List of nocturnal animals

For the 2016 American drama film, see Nocturnal Animals (film).

This is a list of nocturnal animals and groups of animals. There is also a more specific list of nocturnal birds.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Raccoons are one of many nocturnal animals

Known nocturnal animals

• Aardvark
• Aye-aye ^[1]
• African elephant (possibly crepuscular; when near humans, otherwise diurnal) ^[2]
• American black bear
• Badger ^[3]
• Bandicoot
• Bat ^[4]
• Bat-eared fox ^[5]
• Beaver ^[6]
• Bilby ^[7]
• Binturong ^[8]
• Black rhinoceros
• Black rat ^[9]
• Black-footed cat
• Brown rat ^[10]
• Galago (bushbaby) ^[11]
• Bush rat ^[12]
• Capybara (some are crepuscular) ^[13]
• Caracal ^[14]
• Catfish ^{[15] [16]}
• Chinchilla ^[17]
• Civet ^[18]
• Cockroach ^[19]
• Cougar ^{[20] [21]}
• Coyote ^{[22] [23]}
• Cricket ^[24]
• Cacomistle
• Cyprus spiny mouse ^[25]
• Dingo ^[26]
• Dolphin
• Dwarf crocodile ^[27]
• Domestic cat (can be awake at any time of day or night but are mostly crepuscular)
• Eastern woolly lemur ^[28]
• Firefly ^[29]
• Flying squirrel ^{[30] [31]}
• Genet (animal)
• Gerbil ^[32] (some are diurnal or crepuscular ^[33] )
• Giraffe (possibly crepuscular)
• Gray wolf ^[34]
• Great grey slug ^{[35] [36]}
• Great white shark ^[37] (possibly crepuscular)
• Hare ^{[32] [38]}
• Hedgehog ^[39]
• Hermit crab ^{[40] [41]}
• Hippopotamus
• Honey badger ^{[42] [43]}
• Hyena ^[44]
• Hoffmann's two-toed sloth ^[45]
• Iranian jerboa ^{[46] [47]}
• Jaguar (bordering on crepuscular)
• Kangaroo (most, a few are crepuscular) ^[48]
• Koala (mostly nocturnal) ^{[49] [50]}
• Kinkajou ^[51]
• Kit fox (mostly) ^[52]
• Leopard ^[53]
• Leopard Gecko ^[54]
• Lion (bordering on crepuscular) ^{[55] [56]}
• Margay ^[57]
• Mink (bordering on crepuscular) ^{[58] [59]}
• Mole
• Mouse ^{[60] [61]}
• Nightingale
• Night heron
• Nightjar
• Night monkey ^{[62] [63] [64]}
• Nine-banded armadillo ^[65]
• Octodon (except the diurnal degus species) ^[66]
• Oncilla ^{[67] [68]}
• Ocelot
• Opossum ^{[69] [70]}
• Otter
• Owl
• Pacarana
• Pangolin ^[71]
• Platypus ^[72]
• Paradoxical frog ^{[73] [74]}
• Porcupine ^[75]
• Possum ^[76]
• Python regius ^[77]
• Quoll
• Rabbit rat ^[78]
• Raccoon ^{[79] [80]}
• Red-eyed tree frog ^{[81] [82]}
• Red fox
• Ringtail
• Sambar Deer
• Scorpion ^[83]
• Skunk ^[84]
• Slender loris ^[85]
• Slow loris ^[86]
• Spectacled bear ^[87]
• Sportive lemur
• Sugar glider
• Tamandua
• Tapeti ^{[88] [89]}
• Tarantula ^[90]
• Tarsier ^[91]
• Tasmanian devil
• Tiger (most species) ^{[92] [93]}
• Turtle
• Onychophora
• Western woolly lemur
• Whale
• Whale shark
• Whip-poor-will
• White-faced storm petrel (when caring for young) ^[94]
• White-tailed deer (bordering on crepuscular) ^[95]
• Wild boar ^[96]
• Wolverine
• Wombat ^[97]

See also

• Crepuscular, a classification of animals that are active primarily during twilight, making them similar to nocturnal animals.
• Diurnality, plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night.
• Cathemeral, a classification of organisms with sporadic and random intervals of activity during the day or night.
• Matutinal, a classification of organisms that are only or primarily active in the pre-dawn hours or early night.
• Vespertine, a classification of organisms that are only or primarily active in the evening.
• Circadian rhythm
• Chronotype

