Nocturnal animals and their characteristics. Crepuscular animals - characteristics, adaptations and examples. Eastern tarsier - Indonesian nocturnal primate

Man, like many other animals, is active daytime look life, that's why she sleeps at night. Nocturnal animals, on the contrary, become active with the onset of darkness.
Basic data:
Day vision. IN daytime nocturnal animals usually sleep. However, some species, such as badgers, sometimes leave their burrows during the day. Others, which include, for example, house mouse, you often have to come out of hiding during the daytime. Animals do this because they cannot always find enough food at night or because they are afraid of predators that hunt at night. Those of them that live in tropical areas hide from the scorching sun in burrows, holes, rock crevices or thickets and emerge from their shelters only at dusk, when the air becomes moist and cool. The hippopotamus grazes at dusk, and the night and most of spends the day immersed in water - this is how he manages to escape the heat of the day. Only at noon does it bask in the sun for a short time, after which it returns to the reservoir again. The hippopotamus' eyes, ears and nostrils are set high on its head, so it can remain almost completely under water for a long time. The eyes of nocturnal animals are sensitive to sunlight. Some nocturnal amphibians and reptiles protect their vision with the help of a nictitating membrane - the so-called third eyelid.
Other animals, in bright light, may constrict their pupils to a tiny slit so that less sunlight reaches the retina.

Night vision. The eyes of animals leading night look life, usually longer than those species that are active during the day. This eye structure helps absorb more light. In tarsiers and owls the eyeball is elongated. This is necessary so that a large lens can fit in it.
The eyes of owls look forward. They are absolutely motionless. Some nocturnal animals can contract the iris, the colored membrane of the eye, and enlarge the pupils so that as much light as possible can enter. The eyes of many mammals that are active at night and during twilight can reflect light and glow in the dark.
A light ray passing through the pupil hits the retina. Behind the retina there is a mirror that reflects light passing through the light-sensitive cells. The light then hits the retina again. It activates the retina and increases its light sensitivity.
There are 2 types of light-sensitive cells, the so-called photoreceptors, named after their shape - rods and cones. Sticks allow you to see black - white image, and cones are responsible for color vision. The retina of nocturnal animals, such as bats, does not contain cones. Cats have both rod and cone eyes. Many representatives of the animal world, for example, deep sea fish, birds and bats are active at night. Land animals living in hot countries thus escape the heat. All night hunters, like their prey, are amazingly adapted to life in the dark. Most of them have perfect night vision.
NIGHT SENSE ORGANS. Nocturnal animals have everything they need to hunt in the dark. There are two different groups animals: some of them have developed perfect vision, others have additional sense organs that replace vision. Even for those species that see well in the dark, other senses are also important. The serval, in addition to excellent eyesight, has excellent hearing. Bats hunt at night, using a location system to navigate. Pythons, African pit vipers and pit vipers have evolved thermolocators. In pit vipers they are located in pits located on the sides of the head, in African vipers - behind the nostrils, and in pythons - on the upper scutes. With their help, detecting the slightest difference in temperature, snakes reveal warm-blooded animals, which become prey for them. Piranha sees infrared radiation, allowing it to determine the location of prey.
WHY ARE ANIMALS ACTIVE AT NIGHT?
All inhabitants of deserts or semi-deserts more often avoid the burning dry air and go in search of food at dusk or at night, when the midday heat subsides, the temperature decreases and air humidity increases.
To quench their thirst or restore moisture lost during the day, they drink morning dew. Air humidity is very important for many invertebrates, such as snails and worms. These small animals leave their shelters only at night, when body fluid loss is minimized. Some birds, such as snipe and woodcock, feed primarily at dusk because this is when the invertebrates they feed on come out of their hiding places. With the help of a long beak they remove worms and insects from the ground. During the cold season, these birds living in swamps look for food during the day, since the soil is softer at this time. Diffused evening light allows many animals, such as zebras and okapi, natural protection from enemies. The outlines of striped or spotted animals become invisible at dusk and merge with the elongated shadows. Predators such as lions and others big cats They hunt zebras only when they are grazing in open space and well lit by the sun. Some species were forced to switch to a nocturnal lifestyle due to their proximity to humans. The common otter is considered a nocturnal animal, but in the Hebrides, where it is not disturbed by people, it is active during the day. Thanks to different daily rhythms, food competition between animals of different species is reduced.
Animals that are nocturnal have developed different feeding preferences. Exceptions only confirm this rule: the American eagle owl hunts hares at night.

