In animals and plants, the daily periodicity of the light regime causes numerous adaptations to day and night lifestyles. All their physiological processes have a daily regime with a maximum at certain hours. These reactions are based on the correct alternation of periods of light and darkness during the day - on the length of day and night.[ ...]

Animals also have adaptations for diurnal and nocturnal lifestyles. For example, most ungulates, bears, wolves, eagles, and larks are active during the day, while tigers, mice, ground squirrels, hedgehogs, and owls are most active at night. The length of daylight hours affects the onset mating season, migrations and flights (in birds), hibernation, etc.[ ...]

For animals, light is a condition of orientation. Animals are diurnal, nocturnal and twilight.[ ...]

For species with a sedentary solitary-family way of life, the principle of spatial organization of populations consists in the formation of a system of individual (family) habitats used for a long time. This type of spatial distribution leads to the rational use of the resources of the territory at the level of the population as a whole: individual individuals are distributed relatively evenly in space; in each habitat all conditions for life are provided. As a result, the level of competition for food, shelter and other resources is reduced to a minimum, each individual has a chance to survive and reproduce, and the population as a whole receives broader prospects for growth and territory capture.[ ...]

Daytime animals (most birds, insects and lizards) go to sleep at sunset, and the world is filled with nocturnal animals (hedgehogs, the bats, owls, most felines, grass frogs, cockroaches, etc.). There are species of animals with approximately the same activity both during the day and at night, with alternating short periods of rest and wakefulness. Such a rhythm is called polyphasic (a number of predators, many shrews, etc.).[ ...]

Crayfish, as predominantly nocturnal animals, are difficult to observe. They prefer flowing waters, living in rivers, streams and even in irrigation ditches, as well as in lakes and ponds with sufficient water flow.[ ...]

In the life of all animals and plants, photoperiodism plays a huge role, that is, the effect of light on groups of organisms depending on a certain length of day and night. On this basis, animals, for example, are divided into diurnal and nocturnal. Many phenomena in seasonal life plants, the dynamics of their growth and development depend on photoperiodic reactions. Changes in the light regime during the day have a huge impact on the vital activity of plants and, first of all, on the intensity of the photosynthesis process, which stops at night.[ ...]

The fauna of the high mountain regions is also peculiar. Reduced air pressure, significant solar radiation, sharp fluctuations in day and night temperatures, changes in air humidity with height contributed to the development of specific physiological adaptations in mountain animals. For example, in animals, the relative volume of the heart increases, the content of hemoglobin in the blood increases, which allows more intensive absorption of oxygen from the air. Stony soil complicates or almost excludes the burrowing activity of animals. Many small animals (small rodents, pikas, lizards, etc.) find shelter in rock crevices and caves. Mountainous birds are characterized by mountain turkeys (ulars), mountain finches, larks, large birds - bearded vultures, vultures, condors. In the mountains from large mammals sheep, goats live (including snow goats), chamois, yaks, etc. Predators are represented by such species as wolves, foxes, bears, lynxes, Snow Leopard(irbis), etc.[ ...]

However, many nocturnal species also orient themselves with the participation of the organs of vision, since absolute darkness in the habitat of animals is rare. The weakening of the light intensity causes adaptive rearrangements of the organs of vision (owls, nightjars, some nocturnal mammals).[ ...]

Of the invertebrates, the greatest danger in the steppe and desert regions are scorpions, spiders, karakurt and tarantula. They lead a twilight and nocturnal lifestyle, and during the day they hide under stones, dry foliage, in various crevices and burrows. Therefore, being in field conditions, extreme care must be taken at night: check the bed, carefully isolating it from contact with the soil, shoes, folds of clothing, etc. In more northern regions quite a serious danger can be represented by various types of stinging hymenoptera insects: wasps, hornets, bees, bumblebees, etc. To reduce the likelihood of stinging, it is generally necessary to avoid sudden movements during their proximity.[ ...]

Apparently, echidnas are not nocturnal animals, as previously thought, and not even crepuscular. Prey is usually hunted in the afternoon. And when it gets dark, they look for a cozy shelter somewhere in the crevices of rocks, between stones, under stumps, in fallen trees.[ ...]

All dead plants and animals would remain incorruptible. Walking on the ground, we would stumble upon corpses at every step. Death would interfere with life in the literal sense of the word. If we add to this that all the secretions of people and animals would not decompose, then not a single nightmare could not be compared with life on the surface of such earth, turned into the bottom of the grave and cesspool simultaneously.[ ...]