References

1. "Aye-Aye Daubentonia madagascariensis". National Geographic. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
2. "African Elephant". Oakland Zoo. Retrieved 17 September 2023. Most African elephants are diurnal though some herds who live near human populations have become mostly nocturnal to avoid human interactions.
3. Kansas University
4. "Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Bat Facts".
5. "Bat-eared fox". BBC Online . Retrieved 18 May 2010.
6. Swinnen, Kristijn R.R.; Hughes, Nelika K.; Leirs, Herwig (2015). "Beaver (Castor fiber) activity patterns in a predator-free landscape. What is keeping them in the dark?". Mammalian Biology. 80 (6): 477–483. Bibcode:2015MamBi..80..477S. doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2015.07.006. hdl: 10067/1269160151162165141 .
7. "Nocturnal Animals". AllAboutNature.com.
8. "Binturong - San Diego Zoo Animals".
9. "Black Rat - Rangerplanet.com". 21 August 2019.
10. "Brown Rat - Rangerplanet.com". 21 August 2019.
11. "Bush Baby". African Wildlife Foundation.
12. "Bush Rat". Archived from the original on May 4, 2008.
13. "Capybara Fact Sheet". San Diego Zoo Global Library. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2017. "Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)". A-Z Animals. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
14. Briggs, Philip (2009). Tanzania: With Zanzibar, Pemba & Mafia. Chalfont St. Peter: Bradt Travel Guides. p. 28. ISBN   9781841622880.
15. Animal-World (4 August 2023). "Catfish". Animal World. Archived from the original on July 11, 2000.
16. Wong, Kate. "How Nocturnal Catfish Stalk Their Prey". Scientific American.
17. "Chinchilla Facts: What is a Chinchilla – Adorable Pet or Wild Animal". ChinchillaFactsSite.com.
18. Journal van Schaik, C.P. and Griffiths, M., 1996. Activity periods of Indonesian rain forest mammals. Biotropica, pp.105-112.
19. "Cockroaches Management Guidelines--UC IPM".
20. National Park Service
21. "Puma".
22. "EEK! - Critter Corner - Coyote".
23. "Wildlife Directory: Coyote – Living with Wildlife". University of Illinois. Archived from the original on 2012-01-21. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
24. University of Arizona, Cricket Info Archived 2015-05-27 at the Wayback Machine
25. "Spiny Mice". Archived from the original on 2012-02-18.
26. Allen, Benjamin L.; Goullet, Mark; Allen, Lee R.; Lisle, Allan; Leung, Luke K.-P. (2013). "Dingoes at the doorstep: Preliminary data on the ecology of dingoes in urban areas". Landscape and Urban Planning. 119. Elsevier BV: 131–135. Bibcode:2013LUrbP.119..131A. doi: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2013.07.008 . ISSN   0169-2046.
27. Eaton, M.J. (2010). "Dwarf crocodile Osteolaemus tetraspis" (PDF). In Manolis, S.C.; C. Stevenson (eds.). Crocodiles: Status, Survey and Conservation Action Plan (3 ed.). IUCN Crocodile Specialist Conservation Group. pp. 127–132.
28. Flannery, Sean. "Eastern Woolly Lemur (Avahi laniger)". Archived from the original on February 8, 2008.
29. "Firefly - definition of firefly by The Free Dictionary". TheFreeDictionary.com.
30. Kansas University
31. Thorington, Jr., R.W; Pitassy, D.; Jansa, S.A. (June 2002). "Phylogenies of Flying Squirrels (Pteromyinae)" (PDF). Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 9 (1–2): 99–135. doi:10.1023/A:1021335912016. S2CID   12443674. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
32. "Facts on Gerbils and Hamsters". PETA. 25 June 2010.
33. "ADW: Gerbillinae: INFORMATION". Animal Diversity Web.
34. "Wolf Facts: Gray Wolves, Timber Wolves & Red Wolves". Live Science . 10 July 2017.
35. "Great Grey Slug Archive". Animal Facts For Kids - Wild Facts.
36. "Good Words". 1880.
37. Klimley, A. Peter; Anderson, Scot D.; Pyle, Peter; Henderson, R. P. (1992). "Spatiotemporal Patterns of White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) Predation at the South Farallon Islands, California" . Copeia. 1992 (3). [American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH), Allen Press]: 680–690. doi:10.2307/1446143. ISSN   0045-8511. JSTOR   1446143 . Retrieved 2024-06-04.
38. "AFRMA - Hared: Syrian & Russian Dwarf Hares".
39. "Hedgehogs". Archived from the original on 2013-02-12.
40. "HERMIT-CRABS.COM".
41. "Hermit crab store at Bloomington Minnesota". Archived from the original on 2011-11-25. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
42. Badgers.co.uk Archived 2012-02-22 at the Wayback Machine
43. HoneyBadger.com Archived 2012-01-02 at the Wayback Machine
44. "hyena - mammal". Encyclopædia Britannica.
45. "Two-toed Sloth Fact Sheet". Archived from the original on 2014-11-04. Retrieved 2011-12-06.
46. "EDGE :: Mammal Species Information". EDGE of Existence. Archived from the original on 2010-10-31. Retrieved 2011-12-06.
47. Wildlife Journal Junior
48. Australian Dept. of Foreign Affairs and Trade Archived 2012-05-27 at the Wayback Machine
49. Australian Koala Foundation Archived 2009-09-15 at the Wayback Machine
50. Ettinger, Powell. "Koala facts - All about koalas".
51. "National Geographic Explorer Adventurer Magazine - Teachers". Archived from the original on 2012-07-20. Retrieved 2012-07-27.
