Nocturnal animals are among the most amazing in the world. They have adapted not only their habits, but also their bodies to live in little or no light. Discover the 20 most amazing species that move around the world during the night, while you sleep.
Nocturnal animals as beautiful as they are surprising
In the animal world we can find all kinds of interesting evolutionary adaptations to the environment, always with the aim of maximizing the chances of survival of different species.
Among them, few are more surprising than those of nocturnal animals, that is, those that have evolved to live, hunt and reproduce with little or no need for light.
Unlike diurnal animals, nocturnal animals perform all their activities at night, either during twilight or even in more advanced hours. These creatures normally hide and sleep during the day, sheltered from potential predators.
The nightlife carried out by these species is part of an adaptation that is usually due to the needs imposed by the environment in which they live (this is the case, for example, of those who live in the desert) or by the other animals that surround them.
As you will see in this list of nocturnal animals, this is actually a category that encompasses very different beings, ranging from small insects that we can find in our cities and houses to large and elegant felines from remote jungles.
All of them make nightlife and have adapted their bodies and senses, in one way or another, to the absence of light, but, otherwise, they present an enormous diversity.
In any case, the most important thing that nocturnal animals have in common is that they are, without a doubt, fascinating creatures. And in this article we are going to help you get to know many of them better. Let’s go!
How are the senses of nocturnal animals?
How do nocturnal animals perceive their environment, if there is little or no light? It’s a very good question.
As we said, these beings have developed interesting adaptations that allow them to perform all their activities without major problem in conditions in which we could hardly move. Their vision, and sometimes also their other senses, are very different from ours.
The sight of nocturnal animals
You only need to see what the eyes of many nocturnal animals are like to realize that they are designed to work in low light conditions. They tend to be larger, with larger pupils to make the most of the scarce light that is available at dusk and night.
The best example of this is the eyes of owls and owls (animals that we will tell you about soon), much larger than ours in relation to the size of their heads. The shape is also different: their eyes are tubular, not spherical.
Many nocturnal and crepuscular animals also have a special membrane inside the eye, behind the retina, which is called tapetum lucidum. It serves to reflect on the retina, and thus take better advantage of the light that enters the eye. That’s why the eyes of many of these animals glow in the dark. We talk about this in our articles about how cats see and how dogs see.
Finally, the photosensitive cells of the retina are different in the eyes of these animals. Or, rather, the proportion of them is not the same as in our case. In the eyes we find cells called cones (which provide a rich and deep view of color and details) and rods (very sensitive to movement and light).
Our eyes have more cones than rods, but in nocturnal animals the distribution is just the opposite. That is what makes them see well in the dark and react quickly to any movement, but all at the price of generally having a less accurate view.
Other adaptations for nightlife
Many nocturnal animals also stand out for their fine hearing or a specially developed sense of smell. When there is no light, these two senses allow them to pick up food and water sources even at great distances, as well as detect potential predators and prey.
Other animals, such as snakes, can also use the sense of taste, since their tongue provides them with a lot of information about their environment. Certain types of hairs can also function as receptors, or even elements external to the animal, as is the case with spiders and their web.
In short, there are numerous adaptations that make it possible for these animals to move and hunt without problems in the absence of light. Many species have developed their own amazing methods and some of them we will talk about shortly.
20 nocturnal animals with photos and features
Without further ado, here is a list of the 20 most amazing nocturnal animals that exist in Nature:
Camel spider (solifugae)
Camel spiders are an order of arachnids that, despite their name, are not related to spiders. They are distinguished from them by their two front appendages finished in small calipers.
These animals are also called solifuges (“those who flee from the Sun”), a name that is directly related to their mainly nocturnal habits. Even those who live by day run from shade to shade, always avoiding the light of the arid environments in which they live.
They are voracious carnivorous predators that tirelessly chase their prey, killing them with bites. They even attack dangerous animals such as scorpions or wasps.
Scorpion (scorpions)
Scorpions are arachnid arthropods that are characterized by having a segmented body, two arms with large pincers and a long tail ending in a sting.
There are scorpions of various sizes, customs and levels of danger, but most of them are solitary hunters of nocturnal nature. During the day they take shelter in tunnels and nooks and crannies.
Due to their particular appearance, scorpions, animals at once fascinating and feared, have starred in numerous stories and legends of human folklore. We include them in our list of animals that begin with A.
Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis)
The aye-aye is a curious primate endemic to the African island of Madagascar. It is a peculiar animal both for its strange appearance and for the fact that it is an isolated species with no close relatives and one of the few species of nocturnal primates.