Animals also need water. Most of the inhabitants of the desert camels, antelopes, kulans, saigas are able to do without water for a long time. Great mobility and endurance allow them to migrate over considerable distances in search of water. Ways of regulation water balance they are more varied. So, for example, fat deposits in a camel (in the humps), rodents (under the skin), insects (adipose tissue) serve as a source of metabolic water, which is released as a result of fat oxidation. Most of the inhabitants of arid places are nocturnal, thereby avoiding overheating and excessive evaporation of water.[ ...]

The general nature of animal activity in most cases is determined by such conditions as the type of food, relationships with predators and competitors, daily changes in a complex of abiotic factors, etc. Thus, daily activity poikilothermic animals is largely determined by the environmental temperature regime; in amphibians - a combination of temperature and humidity. Among rodents, species that eat coarse, fiber-rich foods are usually distinguished by round-the-clock activity. The seed-eating forms, which consume more concentrated food, have the opportunity to time its production to the night period, when the pressure of predators is weaker. This is especially pronounced among the inhabitants open spaces steppes and deserts.[ ...]

Physiological adaptations of animals. For the vast majority of terrestrial animals with day and night activity, vision is one of the ways of orientation, which is important for the search for prey. Many animal species also have color vision. In this regard, the animals, especially the victims, developed adaptive features. These include protective, masking and warning coloration, protective resemblance, mimicry, etc. The emergence of brightly colored flowers higher plants is also associated with the features of the visual apparatus of pollinators and, ultimately, with the light regime of the environment.[ ...]

The staple foods for animals in the rainforest are fruits and termites. The abundance of birds in this forest is explained by the fact that many of them are herbivores; fruit-eating parrots, toucans, hornbills, cotingas, trogons and birds of paradise. Since the "lofts" of the jungle are overcrowded, many birds make hanging nests for themselves, and insects build hanging cocoons, which saves them from the army of ants and other predators. Although several species of brightly colored birds and insects are known to live in more open areas, the bulk of animals rain forest inconspicuous, and many of them are nocturnal.[ ...]

Even Hippocrates noted the influence of the night star on earthly life, and Aristotle noticed that the sexual activity of marine animals increases during the full moon. To date, it has been established that in all experimental animals and plants, the metabolism occurs in a cycle that coincides with lunar calendar. The cycle ended by the new moon and reached its maximum in the third quarter of the lunar month. Barr and Ravitz showed that stress diagrams in human organisms completely coincide with similar diagrams in trees, in other words, all life on Earth exists according to a single lunar rhythm.[ ...]

Bats are the only flying animals among animals. They are mainly crepuscular and nocturnal animals that feed on insects. These include fruit bats, bats, evenings, vampires. Vampires are bloodsuckers, they feed on the blood of other animals. Bats have echolocation. Although their eyesight is poor, due to their well-developed hearing, they pick up the echo from their own squeak, reflected from objects in their path.[ ...]

Eagle owls prey on a variety of animals. Voles, mice, hamsters, ground squirrels, chipmunks and other rodents, as well as hares, hazel grouse, black grouse, capercaillie, etc., and even such inconvenient game as hedgehogs form the basis of the food base. They eat frogs, fish, do not disdain insects. The main methods of hunting are twilight and night flights over open areas or sparse forests and quick throws at a discovered prey or waiting for it, sitting on an elevated perch.[ ...]

[ ...]

Diurnal rhythms in animals have been studied even better: cycles of division, conjugation, bioluminescence in protozoa, mating time, oviposition, hatching from pupae in insects, rhythmic activity of glands in vertebrates, and much more. In a number of cases, the exact parameters of such cycles and their components have been fixed. Thus, the daily circular movements of the climbing stems of Phaseolus vulgaris are composed of three parameters (speed of movement, its vertical and horizontal components), revealing ultradian rhythms with a period of 80-110 minutes (B. Millet, W. Koukkari, 1990). Experiments with stony corals Acropora acuminata showed that tagged carbon is included in tissues only in the daytime with a maximum in the afternoon; the intensity of visible calcification is maximum at noon and minimum at midnight (D. Barnes, G. Grassland, 1978). Experiments with slugs Laevicauus alta revealed a clear periodicity in the level of phosphorylase activity with a maximum at 0:00 and a minimum at 12:00. The level of glycogen in this species showed the reverse type of dynamics: maximum - at 8 o'clock and minimum - at 20 o'clock. For males of a number of species of butterflies, it was found that they react to the female pheromone only during the day.[ ...]

Here is another example of lunar rhythms in animals. On the sandy beaches of California, the fish Leuresthes tenuis spawns 3-4 days after the April and June tides. This small fish, which usually lives in the open sea, is washed ashore during the strongest night tides. When the sea recedes, the fish burrow into the sea sand. Here the females lay their eggs and the males fertilize them. With the next high tide, they return to the sea. Since the eggs are laid at low tide after the highest tides, the water does not reach them for two weeks and they can develop in the sea sand without any movement. At the next high tide, the larvae emerging from the eggs are carried away with waves into the sea. moon phases, have not yet been clarified.[ ...]