52. "Kit Fox".
53. "NOVA Online - Leopards of the Night - The Nocturnal Eye". PBS .
54. "Animal Planet - Leopard Gecko Stats and Facts".
55. Lions' nocturnal chorus Archived 2012-04-20 at the Wayback Machine
56. Phoenix Zoo Fact Sheet - Lions Archived 2012-04-15 at the Wayback Machine
57. "Margay".
58. Cabrera, Kim A. "Animal Tracks - Mink (Mustela vison AKA Neovison vison)".
59. Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Archived 2011-12-09 at the Wayback Machine
60. Behney, W. H. (1936). "Nocturnal Explorations of the Forest Deer-Mouse". Journal of Mammalogy. 17 (3): 225–230. doi:10.2307/1374418. JSTOR   1374418.
61. "The Field Mouse".
62. Fernández-Duque, Eduardo; de la Iglesia, Horacio; Erkert, Hans G. (2010-09-03). "Moonstruck Primates: Owl Monkeys (Aotus) Need Moonlight for Nocturnal Activity in Their Natural Environment". PLOS ONE. 5 (9): e12572. Bibcode:2010PLoSO...512572F. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012572 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   2933241 . PMID   20838447.
63. "Primate Factsheets: Owl monkey (Aotus) Taxonomy, Morphology, & Ecology".
64. "Aotus zonalis (Panamanian Night Monkey)".
65. Mammals of Kansas - Kansas University
66. University of Michigan Archived 2012-07-20 at the Wayback Machine
67. "Oncilla or 'Little Spotted Cat'". Archived from the original on 2011-01-09. Retrieved 2011-12-12.
68. FelineConserveation.org Archived 2011-10-14 at the Wayback Machine
69. "Opossum FAQ".
70. Craton.net
71. "Pangolin". African Wildlife Foundation. Archived from the original on 2009-04-17.
72. Hawke, Tahneal; Bino, Gilad; Kingsford, Richard T.; Iervasi, Dion; Iervasi, Kylie; Taylor, Matthew D. (2021-02-11). "Long-term movements and activity patterns of platypus on regulated rivers". Scientific Reports. 11 (1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC: 3590. Bibcode:2021NatSR..11.3590H. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-81142-6. ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   7878892 . PMID   33574364.
73. "Paradoxical frog ( Pseudis paradoxus )". WildAnimalsOnline.com. Archived from the original on 2011-12-16. Retrieved 2011-12-12.
74. "Nocturnal Animals". Archived from the original on 2011-10-09. Retrieved 2011-12-12.
75. "North American porcupine — Erethizon dorsatum (Linnaeus, 1758)". Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Archived from the original on June 7, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
76. Chambers, John. "! Rainforest Possums ! Tropical Rainforest, Far North Queensland Australia". Archived from the original on 2012-01-28. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
77. Nad Al Shiba Veterinary Hospital ^{[ permanent dead link ]}
78. "Conilurus albipes — White-footed Rabbit-rat, Parroo".
79. Nature Works
80. "Animal Makesafe Frequently Asked Questions - Environmental Health and Safety - The University of Texas at Austin". Archived from the original on 2012-01-20. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
81. "Nocturnal-animals.com". Archived from the original on 2010-09-12. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
82. "Red-Eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas) - Rainforest Alliance".
83. "Scorpions - Australian Museum".
84. Jonathan Gibbons - Web Ventures Plus. "Skunks - Humane Wildlife Control, Oklahoma – The Skunk Whisperer Way".
85. Nekaris, K.A.I., 2001. Activity budget and positional behavior of the Mysore slender loris (Loris tardigradus lydekkerianus): implications for slow climbing locomotion. Folia Primatologica, 72(4), pp.228-241
86. "BBC Nature - Slow lorises videos, news and facts".
87. "Spectacled Bear". National Geographic. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010.
88. "Sylvilagus brasiliensis - Tapeti (Species)". Archived from the original on 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
89. Sandhyarani, Ningthoujam. "Nocturnal Animals List". Buzzle. Archived from the original on 2012-03-15. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
90. Desert Museum Archived 2012-01-18 at the Wayback Machine
91. "Tarsiers - The Big-Eyed, Ancient, Nocturnal Mammal". 21 January 2009.
92. based on work of Peter Jackson - Chairman, Cat Specialist Group
93. "Bengal Tigers". Animal Corner.
94. Clark, R. J. and Mikkola, H. (1989) A preliminary revision of threatened and near-threatened nocturnal birds of prey of the world. Pp. 371-388 in Meyburg, B.-U. and Chancellor, R.D., eds. Raptors in the modern world. Berlin and London: World Working Group on Birds of Prey and Owls.
95. "White-Tailed Deer". National Geographic. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on January 15, 2010.
96. Johann, Franz; Handschuh, Markus; Linderoth, Peter; Dormann, Carsten F.; Arnold, Janosch (2020-01-09). "Adaptation of wild boar (Sus scrofa) activity in a human-dominated landscape". BMC Ecology. 20 (1): 4. Bibcode:2020BMCE...20....4J. doi: 10.1186/s12898-019-0271-7 . ISSN   1472-6785. PMC   6953143 . PMID   31918698.
97. "Quick Wombat Facts". Wombania. 19 January 2004.

External links

• The Susceptibility of Nocturnal Animals to Ultra-violet Radiation
• BBC Nature Wildlife, Nocturnal