The aye-aye are about the same size as a domestic cat, with a length of 40 cm and an approximate weight of 2-3 kg. They stand out for their exceptional sense of hearing. They feed on the larvae that live inside the trunks of trees, which they detect by hitting the bark with their very long (in relation to the others) third finger of the hand.
Tumbes boa (boa constrictor longicauda)
The Tumbes boa is a subspecies of boa constrictor that inhabits the jungle territories between Peru and Ecuador.
These land snakes, which can measure up to 2 meters, are effective nocturnal hunters that approach their prey stealthily and roll up in them until they suffocate them. They feed on any small or medium-sized animals they find in the jungle.
Despite their voracity, the truth is that they are calm-tempered animals that pose no threat to humans, which has made them popular among snake enthusiasts.
Owl (strigidae)
Owls, common name given to birds of the Strigidae family, are surely one of the first nocturnal animals that will come to mind. They are large and strong birds of prey whose huge eyes allow them to see perfectly when light is scarce. Their vision and hearing are exceptional and it should also be noted that they are very silent animals.
A trick to differentiate owls from owls is to look for the raised feathers similar to ears (although they are not) that the former have on the sides of the head.
Because of their attractive appearance, characteristic eyes and tendency to stealth, owls have traditionally been associated with wisdom, knowledge and balance.
Hedgehog (erinaceinae)
Hedgehogs are small mammals that have their bodies covered by a layer of spikes. There are up to 16 different species of hedgehogs distributed throughout Eurasia, Africa and Oceania (two examples are the Egyptian hedgehog and the African hedgehog). They are relatively frequent in captivity, although they are not domestic animals and their possession is prohibited in our country (see here a list of animals prohibited as pets in Spain).
Hedgehogs, which are about 20 cm long and can weigh up to 1 kg, are nocturnal animals that spend hours looking for the insects that make up most of their diet.
A curiosity about these animals is that their barbs are not really bones, but hollow hairs filled with keratin. Although they can harm and deter predators, they do not have sharp tips.
Geckoo (gekkota)
Geckos are a family of reptiles of small and medium size (there are species of 1 cm in length, while others exceed half a meter) that live in temperate regions around the world.
Although they are very diverse, most geckos are nocturnal in nature and feed mainly on insects. They have excellent night vision, up to 350 times sharper than that of humans. Another curiosity about these animals is that they lack eyelids, so they must lick their eyes every so often to keep them moist.
By their docile nature and easy care, geckos are a very popular pet.
Gineta (genetta genetta)
The genet, also called musk cat, is a carnivorous mammal that lives in the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands, France and much of Africa and the Middle East. It is a relatively unknown animal, similar to a feline, but with an elongated snout and arboreal habits.
They are solitary animals that always hunt at night. They feed on rodents, insects, lizards and birds.
In certain areas of Africa, genets are domesticated to fulfill a role similar to that of cats, freeing the properties of rats and other vermin. However, they are surly animals with a tendency to bite, so in no case should they be kept as a pet.
Gerbil (dipodinae)
Dipodines, colloquially called gerbils or gerbils, are a family of rodents that live in North Africa and Asia. There are many species of gerbils, but the best known, being a typical domestic animal, is the Egyptian gerbil (jaculus jaculus).
These rodents have a very characteristic appearance, with large black eyes (which identify them as nocturnal animals), rounded ears, strong hind legs and long tail. They have adapted to locomotion through jumps and in the deserts in which they live they travel long distances at night.
Gerbils are usually confused with gerbils, and particularly with the Mongolian gerbil (meriones unguiculatus), but they are very different animals.
Barn owl (strigidae)
Owl is the colloquial name given to several species of strigiform birds of the same family as owls, but unlike owls owls do not have feathers raised above their heads.
The barn owl (tyto alba) is perhaps the prototype of these animals, but the truth is that there are many strigiform birds that could fit into this category.
Like owls, owls are birds of prey perfectly adapted for living and hunting in the dark. They are very effective predators that feed on small rodents and mammals.
Ring-tailed lemur (lemur catta)
The ring-tailed lemur is a primate endemic to Madagascar that inhabits the forested and scrub regions of the south of the island.
They may be active during the day, but prefer the night to hide from their predators. Their large and bright eyes, adapted to low light conditions, are one of the most characteristic features of these animals.
One of the most curious habits of these animals is to sunbathe during the early hours of the morning. Groups of lemurs sit together in a posture reminiscent of that of human meditation and take advantage of the first rays of the sun to warm themselves.
