1 minute read
Nature at Night
By Earl the Squirrel (with help from Kelly Michienzi)
Instructions:
1. Cut out ears, nose and eye mask out of black paper.
2. Cut out white of the eyes with white paper and draw pupil with marker.
3. Glue eyes to the black eye mask.
4. Cut or rip pieces of gray tissue paper and glue onto plate.
5. Glue on ears, nose and eyes to the plate.
Have you ever heard the howl of a coyote, the hoot of an owl or the chirp of a cricket on a summer’s night? Those animals are nocturnal, which means they are more active at night. These are some of the amazing animals and insects that are considered nocturnal here in Virginia: coyotes, foxes, bats, mice, opossums, raccoons, flying squirrels, skunks, owls, moths, fireflies, crickets, and katydids.
Why are these animals nocturnal? Without daylight, it is much easier to move around without being seen by other animals. For a small prey animal, such as a mouse, the darkness helps them avoid some predators. Also, predators like coyotes, foxes and owls can sneak up on their prey more easily without being seen. Nocturnal animals have heightened senses of hearing, smell or touch to find food or avoid predation in the dark. Coyotes and foxes have excellent hearing and can even pick up sounds from animals underground. Moths have antennae that guide them to food sources and potential mates by picking up chemicals in the air. Bats have a unique superpower called echolocation, which leads them to food (flying insects) by producing sounds that bounce off prey and return to them. Raccoons have a heightened sense of touch and like to feel their food with their sensitive paws before eating. Fireflies communicate with each other by lighting up their abdomens. Owls have large eyes to help them see in the dark and have one ear higher than the other to detect sounds from all directions.
Nocturnal Animals
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At times animals that are nocturnal, like foxes and raccoons, are still active during the daytime. This does not mean the animal is sick with rabies. Nocturnal animals that live near people often change their routines to include more active time during the day. Unless the animal appears sick, weak, confused or is acting strange, there is no need to worry. One thing everyone can do to help nocturnal animals is to turn off outdoor lights. Outdoor lights interfere with their vision and foraging activities. Keeping our skies dark will help migrating birds, too. Now head outside on a summer evening and see how many interesting animals you can see and hear.