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Article: Nocturnal
- Article from:
- Animal Sciences
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Nocturnal
Nocturnal organisms are those that are active mainly at night and sleep during the day. Their activity pattern occurs in twenty-four hour cycles, known as a circadian rhythm. Nocturnal animals include bats, cats, owls, mice, scorpions, opossums, raccoons, coyotes, cockroaches, and moths.
Nocturnal animals occupy a
niche
that is complementary to that of
diurnal
animals. For example, owls have a nighttime role similar to that of hawks during the day. Moths fill the same niche at night as butterflies do during the day.
Many nocturnal animals have specialized adaptations for their nighttime activities. The eyes of most nocturnal animals are larger than those of diurnal animals, ...