The cold, dark depths of the oceans are home to some of nature's most amazing creations. Sea devils, which use a luminous bait that is placed near the mouth on the long ray of the dorsal fin. Some insects also have luminous organs, for example, fireflies. Thanks to special chemical reaction, at night these insects are able to light their lanterns. The female's flashlight burns brighter than the male's. With its help, she attracts a male during the mating period.

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 of 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, in the midst of 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 fewer 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: "

We know many amazing and beautiful animals. Some we were told about in childhood, some we see ourselves or learn about them on TV. But there is a huge group of animals about which we know a little less - these are nocturnal animals.

In natural conditions, meeting these animals is not so easy. That's why we decided to open the door a little amazing world nocturnal animals that are distinguished by their beauty.

Below is a list of the 10 most beautiful nocturnal animals in the world according to our online magazine.

#10

Almost all species of animals of the order Chiroptera, including bats and fruit bats, are nocturnal creatures. There are about 1000 in the world various types bats.

Is perhaps the most beautiful view fruit bat family. These animals live in the forests of India, China, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives.

Has quite large sizes among its relatives, the wingspan can reach 1.5 meters. Also, these animals have a rather interesting and expressive appearance. Unlike bats, flying foxes not so terrible, their heads are more like those of a dog, and their bodies are covered with reddish hair.

These animals feed exclusively on fruits. They travel long distances in search of food at night. Large eyes with excellent night vision help them in long-distance night flights.

#9

These snakes of the viper family are distinguished by their bright colors and amazing eyelashes. They live in tropical forests Central and South America.

They happen various colors, including yellow, red, green and brown. These snakes spend most of their time on small tree branches, often hanging upside down with their tails caught in the branches. At night, snakes come out to hunt.

They eat small rodents, lizards, frogs and small birds. But if you disturb prehensile-tailed bothrops, he can even attack a person. The venom of these snakes can be fatal to humans.

#8

barn owl- a nocturnal bird that lives on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica. And on the territory Russian Federation these birds are found only in the Kaliningrad region.

Barn owls known for their distinctive oval facial shapes and beautiful plumage. During the daytime, owls rest in quiet and hidden places, and at night they go out hunting.

These birds have keen hearing and excellent vision. These qualities make barn owl excellent hunters. With the development of Internet technologies barn owls They have become quite popular birds, videos with them gain a huge number of views.

They are not only beautiful, but also funny. Often barn owls begin to make funny faces and sway from side to side when they are next to a person, which causes huge interest in people.

All animals on our planet adapt to their living conditions and environment. And due to various factors, some of them chose to lead a nocturnal lifestyle. 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 variety 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 molluscs They 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. Evidence of aggressive behavior of Humboldt squid towards objects unfamiliar to them has been recorded. 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, their population was discovered in North America, where they are now under constant protection. 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 spared the danger: they become victims of their relatives and other wolves, the young are hunted by alligators and natural conditions live about 8 years, in captivity - up to 14. Previously, there were 3 subspecies of red wolves, two of which are different years turned out to be extinct.

Owls: silent hunters

Among the huge variety of owls, the vast majority are nocturnal animals. Owl - 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.

Most major representatives 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 on the head in a special way, 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. The habitat region is the 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.

10th place: Humboldt squid. The Humboldt squid spends the day in ocean depths, but when night falls, he rises to the surface and begins his hunt. These huge animals have excellent vision and see in almost complete darkness. In addition, they can instantly change color - from pearl white to blood red, which is why they received the nickname “red devil”. Scientists suggest that this helps the animals camouflage - after all, they are not the only ones who can see well at night - and makes them invisible both to prey and to those who are not averse to eating the squid themselves. Humboldt squid are most likely safe for humans, although there are periodic unconfirmed stories of three-meter giants attacking fishermen. But who squids can really attack is their fellow creatures: the “red devils” are not without reason suspected of cannibalism.

9th place: hippopotamus. A hippopotamus, which lies almost motionless in the water, dozes in the sun, and from time to time opens its huge mouth - a familiar picture, isn’t it? Meanwhile, hidden behind this idyll is another life that begins at night. It is at this time that hippos emerge from bodies of water to stock up on provisions - or, in other words, to eat as much as possible. They are forced to live according to this schedule because of the African heat - during the day the animal is too hot, and only at night, when the temperature becomes lower, does it allow itself to refuse water procedures.

