivity. Previously, there were 3 subspecies of red wolves, two of which different years turned out to be extinct.

Owls: silent hunters

Among the huge variety of owls, the vast majority are nocturnal animals. The owl is a bird of prey, its diet consists of: mouse-like rodents (the main prey), small birds, frogs, lizards, insects; among fish owls and eagle owls - fish. Some individuals kept in captivity happily eat fresh greens. They live and nest almost everywhere (in abandoned nests, hollows, rock crevices, ruins, under the roofs of houses, on bell towers, abandoned buildings), some - in burrows. They inhabit any terrain and landscape, except Antarctica and some islands.

Most owls have soft plumage, which helps them silently swoop down on prey so that it cannot notice the predator in time. These birds have the sharpest vision - they only need 0.000002 lux to see a stationary mouse dark night! Owls' hearing is also excellent: they are able to hear the rustling of a cockroach crawling along the wall! This “equipment” makes them excellent hunters.

Types of owls

There are two subfamilies of these birds: True owls and Barn owls. The latter differ from the former in having a heart-shaped facial mirror (in owls it is round), and also have a jagged claw on the middle finger. There are 11 species of barn owls that live in many countries, including former USSR these nocturnal animals are found in Belarus, the Baltic states and Western Ukraine.

Owls usually hunt at night, but there are species that hunt for food during the day (hawk, marsh, cave, sparrow owl, fish owl and fish owl). Females differ from males in size - “ladies” are larger, but have the same color.

The largest representatives of owls:

• eagle owl - the largest (wingspan 1.5-1.8 m);
• great gray owl (up to 1.5 m);
• (up to 1.2 m).

Tawny owls can be confused with eagle owls due to their size, but they do not have “ears” - feathers growing in a special way on the head, reminiscent of animal ears.

The smallest owls: North American elf owl (length 12-15 cm, weight 50 g); a little larger - the pygmy owl.

Eastern tarsier - Indonesian nocturnal primate

Among the numerous inhabitants of the region's fauna is an exotic nocturnal animal of Indonesia - the eastern tarsier, or torsier, as it is also called. It belongs to the order Primates and can fit in the palm of your hand, since its average size is 10 cm. Tarsiers live in families in the forests and parks of Indonesia, preferring trees with voids where they hide and sleep during the day. Their main diet consists of grasshoppers and insects, but, being primates, they do not eat vegetables and fruits at all.

Torsiers are unique jumpers: in one jump they are able to cover a distance exceeding 10-20 times the length of their body. They move along a horizontal surface like a kangaroo, keeping their front legs tucked in and pushing off with their hind legs. These nocturnal animals are endangered - only a few thousand individuals remain in nature.

Night monkeys

The very name of these primates suggests that the animals are active nightlife. Habitat: forests of Central and South America, in the hollows of trees and thickets of which nocturnal monkeys hide during the day. The killing of animals begins approximately 15 minutes after they go out in search of food, but closer to midnight they return to their shelters, where they rest for 1.5-2 hours, and then go out again in search of food. It is worth noting that in complete darkness monkeys cannot see anything, so during new moons they are almost inactive. Research conducted by scientists on the retina of primates has led to the conclusion that these were previously diurnal animals, which for some reason changed their daily routine.

What kinds of nocturnal animals there are, you will learn from this article.

What animals are nocturnal?

Nocturnal lifestyle of animals- This is behavior that is characterized by high activity at night and sleep during the day. It is worth noting that absolutely all types of nocturnal animals have excellent hearing and charm, and specially adapted vision.

There are some reasons that contribute to the fact that some animals are active at night and sleep during the day:

• Competition for food resources. Animals that eat the same food on the same piece of land, but in different period time, are not competitors with each other and occupy distinctive ecological niches. An example would be hawks, which hunt during the day, and representatives of owls, which are active at night.
• Stealth. It is much easier for a predator to get close to its prey in the dark. Let's give some examples. Lions, which are equally active at night and during the day, still prefer to hunt at night. This is due to the fact that the victims of these animals - antelopes and zebras - are diurnal animals, so they see poorly at night. And the opposite example: most species of small rodents are active at night, because birds of prey, their enemies, are predominantly active during the daytime.
• Maintaining water balance in the body. Inhabitants of arid places are active at night due to the fact that the lack of influence of sunlight on the animal’s body significantly reduces the evaporation of water from their body. This is why any desert seems lifeless during the day.