AT fresh waters in winter under the ice, and in summer at night during the period of strong development of phyto- and zooplankton, free CO2 accumulates in significant quantities, in the latter case as a result of the respiration of aquatic animals, plants and bacteria.[ ...]

Among fish there are also forms with diurnal or nocturnal activity. Diurnal vertical migrations of plankton and accompanying movements of a number of plankton-eating animals are known. The number of examples could be increased.[ ...]

Many insects, as well as some nocturnal animals (bats, etc.), use ultrasound for spatial orientation and hunting. Therefore, radiation during the operation of agricultural units causes disorientation of nocturnal insects and animals in space, which disrupts their normal vital activity and can lead to death.[ ...]

The intensity of illumination affects the activity of animals, identifying among them species that lead a twilight, nocturnal and diurnal lifestyle. Orientation to the light is carried out as a result of "phototaxis": positive (moving towards the highest illumination) and negative (moving towards the lowest illumination). So, at dusk, hawk moth butterflies fly, a hedgehog hunts. May bugs begin to fly only at 21-22 hours and end after midnight, while mosquitoes are active from evening to morning. The marten leads a nocturnal lifestyle. Silently, examining one tree after another, she looks for nests of squirrels and attacks sleeping animals.[ ...]

The chordate type includes the most highly organized animals: fish - 19,000 species, amphibians - 4,200, reptiles - 6,300, birds - 9,000 and mammals - about 4,500 species. For comparison, we indicate the number of some animals in Russia: fish - 2,800 species, reptiles - 92, birds - 720, mammals - 328 species, etc. Among animals, diurnal and nocturnal forms are distinguished; according to the way of feeding - saprophages, phytophages, zoophages, necrophages, etc.[ ...]

Hedgehogs that settle in the immediate vicinity of the city migrate at night along the roadside towards the city and even crawl to the final stops (“Solnechnaya”, “Chemical Plant”, “P. Brovki”). On the road, hedgehogs pick up crushed animals (insects, birds, etc.).[ ...]

STATION [from lat. statio - location] - a habitat used by an animal or a given species of animals permanently or for a limited period. Distinguish S. day and night, seasonal, reproduction, nutrition, experiencing adverse conditions.[ ...]

The short-wave spectrum of electromagnetic radiation (light) disturbs wild animals at night, causes the death of a large number of insects that fly into the headlights of agricultural machines and die, getting into the radiator of a tractor, combine or car with air current.[ ...]

The flora and fauna of Australia is especially rich in endemics, for example, among vertebrates, more than 90-95% are endemic. Almost all species of eucalyptus (more than 450 species) are endemic. Among endemic animals, the marsupial bear (koala), kangaroo, marsupial wolf, platypus, marsupial possums, etc. Of the 230 species of mammalian fauna in Australia, only two representatives - echidna and platypus - are oviparous. Although they were first described as early as 1802, it has only recently been possible to obtain interesting data on the lifestyle of the platypus (Griffiths, 1988). The platypus, despite its antiquity and the combination of features of reptiles and mammals, is well adapted to life in water and on land. It is most active at night when it feeds on small crustaceans, bivalves and insect larvae. Its lifespan (ontogenesis) reaches 12 years, and it successfully reproduces to a ripe old age. In the beak of the platypus there are mechanical and electroreceptors that help him find food even in muddy water. The platypus is able to regulate its body temperature better than many placental mammals (body temperature around 32°C). It inhabits the excellent reservoirs of the eastern part of Australia and is currently strictly protected, since its thick soft fur is of particular value (because of which the platypus was almost exterminated at the end of the last century).[ ...]

The question of the mechanism of perceptions transmitted from one animal to another is essential. For terrestrial forms, on the one hand, these are visual perceptions and, on the other hand, auditory and olfactory ones. In particular, for birds and, apparently, many predatory mammals that are nocturnal, auditory reactions are of decisive importance.[ ...]

Some features of the circadian rhythm are illustrated in Fig. 119. Under natural conditions, nocturnal animals such as the flying squirrel (Glauconys) or the deer mouse (Peromyscus) spend the daylight hours in their nests and are active at night. Their rhythmic activity has a strictly 24-hour periodicity, which is closely related to the daily change for and night, caused by the rotation of the Earth around its axis. When the cycle of light and dark is restored, activity will again fall into alignment with the cycle. Temperature fluctuations have little effect on circadian rhythms. Such experiments cannot serve as proof of the exclusively internal nature of these clocks; by placing an animal in conditions that are constant relative to such basic factors as light and temperature, we cannot isolate them from the weak atmospheric and other geophysical fluctuations to which they may respond.[ ...]

