List of nocturnal animals with pictures and interesting facts…Nocturnal Animals Nocturnal animals are animals that are active at night.
They often have special adaptations for living at night, including large eyes for low-light vision, and heightened senses of hearing and smell.
Examples of nocturnal animals include aardvarks, bats, moths, owls, raccoons, Tasmanian devils and wolves. Scroll down to see our top 20 list of nocturnal animals…Diurnal & Crepuscular AnimalsThe opposite of nocturnal is diurnal.
Crepuscular animals are active at dusk (ie, during dawn and dusk).List of Nocturnal AnimalsAardvarkType of animal: MammalWhere found: AfricaThe aardvark is a nocturnal mammal found throughout sub-Saharan Africa (the area south of the Sahara Desert).
The aardvark uses its strong claws to break open the nests of insects and also to dig holes in which it lives. You can learn more about aardvarks on this page: Aardvark factsAye-AyeType of animal: Mammal (Lemur)Where to find: MadagascarThe aye- The aye is a lemur that lives in the rainforest of Madagascar, a large island located in Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa. The aye-aye, which reaches a height of about 3 ft.
(90 cm), including its long tail, is the largest nocturnal primate in the world. This nocturnal hunter hunts for food by tapping the trees; it can tell by sound if there is a tasty insect grub hidden under the skin. Some people believe that the aye-aye brings bad luck, and this amazing nocturnal animal faces persecution because of these beliefs.
This, and the loss of habitat, is one of the reasons the aye-aye is now endangered. You can learn more about aye-ayes on this page: Aye-Aye FactsBadgersAmerican badgerType of animal: Mammal (members of the family Mustelidae)Where to find: Europe, North America, Asia, AfricaThere are fifteen species of badger, all of which belong to family Mustelidae (the weasel family).
Well-known badger species include the American badger, the European badger and the honey badger (an African species).
They spend the day in burrows known as setts and come out at night to forage and hunt. You can learn more about badgers on the following pages: American Badger FactsHoney Badger FactsBats Small horseshoe batsType of animal: Mammals (order Chiroptera)Where found: Every continent except AntarcticaBats are some of the best known nocturnal animals.
The 1,400 or so living species of bats make up the order Chiroptera. There are two main types of bats: megabats, commonly known as fruit bats, and microbats, which find their prey using echolocation. You can learn more about bats on the following pages: Bats: The Complete Guide to Vampire Bat FactsCatfishType of animal: Fish (order Siluriformes)Where to find: Every continent except AntarcticaCatfish are fish of the order are Siluriformes.
(The barbel is a long, thin, sensory organ located near the fish’s mouth.) Large catfish, such as the wels catfish, a species found in Europe, can reach up to 16 ft / (5 m) ; other species are smaller. Many, but not all, catfish are nocturnal and are mostly found in freshwater habitats.
Photo: Terry Priest, CC BY-SA 2.0, via FlickrType of animal: Insect (family Lampyridae)Where found: Temperate & tropical regions worldwide Fireflies, despite their name, are not flies; they are beetles belonging to the order Coleoptera.
Outside of America, fireflies are also known as “glow worms”. There are about 2,000 species in the firefly family, Lampyridae.
Most are nocturnal animals that produce light through chemical reactions involving special body parts (a process known as bioluminescence). Learn more about beetles on this page: Beetles: The Ultimate Guide to Flying SquirrelsSouthern Flying Squirrel in North CarolinaAnimal type: Mammal (family Sciuridae)Where found: Asia, Europe, North America Flying squirrels are rodents in the squirrel family Sciuridae that are able to glide from tree to tree using a wing-like membrane (known as a patagium) that extends between their arms and legs. Most flying species of squirrels are found in Asia, but some are found in Europe, and three are found in North America. The North American flying squirrels (southern flying squirrel, northern flying squirrel and Humboldt’s flying squirrel) belong to the genus Glaucomys. Most of flying squirrels are nocturnal animals.
Despite their name, they can only glide, rather than fly. You can learn more about flying squirrels on this page: Flying Squirrel FactsGalagoes (Bushbabies)Type of animal: Mammal (Primate, family Galagidae)Where Found in: Africa Galagoes are a family of small nocturnal primates found in sub-Saharan Africa.
Like many nocturnal animals, voles have large eyes to see in the dark. Galagoes mainly feed on insects, which they can hunt by sound using their long ears and keen sense of hearing. There are about 19 species of galago.
Because of this child-like cry, hedgehogs are also known as bush babies.HedgehogsType of animal: Mammal (subfamily Erinaceinae) Where found: Europe, Asia, AfricaHedgehogs are mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae.
When threatened, a hedgehog can roll into a ball to protect its face and lower body. Hedgehogs that live in cold regions hibernate during the winter. You can learn more about hedgehogs on this page: Hedgehog FactsLeopardType of animal: Mammal (family Felidae )Where to find: Africa, Asia With its spotted coat, the leopard is one of the most unique species of wild cat.
The leopard’s “spots” are rings known as rosettes. Like many wild cats, the leopard is mostly nocturnal.
The eyes of all cats have a lining called the tapetum lucidum, which reflects light back to the retina, thus improving the animal’s night vision.
It is the presence of the tapetum lucidum that makes a cat’s eyes glow at night. The leopard is found in most of Africa and Asia – an area larger than any other wild cat species.