Nocturnal animals list.

Crepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, during the periods of dawn and evening twilight). Twilight behavior differs from diurnal, nocturnal and mixed behavior, when animals are active in the daytime or in the dark, respectively. However, the term is not precise, since some crepuscular animals may also be active during the lunar night or during cloudy day. The term morning creatures is used for animals that are active only at dawn before sunrise, and evening creatures are used for those that are active at dusk after sunset.

The time an animal is active depends on a number of factors. Predators must associate their activities with the times of day when their prey is available, and prey try to avoid times when their primary predators are most active. Temperatures may be too high at midday and too low at night. Some creatures can adjust their activities based on local species competition for food. Therefore, given many varied reasons, crepuscular activity can best meet the animal's needs through compromise.

Crepuscular behavior differs from diurnal and nocturnal behavior, which peak during hours of daylight and darkness, respectively. However, the difference is not absolute, because crepuscular animals can also be active on a bright moonlit night or on a cloudy day. Some animals mistakenly called nocturnal are actually crepuscular.

Distinct forms of crepuscular behavior include morning and evening, indicating activities only at dawn or dusk, respectively. Animals that are active both in the morning and in the evening twilight have a bimodal behavior pattern.

Adaptive significance of the twilight lifestyle

Various behaviors are believed to be defense mechanism from predators, although some may be equally good for predators. Many predators feed most intensively at night, while others are active at midday and see best when sunlight. Thus, twilight image life can reduce predation pressure, thereby increasing the size of crepuscular populations, and as a result creating more favorable conditions to feed predators who are increasingly beginning to focus their attention on crepuscular prey until the balance changes. Such mobile equilibrium states are often found in ecosystems.

Some predatory species adjust their habits in response to competition from other predators. For example, the short-eared owl subspecies found in the Galapagos Islands is typically active during the day, but on islands like Santa Cruz, which is home to the Galapagos hawk, these owls have become crepuscular.

Apart from the relationship to predation, crepuscular activity in hot regions of the world may also be the most in an efficient way avoid heat stress while using available light during dawn and dusk.

Examples of animals with crepuscular behavior

Many familiar mammal species are crepuscular, including some bats, hamsters, domestic cats, stray dogs, rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs and rats. Other crepuscular mammals include: jaguars, ocelots, lynxes, wet-nosed primates, red pandas, bears, deer, moose, sitatunga, capybaras, chinchillas, house mice, skunks, wombats, opossums, marsupial flying squirrels, tenrecs, spotted hyenas and African wild dogs.

Snakes and lizards, especially in desert environments, can also be crepuscular. Crepuscular birds include: the lesser nightjar, the barn owl, the owl nightjar, the clouded needletail, the American woodcock, the crake, and the white-breasted rail. Many butterflies, beetles, flies and other insects are crepuscular and evening.

The forest - be it tropical, mid-latitude deciduous or northern coniferous - has a profound impact on the appearance and lifestyle of all its inhabitants. Many of them began to live in trees, others occupied the lower layers of vegetation, consisting of grasses, small shrubs and mosses, and still others settled in deep burrows underground. But everyone has learned to blend into their environment, to be inconspicuous parts of the complex organism that is the forest. Forests occupy vast areas of our country and are inhabited by representatives of almost all orders of the class of mammals. Richest species composition animals in the south wet forests, as well as in the forests of the forest-steppe zone of our territory. Here, among the diversity plant communities Animals always have the opportunity to choose a place convenient for themselves, find the necessary food and reliable shelter from enemies and bad weather. Significantly fewer species animals in the northern forests.

It is not easy to spot animals in the forest; they are very careful. But everyone who has been in deciduous or coniferous forest, it is clear that life is in full swing here day and night.