Crayfish lead a twilight and nocturnal lifestyle. They feed on plants. small animals "living in the water" and carrion. Crayfish live up to 20 years. Their maximum weight reaches about 500 g, but smaller crayfish weighing about 100-120 g and a length of 10-20 cm are more common.

Behavioral methods include moving to more wet places, periodic visits to a watering hole, the transition to a nocturnal lifestyle, etc. morphological adaptations- devices that retain water in the body: shells of land snails, horny covers in reptiles, etc. physiological adaptations aimed at the formation of metabolic water, which is the result of metabolism and allows you to do without drinking water. It is widely used by insects and often by animals such as camel, sheep, dog, which can withstand water loss of 27%, 23% and 17% respectively. A person dies already with a 10% loss of water. Poikilothermic animals are more enduring, since they do not have to use water for cooling, as warm-blooded animals.[ ...]

The diurnal cycles are most pronounced in a climate of high continentality, where there is a significant difference between day and night temperatures. In the deserts Central Asia many animals are nocturnal in summer, and in winter they switch to daytime (snakes, spiders, etc.). However, diurnal rhythms are observed in all geographic areas, and even in the tundra on a polar day, plants close and open their flowers in accordance with these rhythms.[ ...]

The concentration of DO in water varies both with depth and during a 24-hour cycle. During the daytime, primary producers photosynthesize oxygen, and animals consume it for respiration. Above the depth of compensation, there is a "pure" increase in the concentration of DO. However, at night, plants and animals breathe, causing depletion of its reserves (Fig. 4.15). The amplitude of such daily fluctuations is proportional to the biomass of primary producers and can even lead to the formation of anaerobic conditions at night in eutrophic water bodies, which have a lower concentration of DO at depth.[ ...]

This small marsupial nocturnal animal is remarkably adapted to an arboreal lifestyle and feeding on pollen and nectar from flowers. An amazing analogy is noted between the way of life of this couscous and the small Australian pollinating honeyeaters. The tongue of this agile little animal, which easily moves from branch to branch with the help of a tenacious tail, is a kind of brush for collecting pollen, and its muzzle, elongated in the form of a proboscis, is adapted to draw in nectar. It is interesting that, like honey birds, the proboscis cuscus makes migrations associated with the course of flowering. woody plants, on which he spends his life and receives food.[ ...]

In the daily rhythm, the functional parameters of the ecosystem also change - the intensity of photosynthesis and the processing of primary biological products into secondary ones. Only in the soil inhabited by an armada of protozoa and invertebrates does life slow down slightly at night. seasonal rhythms. The inhabitants of the ecosystem are well adapted to the change of seasons: plants shed their leaves for the winter, animals “warm up”, increasing the layer of fat and the density of their coat, hibernate or migrate to more favorable and warm conditions (birds), hares change their “camouflage robes” and become white, etc. Naturally, the functional parameters of the ecosystem also differ in different seasons of the year. In temperate latitudes winter time ecosystem functions (production, respiration) are sharply reduced, although in tropical forests the seasonality of the "work" of the ecosystem is practically absent. In the steppes, savannas, xerophytic winter-green forests, the fading of ecosystem life is observed in the second half of summer during the period of moisture deficiency.[ ...]

It became obvious that when studying the movements of pelagic hydrobionts, the role of local circulation currents was underestimated, creating extensive and stable circulation zones, within which increased concentrations of plants and animals occur, making a drift ring during the growing season in the circulation and replenishing their numbers due to smaller clusters and flocks. introduced in transit from other areas of the reservoir, where there are no conditions for slowing down the drift. A more detailed study of the structure of the gyre zones made it possible to establish the presence in them, in addition to the previously known multidirectionality of surface and bottom currents, of horizontal instability, which causes local rises and falls of water. Consideration against this background of vertical diurnal migrations of hydrobionts showed that they are often far from the classical scheme of night rise and daytime lowering of animals, since this is not determined by vital necessity, and the registration of accumulations in layers of different depths is a consequence of their continued drift in a given water flow, but not active oriented vertical movements of individuals.[ ...]

While the radium air ion generator could be operated without interruption indefinitely for a long time, an electrostatic generator serving another installation was switched on periodically several times a day. At the very beginning of the research, it was turned on even at night, for which students were on duty. Soon, night sessions were canceled, because it turned out that in order to maintain the life of animals there was no need to excite air ionization so often. Several half-hour sessions during the day were enough for the animals not to show any noticeable deviations from the norm during the entire experience.[ ...]