8th place: pit vipers. Pit vipers are a large family, represented by almost two hundred species, but they all share a unique ability. These poisonous snakes able to recognize potential prey even in pitch darkness– such an ability is vital for night hunters. On the head of pitheads there are two thermoreceptor pits between the nostrils and the eye. These pits sense even very slight changes in temperature - up to 0.1 degrees. Rodents and birds that snakes feed on have much more high temperature, how environment, and pit vipers attack the victim, knowing exactly where it is.

7th place: giraffes. Giraffes can hardly be called nocturnal animals - they are most active during daylight hours, but every night several animals in the herd keep a guard watch. As soon as the sun sets, lions, leopards and other predators come out to hunt and are not averse to grabbing a calf or even an adult giraffe. Therefore, while everyone is sleeping, the “watch” goes around the herd to give a signal at the slightest danger. They do not rely on vision - giraffes do not see very well at night, but their hearing is very acute. And as soon as the sentry gives a signal about the appearance of a predator, strong legs will be used - giraffes can run away at a speed of 40-50 km/h, or they can kick the attacker with such force that it’s not enough!

6th place: elephants. African elephants During the day, as a rule, they rest, and at night the whole herd begins to eat. With the help of their trunk, guided primarily by their sense of smell, they pull out armfuls of grass, remove fruits and leaves from trees, peel off the bark, and sometimes even uproot the entire tree to make it more convenient to eat tasty greens. After a herd of elephants walks across the plain, it takes on a very deplorable appearance. At this time, all the attention of the elephants is directed to the search for food, and with their heavy legs, the elephants walk almost silently, without attracting the attention of predators. The fact is that animals touch the ground only with their fingertips, and on the sole under the skin they have a special jelly-like layer reinforced with elastic fibers. This fat pad makes the step inaudible. However, if predators do risk an attack, he will be in trouble - elephants are always ready to use their heavy tusks, and the weight categories will obviously be different!

5th place: red wolves. Red wolves, indigenous inhabitants North America, from 1980 to 1987 were considered extinct from the face of the earth. Fortunately, it turned out that the species exists to this day, and people took it under vigilant protection, doing everything possible to restore the population. Red wolves have unique hearing, acute vision and sense of smell - they are able to see, hear and smell incomparably better than people. These feelings help them in night hunting - it is at this time that red wolves, like silent ghosts, pursue their prey. Only a rare howl in the darkness betrays their presence. The red wolf may go a week without eating anything if the hunt is unsuccessful, but usually he manages to eat at least a couple of times a week.

4th place: lions. Lions cannot be called completely nocturnal animals, but they feel great in the dark. When dusk falls on the earth, the leader of the pride lion patrols his domain. It marks the boundaries of the territory and also announces its presence with a sonorous roar. Lionesses don't waste time either - they go hunting. And if the night outing was successful, the entire pride will be treated to a magnificent feast. Despite the fact that lions hunt at night, they love to sleep - these animals can spend up to twenty hours a day sleeping!

3rd place: real vampires. Night, as you know, is the time of vampires. At this time of day, small winged creatures that feed only on blood fly out in search of their next victim. They hold feasts, lying in wait large mammals, mostly horses or cattle, and sometimes attacking people. They find prey using echolocation and temperature sensors. Their saliva contains anesthetics and anticoagulants that make the bite painless and prevent the blood from clotting.

2nd place: coyotes. It is simply impossible to imagine the expanses of the American prairies without the nightly howl of coyotes. When it gets dark, these same “musical” representatives of canines begin their chants. And this is not art for art’s sake: in this way, coyotes give various signals to their relatives. However, in lately When cities encroach on the prairies, coyotes live close to human civilization and sometimes mistake the sound of a police or fire siren for the howl of their fellows.

1st place: night monkeys. The name of this family of primates - “night monkeys”, speaks for itself - it includes monkeys that are active in the dark. However, having studied the structure of the retina in representatives of some species, scientists came to the conclusion that these monkeys once led a diurnal lifestyle, and only later did they change the regime. During the day, nocturnal primates that live in Central and South America, sit out in hollows or dense thickets, and about 15 minutes after sunset they go out in search of food. At midnight they rest again for an hour and a half to two hours, and then start eating again. Before sunrise, the monkeys again climb into hollows or thickets, where they sleep until next night. However, in complete darkness, monkeys cannot see anything, so on new moon nights they almost never go out. Watch Nocturnal Animals starting January 1 on Animal Planet on Friday nights from 5:15 p.m.
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