But it is at night, when the polyphonic choir of birds falls silent, that the pulse of life of the mammals of the forest is best felt. During night excursions in windless weather, amidst the transparent silence, we most often hear the squeaks and chirps of small animals. These are echoes of the rapidly boiling life of the most numerous inhabitants of the forest kingdom - insectivores and rodents. However, sometimes, if you are lucky, in the oak grove you can hear the short bark of a roe deer, warning its fellows about the approaching danger, and the grunting of feeding wild boars. But this doesn't happen often. Many large animals are "silent talkers." This is understandable. Despite the seemingly enormous superiority in strength of large animals over small ones, they have no less enemies, and it is more difficult to hide from them. It is difficult for them in the struggle to preserve the species, probably even more difficult than for small animals, which have an incomparable advantage on their side - enormous fertility. Among large animals, predators, such as wolves, have a richer range of sounds produced. Having practically no enemies, with the exception of humans, they maintain communication within the pack with loud howls and barks.

It cannot be said about the majority of the inhabitants of the night forest that they lead an exclusively nocturnal lifestyle - most often their activity is mixed. However, they have all adapted to life in low light conditions. In our forests at night you can meet many representatives of the order of insectivores - hedgehogs and shrews. Of the rodents that are active at night, mice, rats, voles and dormice, all of them are often combined under the name “mouse-like rodents”. The latter represent one of the main hunting objects for carnivorous mammals, in particular for foxes and sometimes wolves. In addition to the listed animals, bats are nocturnal. In low light conditions, some semi-aquatic rodents, such as beavers, are also active; moles live in absolute darkness. However, due to the characteristics of their habitat, these animals will be discussed later in special chapters: "

Of course, most of all living organisms actively live and hunt only during the day, and rest only at night. However, there are a small number of fish in the world that are exclusively nocturnal. Among them are representatives of the class of mammals.

What makes them nocturnal?

The fact is that it is in the dark that competition for prey noticeably weakens. But weak competition is only half the battle. For example, in desert places the night is cooler than a hot day, which, in turn, additionally encourages all lovers of night forays to engage in active activities.

In addition, night activity is the most suitable time for defenseless mammals (for example, voles and mice).

The most famous mammals that are nocturnal

Badger

These representatives of the order can be found at dusk, at night and at sunset. Some badgers living in remote places sometimes come out of their hiding places during the daytime.

The biological clock of these mammals is designed in such a way that as soon as the sun goes down, badgers immediately leave their holes in search of food. In the cold season, these, like bears, plunge into winter sleep. To avoid being disturbed, badgers block all exits from their burrows with earth and leaves.

These are perhaps one of the most famous twilight-night mammals of the insectivorous order. Anyone who has ever tamed a hedgehog in Russia is well aware of its nocturnal activity: characteristic stomping, snorting and rustling.

It is not recommended to domesticate hedgehogs! The fact is that these animals are carriers of ticks that pose a danger to humans (for example, the ixodid tick). Moreover, these mammals practically do not live in captivity.

In nature, these animals spend the entire daylight hours in their shelters, hidden from prying eyes. Their burrows can be located both in secluded corners of the forest and in personal plots. There, hedgehogs sleep all day long, curled up tightly.

As soon as dusk falls, hedgehogs wake up and begin nocturnal activity. In search of prey, they patrol their own hunting grounds. Their diet consists of frogs, earthworms, insect larvae and voles. In winter, hedgehogs go into suspended animation.

Bats

Bats or chiropterans are exclusively nocturnal animals. If badgers and hedgehogs can be seen from time to time during the day, then bats- No. They spend all daylight hours in caves, basements, abandoned houses - places they never go to. sun rays.

Bats are the only representatives of the class of mammals that can fly.

With the onset of dusk, bats begin their night hunt in full combat readiness. They feed on small and large insects. They navigate in space thanks to location.

Bats emit high-frequency sounds, which help them navigate. If an obstacle appears in the path of the ultrasonic wave, it is reflected in the opposite direction. The bat receives the high-frequency signal that has returned to it, realizing that it needs to change the direction of its flight.

Nocturnal animals are predominantly predators. Among the birds these are owls and eagle owls, kiwi. Bats are active only at night. Many members of the cat family are also nocturnal animals.

Flying animals and birds

Owls are famous nocturnal predators. These birds prefer to live in the forest, where they hunt rodents and other animals. When searching for prey, owls use acute vision and special hearing, which helps to find the prey’s habitat at a great distance.

Kiwis are birds that live only in New Zealand. Because of their appearance they have become popular all over the world. These birds have a round body, powerful short legs, and a long thin beak. The plumage color of kiwi is brown or brown.