The phenomenon of photoperiodism is also well known in plants. Flowering and fruit formation, preparation for shedding leaves for winter, change in development cycles in plants of middle and high latitudes are also regulated by the length of daylight hours. in tropical and subtropical zones, where the length of the day almost does not change during the year, the signal role of this factor in the regulation of seasonal phenomena in the life of animals and plants is not manifested or almost does not manifest itself. The daily cycle of illumination is no less important in the life of animals and plants. Depending on the evolutionary relationships in ecosystems, some animals are characterized by daytime activity (most birds, many mammals, reptiles and amphibians, many insects), others - nocturnal (most predatory mammals, nocturnal insects), and others - twilight (owls, bats). [...]

There are several ways to grow larvae that have switched to mixed nutrition. They are most common in fry (seedling) ponds of carp farming, as well as in well-reclaimed ponds of other categories with a well-planned bottom at an average depth of 0.5-0.7 m. Critical importance when growing larvae, it has a food regimen. The concentration of food organisms should not be lower than 1000-1500 ind./l. At the same time, animal organisms should prevail over plant organisms, and in the first days zooplankton should consist mainly of small forms, and in the second half of rearing - of larger ones. However, for the silver carp, large forms of zooplankton (cyclops, daphnia) are inaccessible throughout the entire period of larval development. In relation to larvae, many species of invertebrates are predators and the most widespread are cyclops, as well as beetles, bugs, their larvae, dragonfly larvae, etc. covered with nylon sieve No. 32. Delays the development of predatory forms and shortens the period from filling ponds with water to stocking them with fish. Growing terms are determined by the achievement of hardiness, when the larvae switch to the consumption of all or most small and large food organisms, including predatory ones, which is observed for most species when the larvae reach a length of 11–12 mm and a weight of 15–20 mg. For conditions Krasnodar Territory growing time is on average 10 days, which allows you to use the same ponds twice. In prepared and flying ponds, under good soil and climatic conditions, up to 3-4 million larvae per 1 ha in the first place and 2-3 million/ha in the second, can be planted. When applying fertilizers, these rates can be raised to 6-7 million hectares. The descent of ponds and catching of larvae is carried out at night, when the temperature of the water-surface layers decreases, the larvae sink into deeper layers and quickly go into the trap with the flow of water, from where they are caught with a net and transferred to basins or other containers. The net, at the bottom of which larvae accumulate, is transferred after a basin or bowl filled with water is brought under the bottom. The output of grown larvae is not lower than 60-70%.[ ...]

Daily changes in biocenoses. Within a day, there are no fundamental changes in the species composition and the main forms of relationships in the biocenosis, if these changes are rhythmic and regular. According to I.A. Shilov, in this case it makes sense to talk not about the daily dynamics, but about the daily aspects of the biocenosis. In a given period of time, changes are determined by the nature of the activity of those species that are distinguished by a distinct daily rhythm vital activity. For example, among fish there are forms with diurnal and nocturnal activity; daily vertical migrations of plankton and, following them, plankton-eating animals are known; Birds with diurnal and pronounced nighttime activity are quite widespread, CLARJ follow insects with a similar daily rhythm, etc. Some exogenous influences on diurnal rhythms have also been identified, for example, during the day in hot deserts, activity decreases (or completely freezes) even those species that are fundamentally diurnal, and some of them even change their type of activity to twilight or even nocturnal.[ ...]

The movement of the Earth around the Sun causes regular changes in the length of day and night according to the seasons of the year. Seasonal rhythm in the life of organisms is determined primarily by the reduction of the daylight hours in autumn and the increase in spring. In the actions of organisms, special mechanisms have developed that respond to the length of the day. So, certain birds and mammals settle in high latitudes with a long polar day. In autumn, when the day shortens, they migrate south. accumulates in the tundra in summer a large number of animals and, despite the general severity of the climate, they manage to complete reproduction with an abundance of light. However, nocturnal predators practically do not penetrate the tundra. During the short summer night they cannot feed themselves or their offspring.[ ...]

Interacting with abiotic environment, the body acts as an integral system, including more and more low levels biological organization (left side of the "spectrum", see Fig. 1.1). All these parts of the body (genes, cells, cellular tissues, whole organs and their systems) are components and systems of the pre-organismal level. A change in some parts and functions of the body inevitably entails a change in its other parts and functions. So, in the changing conditions of existence, as a result natural selection certain organs receive priority development. For example, powerful root system in plants of the arid zone (feather grass) or "blindness" as a result of eye reduction in nocturnal animals, as well as in animals living in the dark (mole).[ ...]