Iberian lynx (lynx pardinus)
The lynx, one of the most representative felines of the Iberian fauna, is also an animal of crepuscular and nocturnal habits. They rest during the day and look for their prey, mainly rabbits, at sunset.
The Iberian lynx is an endangered species, with only a few viable populations, composed of several hundred individuals, in various areas of southern Europe. However, in recent years great efforts have been made at all levels to improve the situation of the species.
Gray wolf (canis lupus)
Gray wolves are sociable and large canids, closely related to dogs (canis lupus familiaris) and, despite being in danger of extinction, still present in large areas of Europe, Asia and America.
These animals live, hunt and reproduce in packs, and can do all this both day and night. They have very refined senses, among which stands out an excellent sense of smell that allows them to detect their prey at great distances.
There are numerous subspecies of wolves and other wild canids related to them, but the domestic dog is undoubtedly the most successful and widespread of them all, thanks to its close relationship with humans.
Firefly (lampyridae)
Fireflies are beetle insects that make up a family called lampyrids. Their main characteristic and the one that gives them their name is the ability to emit light, which makes them very visible at night.
These insects use light, which they generate through bioluminescence, to communicate with each other and as a way of calling each other in mating seasons. Thus, males and females use different patterns of flashes during flight to look for mates.
Night monkey (aotus)
Nocturnal monkeys are a genus of primates that live in the jungles of Central and South America. As the name suggests, they are nocturnal animals that feed on insects that appear during the hours of darkness. They can locate them easily thanks to their large eyes.
The night monkeys communicate with each other based on a wide variety of howls and different sounds that make up a song very characteristic of the areas in which these animals live.
Bat (chiroptera)
Bats are a group of mammals whose upper limbs evolved to allow them to fly. Many people are unaware that bats’ wings are, in fact, their front legs, and the hard parts between the membranes are fingers.
The most surprising feature of bats is that they fly and hunt in the dark thanks to their echolocation: they emit ultrasounds that, when bouncing, indicate the position of objects and creatures around them. They have, in short, a biological sonar; Thus, a blind bat can fly without problem, but a deaf one is completely disoriented.
Bats have a bad reputation and are usually associated with terror and vampirism, but the truth is that the vast majority of them are harmless and only feed on fruit and insects. Only three species of bats are hematophagous.
Clouded panther (neofelis nebulosa)
The clouded leopard or longibando leopard is a feline native to China and other countries of Southeast Asia. It only goes out at night, which together with its preference for the densest and most impenetrable jungles, makes it a relatively unknown animal even today. It gets its poetic name from the spots that cover its body, similar to clouds.
These felines are medium-sized (up to 110 cm in length and between 20 and 60 kg) and spend almost their entire lives in trees, through which they move with great agility.
It is unknown how many clouded leopards remain today, but it is believed that the species could be in danger of extinction due to the progressive destruction of its natural habitat.
Moth (heterocer)
Moths or heterocerous are a large group of lepidopteran insects that in many cases are not related, but have a more or less similar appearance and are mainly crepuscular or nocturnal habits.
In fact, these insects are also called nocturnal butterflies. But in general, nocturnal moths tend to be less showy and have duller colors than butterflies that live during the day.
In many parts of the world they are considered a pest because of their impact on crops, their tendency to prey on other beneficial insects (such as bees) or their habit of feeding, in their larval form, on fabrics such as wool or silk.
There is a species of moth that is especially known in its caterpillar form because of the danger it poses to children and pets: it is the pine processionary.
Red-eyed green frog (agalychnis callidryas)
The green or red-eyed tree frog is a tiny and beautiful amphibian native to Central America. They stand out for their bright and vivid colors, which are usually based on green, but also include blue, yellow and red.
Her eyes are also vividly red, huge in relation to her body and that indicate her as an animal of preferably nocturnal habits.
Red-eyed green frogs spend their lives in trees, feeding on insects, although they never stray too far from water bodies.
Red fox (vulpes vulpes)
We close our list of nocturnal animals with the red fox or common fox, an elusive canid widely distributed throughout North America and Eurasia.
Foxes are intelligent and cautious animals that prefer to hunt and move during the night hours, which they can do without problem thanks to their fine senses of hearing and smell.
Due to its characteristic appearance -elegant body, large ears, red mane and wide and fluffy tail- and its traditional association with concepts such as ingenuity and cunning, the fox has always starred in countless legends and tales of human folklore.