When hunting, kiwis use their keen sense of hearing and smell. They are very agile, although they look clumsy. They feed on small animals and berries.

Bats are perhaps one of the most striking representatives of nocturnal animals. In people's minds they are associated with mystery, werewolves, and vampires. But only one species of bat feeds on blood. The rest prefer small animals and insects. The appearance and size of the mouse varies depending on what species it is.

Bats use echolocation when hunting. They emit ultrasound, which is reflected from the surrounding space and the animal understands where the prey is.

aquatic animals

Octopuses have the most highly developed central nervous system among invertebrates. These mollusks have many interesting abilities. They can tear off their tentacles to escape from their enemies. The absence of bones makes it possible to take different shapes. Octopuses change color, merging with environment. Or their color may change depending on your mood.

The Humboldt squid does not tolerate daylight. At night, it rises to the surface of the water to hunt. During the day, the squid lives in the dark depths of the ocean.

Land animals

The hyena is one of the most dangerous night predators. These animals easily deal with a baby elephant that has strayed from the herd. They hunt in a pack, they start to eat the prey that is still alive, since the competition for meat is very high. It is worth noting that some species of hyenas are diurnal.

Coyotes and jackals primarily hunt at night, so they can be called nocturnal animals.

Scorpions are representatives of the arachnid class. The greatest activity of scorpions occurs at night, when there is a significant drop in temperature. They kill their prey with poison, which can be deadly to humans.

Scorpios were known several thousand ago. IN Ancient Egypt they were revered as sacred animals. Their poison was used for various practical purposes, for example, in medicine.

Lynx - inhabitant coniferous forests from the cat family. Lynxes hunt small animals and fish.

Domestic cats tend to be active at night. Although the daily routine may vary depending on the character of the cat and its breed. The behavior of lions is approximately the same. They like to sleep during the day and hunt at night. However, a lion may well be active during daylight hours.

Night butterflies differ from day butterflies not only in their lifestyle, but also appearance. There are many lovers of darkness among Lepidoptera, and the most common among them are moths. Some exotic moths can be kept indoors.

How do moths differ from day moths?

Both day and night butterflies belong to different groups of the order Lepidoptera. The body of moths is more voluminous and shaggy, and the wings, on the contrary, are not very large. The coloration of those who like to fly at night is dim, velvety gray or chocolate. But there are also nocturnal ones with bright colors, and also among the daytime ones you can see nondescript individuals.

Moths within their group are generally very similar in appearance, in contrast to their daytime relatives, who amaze with the variety and luxury of shapes and colors. Their body is densely covered with fine hairs and transparent scales.

In moths, the sensory structures are arranged in a special way, this is due to the need to move in the dark. These insects have a very subtle sense of smell, with the help of which they find food and mating partners.

Night butterflies have hearing organs, while day butterflies are deprived of the ability to hear. The eyes of both groups of butterflies are developed approximately equally and capture movement better than shapes. In the dark, you can often observe how moths flock to a light source and circle around it.

Main types of moths

Moths or Pyralidae are small moths, many of which are pests. When folded, the wings of moths take the shape of a triangle.

True moths (Tineidae) and fingerwings (Pterophoridae) are also small moths. The edges of their wings are decorated with a fringe of gray scales.

Caligo Eurilochus, or owl butterflies, are very beautiful. These large insects with chic wings reach 20 cm. On the lower wings of the caligo there is a pattern reminiscent of the round eyes of an owl. This protective coloring repels birds of prey who are happy to do so. The owl moth can be kept at home, because it does not require exotic food and eats ordinary overripe bananas.

Hawkmoths (Sphingidae) are also incredibly spectacular large butterflies, reminiscent of hummingbirds. They scare away predators with a “dead head” pattern on the back.

Peacock-eyes (Saturniidae) are wide-winged, very large butterflies with a thick body. The wings of these insects also have a pattern with eyes.

Leaf rollers (Tortricidae) are pest butterflies. Their folded wings resemble a bell. The most dangerous pests among leafrollers – apple codling moth and spruce budworm.

Ursa bears (Arctiidae) are brightly colored, medium-sized, and have a shaggy, plump body.