The first way is to absorb it during photosynthesis with the formation of glucose and other organic matter from which all plant tissues are built. In the future, they are transferred through food chains and form the tissues of all other living creatures of the ecosystem. It should be noted that the probability of a single carbon "visit" during one cycle in the composition of many organisms is small, because with each transition from one trophic level to another, there is a high possibility that the organic molecule containing it will be split in the process of cellular respiration to obtain energy. At the same time, carbon atoms again enter the environment as part of carbon dioxide, thus completing one cycle and preparing to begin the next. Within the land where there is vegetation, carbon dioxide atmosphere during photosynthesis is absorbed during the daytime. At night, some of it is released by plants during external environment. With the death of plants and animals on the surface, organic substances are oxidized with the formation of CO2.

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Murines combine the main part of the species of "real" mice and rats with a three-row arrangement of tubercles on the upper molars. Distributed in Eurasia, Africa and Australia. They were brought to the New World by man in historical time. ... ... Biological Encyclopedia

Under the name of chain-toed, or geckos, they unite an extensive group of small and medium-sized very peculiar lizards, characterized in most cases by biconcave (amphicoelous) vertebrae, loss of temporal arches, ... ... Biological Encyclopedia

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According to the complexity and perfection of the structure of the venomous apparatus of vipers (together with pit vipers) reaches the highest stage of evolution. The maxillary bone of vipers is so shortened that its length is less than its height. Wonderful … Biological Encyclopedia

Books

• Nocturnal Animals, Camille De La Bedoyer. What awaits you under the cover: In our new encyclopedia NIGHT ANIMALS, which will be a great help for a student in studying biology, you will find important and interesting information about ...
• Dormouse - amazing animals, A. I. Rakhmanov. Dormouse are quite numerous in nature, but little known to pet lovers, as they are nocturnal in natural conditions and are rarely seen by humans. However, these…

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

What makes them nocturnal?

The fact is that it is during the dark time of the day that the rivalry for prey noticeably weakens. But weak competition is only half the battle. For example, in desert places the night is cooler hot day, which, in turn, further stimulates all lovers of night outings to engage in their vigorous activity.

In addition, nocturnal activity is the best time for defenseless mammals (eg voles and mice).

The most famous mammals leading a nocturnal lifestyle

Badger

These representatives of the detachment 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 arranged 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 dream. In order not to be disturbed, badgers clog all exits from their holes with earth and leaves.

This is perhaps one of the most famous crepuscular mammals of the insectivorous order. Anyone who has ever tamed a hedgehog in 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 are dangerous to humans (for example, the ixodid tick). Moreover, these mammals practically do not live in captivity.

In nature, these animals spend all daylight hours in their shelters, hidden from prying eyes. Their minks can be found both in secluded corners of the forest, and on household plots. There, hedgehogs sleep all day, curled up in a tight one.

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

The bats

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

Bats are sole representatives a class of mammals that can fly.

With the onset of dusk, bats in full combat readiness begin their night hunt. They feed on small large insects. In space, they are guided by location.

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

Nocturnal animals are predominantly predators. Among the birds, these are owls and 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 keen eyesight and special hearing, which helps to find the victim'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.

Kiwis use their keen hearing and sense of smell to hunt. They are very agile, although they look clumsy. They feed on small animals and berries.

Bats are perhaps one of the most prominent representatives nocturnal animals. In the minds of people, they are associated with mystery, werewolves, vampires. But only one kind of bat feeds on blood. The rest prefer small animals and insects. The appearance and size of the mouse varies depending on which species they belong to.

Bats use echolocation to hunt. 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 molluscs have a lot interesting abilities. They can tear off their tentacles to run away from the enemy. The absence of bones makes it possible to take a different shape. Octopuses change color, merging with environment. Or their color may change depending on the mood.

The Humboldt squid cannot tolerate daylight. At night, he 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 nocturnal predators. These animals easily deal with a baby elephant that has strayed from the herd. They hunt in a pack, they start, there is still a living victim, since the competition for meat is very big. It is worth noting that some types of hyenas are diurnal.

Coyotes and jackals mainly 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.

Scorpions have been known for thousands of years. In ancient Egypt, they were revered as sacred animals. Their poison was used for various practical purposes, for example, in medicine.

Lynx is an inhabitant coniferous forests from the cat family. Lynx hunt small animals and fish.

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

Night butterflies differ from day butterflies not only in their way of life, 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 at home.

What is the difference between night butterflies and day butterflies

Butterflies, both diurnal and nocturnal, belong to different groups of the order Lepidoptera. The body of night butterflies is more voluminous and hairy, and the wings, on the contrary, do not differ in large size. The color of those who like to fly at night is soft, velvety gray or chocolate. But there are also nocturnal ones with bright colors, and among the daytime ones you can see nondescript individuals.

Nocturnal butterflies within their group are basically very similar in appearance, unlike their diurnal relatives, who amaze with the variety and luxury of shapes and colors. Their body is densely covered with the finest hairs and transparent scales.

