Photo: The possum is a nocturnal (night-time) animal

Nocturnal animals typically remain active at night and sleep during the day. Nocturnal creatures include a variety of mammal, bird, insect, reptile and amphibian species, such as possums, owls, bats, cats and rats. In addition, some animals have different levels of nocturnality. For example, kangaroos are classified as nocturnal, but they are also crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk).

Nocturnal animals such as elephants and red foxes are predominately active during dawn and dusk, but they are also active at night. Echidnas, on the other hand, vary the times they are active according to their environment. For example, if the climate is hot, the echidna will forage for food at night. But in cooler weather, it will come out during the day. While the echidna's behaviour is dictated by its desire to stay cool, it is just the opposite with some snakes, such as the red-bellied black snake. Being cold-blooded and needing to keep warm, these snakes will hunt at night if the weather is hot. But if the weather is cold, they will only do so during the day.

So, the term nocturnal is used quite broadly to describe a group of animals that are usually active when it is dark.

• List of Nocturnal Animals

Time of the Day Animals are Active? Day, Evening, Night or Undecided

Animals have been categorised into three broad groups based on the time of day that they are most active.

• Diurnal (Daylight ) animals are usually active during daylight and rest when its dark.
• Crepuscular (Twilight) animals are active during dawn and dusk (twilight) and rest at other times of the day.
• Nocturnal (Night) animals are active during the night when it's totally dark and rest during other times of the day. Most mammals (69%) are nocturnal.

There is often confusion as to which of the above categories an animal belongs. This is because their activities overlap the various time categories. A perfect example is crepuscular animals, who tend to show most activity at dawn and dusk but may continue their activities later into the day or night. As a result, these creatures are often misidentified. One reason might be the tongue-twisting name – crepuscular – which few people can remember or pronounce.

Why are Animals Nocturnal? Why Australia has Many Nocturnal Animals?

Nocturnal lifestyles in animals are usually adopted to survive extreme temperatures, reduce competition for food and avoid predators. Australian marsupials, for example, have adapted to the dry climate of their environment by avoiding the hot daytime temperatures and coming out at night when it's cooler. The cover of darkness also affords animals protection from predators. However, sometimes predators use the cover of darkness to hide and ambush their night-time prey. Some animals also avoid competing for food by adopting different hunting times. For instance, hawks and owls hunt for similar prey, but one hunts during the day and the other at night.

Nocturnal Animal Adaptations Special Characteristics of Animals of the Night

Nocturnal animals have developed several specializations to survive in the darkness. These include excellent low-light eyesight in owls, possums and cats; acute hearing in kangaroos, bilbies, and rabbits; echolocation used by bats; and an acute sense of smell in koalas and elephants. These adaptations enable the nocturnal animal to effectively find food and detect danger while remaining undetected at night.

Australian Nocturnal Animals Why are Most Australian Animals Nocturnal?

Most Australian animals are nocturnal or crepuscular, meaning they only become active in the dark. This behaviour is due to the hot and dry climate with little water typical of Australia. By remaining inactive during intense daytime heat, many Australian creatures avoid getting dehydrated.

List of 50 Nocturnal Animals