Despite its large range, the leopard is threatened and has a conservation status of “Vulnerable”. You can learn more about leopards on this page: Leopard Facts You can learn more about wild cats on this page: List of All Wild Cats With Pictures. & FactsNight MonkeysPhoto: dsasso, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsType of animal: Mammals (order Primates, genus Aotus)Where found: Central and South AmericaEleven species of night monkeys are the only true nocturnal monkeys .
Their characteristic large brown eyes provide better night vision, but are monochromatic (cannot distinguish colors). The genus name Aotus means “earless”; although night monkeys have ears, they are mostly covered with fur. Night monkeys have a keen sense of smell, which helps them find food in the dark. You can learn more about monkeys on the following pages:Monkeys: The General Guide to Species of MonkeysMothsType of animal: Insect (order Lepidoptera)Where found: All continents except AntarcticaThe insect order Lepidoptera includes the moths and butterflies of the world.
The exact reason for this is unknown, but it is believed that moths may use natural light sources (for example, the moon) to fly in a straight line. You can learn more about moths below. Pages:The difference between a moth and a butterflyReality of the Luna mothNightjarsCommon NighthawkType of animal: Bird (family Caprimulgidae)Where to find: All continents except AntarcticaNightjars are a family of common nocturnal birds that can be identified by their tag -as wings, well-hidden feathers and short beaks.
Some North American members of this family are called nighthawks. Like many nocturnal animals, nightjars are the object of superstitions.
In the past, nightjars were known as “goatsuckers” because of the belief that they feed on livestock milk.OpossumType of animal: Mammal (Marsupial) Where found: North and South AmericaOpossums are a group of more than 100 marsupials found in the Americas.
One of the best known species, and the only opossum found in the United States and Canada, is the Virginia opossum. Like all marsupials, opossums are born very early in their development.
This is where they can access their mother’s milk as they continue to grow.Opossums are omnivores that eat at night.You can learn more about the Virginia Opossum on this page: Virginia Opossum FactsOwlsPhoto: TonyCastro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons ( cut / modified by ActiveWild.com)Type of animal: Bird (order Strigiformes)Where to find: All continents except Antarctica Owls are some of the best known nocturnal animals, although not all of the 240 or so owl species are nocturnal. Owls have large eyes for good night vision, as well as a keen sense of hearing for finding prey in low light conditions. The ears of owls are positioned asymmetrically. on the head – this improves the bird’s ability to tell the direction from which a sound is coming. The stiff feathers that make up the round “face” of the owl also help direct sound to the ears. You can learn more about owls on the following pages: Barn Owl Facts Barn Owl Facts Barn Owl Snowy Owl FactsRaccoonType of animal: Mammal (family Procyonidae) Where found : North America With its distinctive black and white face, the raccoon is one of the most recognizable mammals in North America.
Originally a forest animal, the adaptable raccoon is now at home in a variety of habitats, including towns and cities. The raccoon is an omnivore with a varied diet that includes insects, worms, eggs of birds and reptiles, fish, and sometimes birds and mammals. You can learn more about raccoons on this page : Raccoon FactsRatsBrown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)Type of animal: Mammal (rodent of genus Rattus) Where found: All continents except Antarctica Of the 66 species of the genus Rattus, the best known and the most widespread are the black rat and the small which is a larger brown rat. Rats are often found in human habitations due to the availability of food and shelter.
These adaptable rodents are an invasive species in many regions, and their introduction can be very harmful to native wildlife. You can learn more about rodents on this page: Facts on RodentScorpionsScorpions that glow with ultraviolet lightType Animal: Arachnid (order Scorpiones) Where found: All continents except Antarctica Scorpions are a group of arachnids characterized by large claws and a divided tail, ending in a stinger.
At night, scorpions can be spotted using ultraviolet light, which makes the scorpions glow blue-green. You can learn more about scorpions on this page: Scorpion Facts You can learn more about arachnids here page: Arachnids: The Ultimate GuideTasmanian DevilType of animal: Mammal (Marsupial)Where found: AustraliaThe Tasmanian Devil is the largest carnivorous marsupial.
It belongs to the Dasyuridae family, which is also home to quolls and other primarily carnivorous / insectivorous marsupials. Most wild Tasmanian devils are found in the Australian island state of Tasmania, but recently a small number have been reintroduced to the Australian mainland. The Tasmanian devil is known for its terrifying screams at night and aggressive feeding behavior. Unfortunately, this iconic Australian animal is currently threatened by a disease and is now endangered. You can find out more about the Tasmanian devil on this page: Tasmanian Devil FactsWolfType of animal: Mammal (family Canidae)Where to find: Throughout the Northern HemisphereThe wolf, or gray wolf that gives this iconic animal the entire name, is the largest member of the dog family Canidae. Wolves are found in many different habitats in their range, but are usually associated with wilderness and forest areas. Wolves live and hunt in family groups known as packs.
Pack hunting gives wolves an advantage over solitary predators, and enables them to take down prey as large as bison and moose.
It is one of the most famous nocturnal animals in the world. You can learn more about wolves on this page: Wolf Facts You can learn more about wild dogs on this page: List of Wild Dog Species With Pictures and Facts List of Nocturnal Animals: Conclusion and Further Reading We hope you enjoyed reading about the many different types of nocturnal animals and their adaptations for living at night. You will learn more. about animals and the animal kingdom on the following pages: List of Scary Animals With Pictures and Facts Plus FREE Printable Halloween Animal QuizA to Z Animals List With Pictures, Facts & Information List of North American Animals.
Pictures And Facts Of Iconic Animals Of North America, With FREE Printable Worksheet List Of Australian Animals With Pictures And Facts