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

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

The main types of moths

Fireflies or Pyralidae are small moths, many of which are pests. The wings of the moths when folded take the shape of a triangle.

True moths (Tineidae) and fingerwings (Pterophoridae) are also small nocturnal butterflies. The edges of their wings are fringed with gray scales.

Caligo (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 that resembles the round eyes of an owl. Such a protective coloring scares away birds of prey, which are happy to. An owl butterfly can be kept at home, because it does not require exotic food and eats ordinary overripe bananas.

Hawk hawks (Sphingidae) are also incredibly showy large butterflies resembling a hummingbird. They scare away predators with a “dead head” pattern on the back.

Peacock-eyes (Saturniidae) - wide-winged very large butterflies with a thick body. On the wings of these insects there is also a pattern with eyes.

Leaf rollers (Tortricidae) - pest butterflies. Their folded wings resemble a bell. The most dangerous leafworm pests are the codling moth and spruce budworm.

Bears (Arctiidae) are brightly colored, have the average size and a fluffy plump body.

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Very beautiful selection of photos of nocturnal animals! Watch and enjoy. I highly recommend.

Why are some animals exclusively nocturnal? Darkness saves them from the scorching daytime sun and from competition from other animals, reduces the risk of being caught by various predators. Lots of exotic animals lurk in the night and we don't even realize how beautiful some of these creatures are. Today we will tell you about 10 most amazing nocturnal animals in the world.

Almost all bats are nocturnal creatures. There are several thousand different species of these animals in the world. Indian flying fox, probably one of the most beautiful bats. It has been discovered by researchers in the forests of India, China, Nepal, Bangladesh and the Maldives. The size of this mouse is amazing. She has an elongated muzzle, long clubfoot legs with sharp claws and a wingspan of 1.5 meters.

The Indian flying fox is a herbivorous subspecies of bats, and feeds exclusively on fruits. She flies great distances in search of food at night. Big eyes, with built-in night vision, allow foxes to point in the right direction on their long flights in the dark. Cool nighttime temperatures help bats dissipate the excess heat generated by their bodies during flight.

The ciliated viper is poisonous snake leading an exclusively nocturnal lifestyle. It is found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. This type of snake is different colors including yellow, red, green and brown. Ciliated vipers are named for the modified eyelash-like scales above their eyes.

snakes spend most of his time on the branches of trees, not high from the ground. They hunt only at night. The hemotoxic venom of ciliated vipers is fatal to humans. Snakes use venom when hunting small animals to quickly kill their next prey.

The Barn Owl is a nocturnal bird found on every continent except Antarctica. barn owls are known for their unusual face in the shape of a heart and beautiful plumage. Birds hide during the day quiet places, for which the people called them barn owls. Barn owls hunt only at night. Excellent hearing and excellent night vision help owls navigate in the dark.

The raccoon is a medium-sized mammal found mainly in forested areas. North America. They move through the forest and feed exclusively at night. Raccoons have excellent night vision and sensitive hearing. At night, these amazing animals travel up to 18 miles in search of food. Very rarely, but it happens to see them during the day.

Raccoons are known for their beautiful thick black fur. The black fur of raccoons hardly reflects light. This helps them to remain invisible in the dark. Raccoons eat almost anything they find, including insects, eggs, fish, frogs, nuts, and fruit.

A wolf howling at the moon is the first picture that comes to mind when someone starts talking about these predators. But, there is no connection between the wolves and the moon. Gray wolves howl at night because they are nocturnal, and not because of a special love for natural satellite our planet.

The howl of gray wolves can be heard up to 16 km away. It serves them to transmit signals from pack to pack, and simply as a message that the territory is already occupied. The gray wolf is the largest wolf species in the world. They can be 3-4 feet long and weigh up to 65 kg. Gray wolves are most active at night. They have excellent night vision and a good sense of smell, making it easy to smell and track prey over long distances.

The red panda is a bear cub, the size of a domestic cat, that lives in the mountains of the Eastern Himalayas. The red panda is a nocturnal creature. For most of the day, these funny cubs sleep high in the branches of trees.

Pandas only come down to earth at night to forage for food and wander leisurely around their favorite trees. The darkness helps red pandas avoid being attacked by potential predators such as the snow leopard.

The red-eyed tree frog is a colorful frog that lives in tropical forests. Central America and southern Mexico. She got her name from her big red eyes. These cute creatures have a brightly colored green body, similar in color to the surrounding trees. Red-eyed tree frogs are nocturnal. They spend most of the day camouflaged as leaves, and are only active after dark.

If the red-eyed tree frog meets a predator, it tries to surprise and frighten the dangerous animal by bulging its already huge red eyes. The red color is usually associated with danger, and the large eyes protruding among the leaves confuse predators, and in most cases the tree frog comes out of dangerous situations unscathed.

