What does nocturnal mean?

Nocturnal means being active at night. A nocturnal animal, such as an owl, a bat or a hedgehog, wakes up when it gets dark to look for food, and sleeps during the day.

How do night animals find food in the dark?

They use special senses. Owls have big eyes and very sharp hearing. Foxes and hedgehogs have a strong sense of smell. Cats use their whiskers to feel their way. Bats make sounds and listen to the echoes. Each animal has its own clever way of finding food when there is little light.

Nocturnal Animals | Nature

Who is awake at night?

When you climb into bed and the sky goes dark, you might think the whole world is sleeping. But it is not! As soon as the sun goes down, a special group of animals wakes up and starts their busy day. We call them nocturnal animals. Nocturnal means awake at night and asleep in the day. Let's meet some of these night-time creatures and find out how they manage in the dark.

The wise owl

The owl is a famous night animal. While other birds sleep, the owl hunts. It swoops down quietly to catch mice and small animals.

How does the owl do this in the dark?

It has very big eyes that let in lots of light, so it can see when it is dim.
It has super-sharp hearing. It can hear a mouse moving in the grass below.
Its feathers are soft, so it flies almost silently — its dinner never hears it coming!

The flying bat

The bat comes out at night too. A bat is special because it is a furry animal that can really fly. Bats zoom around the night sky catching insects to eat.

Here is the clever part: a bat does not need to see well in the dark. Instead, it makes squeaky sounds, then listens to the echoes that bounce back. The echoes tell the bat where things are — a tree, a wall, or a tasty moth. This is called echolocation, and it works like a sound map of the dark.

The spiky hedgehog and the sly fox

Down on the ground, more night animals are busy.

A hedgehog snuffles through gardens at night, looking for slugs, worms and beetles. It uses its excellent sense of smell to find them.
A fox trots quietly through streets and fields, using its keen nose and big ears to hunt.
A cat can see well in dim light and uses its long whiskers to feel its way past things in the dark.

Why come out at night?

You might wonder — why not just stay awake in the day like us? There are good reasons.

To stay cool. In hot places, the daytime sun is fierce. The night is much cooler and more comfortable.
To stay safe. Many hunters are awake in the day. By coming out at night, a small animal can hide from them.
To find food. Some food, like insects and worms, is easier to find at night.

So being nocturnal is a clever way to live. Each night animal has special body parts — big eyes, sharp ears, a good nose, whiskers, or even sound — to help it find food in the dark.

Day or night?

Some animals are the opposite of nocturnal — they are awake in the day. You can compare both kinds in our lesson on daytime and nighttime animals. Many night animals also have clever homes to sleep in during the day, like a hollow tree or a cosy burrow. Find out where animals rest in animals and their homes.

A night-time activity

You do not have to stay up late to learn about night animals! Try this:

Listen at dusk. Just before bed, open a window for a moment with a grown-up. Can you hear an owl hooting or insects buzzing? Night is a noisy time!
Owl eyes. Cup your hands into circles and hold them up to your eyes like big owl goggles. Pretend you can see in the dark.
Draw the night. Draw a dark sky and add an owl, a bat and a hedgehog. Give each one its special helper — big eyes, sound waves, and a sniffy nose.

The next time the lights go out, remember: somewhere outside, a whole world of busy animals is just waking up.

Nocturnal Animals

Key takeaways