Slow fat lory is a medium-sized nocturnal primate native to Southeast Asia. There are only five different types of slow lorises in the world. Animals have paws very similar to human hands. The slow loris prefers a nocturnal lifestyle, and sleeps during the day, hiding in tree branches or rocky crevices. After sunset, the slow loris comes out of hiding to look for food.

These human hands amazing creatures have strong, prehensile fingers. Loris can move quickly along the branches of trees, but on the ground they are rather slow. The animals feed mainly on small birds, reptiles, eggs and fruits. Slow lorises also have a highly developed sense of smell, which helps them easily find prey in the dark.

These huge moths are found in the forested regions of North America. You can only meet them at night. Luna moths look amazing, mainly because of their huge light green wings with yellow stripes. The wingspan of this species of moth reaches five inches. At night, these beautiful butterflies fly into the light, circling around lanterns and other sources of artificial light.

The larval stage of the Luna moth lasts for 3-6 weeks. At this stage they feed various types trees, including cherry leaves, hazelnut, walnut and hickory. As an adult, butterflies do not eat anything, and live for only 7 days. In that short period their only job is to mate.

Sugar flying squirrels are exotic, nocturnal animals found in the forests of Australia and Indonesia. They are so named because they can fly from tree to tree and eat only sweet food. Their diet mainly consists of fruits and vegetables. Sugar flying squirrels have a wide membrane between the wrist and ankle. This allows them to jump and glide between trees, catching wind currents. Sugar flying squirrels feel great in human society, and are considered excellent pets.

These small animals sleep throughout the day, and wake up at night, going in search of food. Their large eyes provide them with unique vision, allowing them to see in the dark. The hearing of flying squirrels is so developed that the animals, with an accuracy of up to a centimeter, can determine the location of insects by the faint rustles they make when moving.

Conclusion

It was the Top 10 amazing nocturnal animals of the planet from the site

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Research objectives: To get acquainted with animals leading a nocturnal lifestyle. Talk about their features. The value of these animals in nature and human life.

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Animals leading a nocturnal lifestyle. Nocturnal animals include: cats, bats, owls and many other animals

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Features of animals leading a nocturnal lifestyle. 1. When most people say "cat", they imagine a small pet. But the cat family is an amazing family and includes leopards, lions, tigers, jaguars! A cat is an ordinary animal, but with extraordinary qualities. What exactly? She has a very delicate ear, she hears even the slightest rustle, but at the same time she is very peculiar, a cat may not pay attention, for example, to loud music that is heard above her ear. She is very clean and often washes. But the cat constantly licks off not only dirt, but also its own smell. All cats, both wild and domestic, are hunters. They hunt from ambush. They have very sharp eyesight. The cat walks silently, retracting its claws and stepping with soft pads, climbs deftly. And there are still many secrets in the life of cats.

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Features of animals leading a nocturnal lifestyle. 2. Bats, or bats, are adapted for flight, feed on the fruits of plants, insects, and the blood of warm-blooded animals. The species of bats in the fauna of our country are insectivorous. The wings of bats are formed between the fore and hind limbs and the tail. Only the first short fingers of the front and all fingers of the hind limbs remain free. In connection with the adaptation to flight, bats developed a keel on the sternum. Common kozhan, or red evening, is one of our largest bats. We have this leather in European regions, in Western Siberia and on Far East. On May evenings, when the May beetles appear everywhere, these vespers chase them with a squeak and, making zigzags, fall, fall down, as if somersaulting in the air. For the winter, they either fly to warmer climes or go into hibernation.

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Features of animals leading a nocturnal lifestyle. 3. Owls are distributed all over the world, with the exception of Antarctica. They feed mainly on mouse-like rodents. Eagle owls and tawny owls hunt hares, squirrels, hazel grouses, crows, and ducks. Owls feed on insects. fish owls catch fish. Owls are crepuscular and nocturnal birds. The day is spent hiding. The white owl hunts at any time under the conditions of the polar day.

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The value of these animals in nature and human life. All cats eat meat and kill their victims. Cats have pads on their paws that allow them to walk very quietly. Mice can serve as food for cats. Owls, like cats, have an impact on the number of rodents - pests of agriculture and forestry. They destroy, first of all, weakened animals, thus preventing the spread of dangerous diseases, the pathogens of which are carried by rodents. By reducing the number of mouse-like rodents, cats and owls bring great benefits to humans. Arborists greatly appreciate the red kozhanov, as well as other bats, because they protect the forests. Kozhan is very voracious: he can eat more than 30 May beetles per night. It also exterminates oak leafworms, silkworms and other forest pests, eating them in large numbers.