Nocturnal Animals or the Night Creatures

Sham S. Misri

In the old days people were much more scared of the dark. It gave them some strange ideas about the creatures they saw at night.

Everyone knows that cats and owls have magical powers- that is why witches keep them as pets.

Hedgehogs collect apples from orchards by rolling on them and sticking them to their spines. They steal cow’s milk while the cows are sleeping in the field.

Vampires are men who turn into bats at night and drink other people’s blood.

Most owls rest during the day and only come out when it is dark. Owls are not the only creatures to live this way. All night long fields, parks and gardens are busy with night creatures. It is strange to think how much is going on while we are sleeping.

Nocturnal animals are the animals that prefer to come out during night time. Some nocturnal animals can be seen during the day, others spend the whole day resting or sleeping.

Fox

 Foxes are mainly active during the early night time, when it is dusk and throughout the night. They are reddish brown in colour and usually are seen on their own. They live in woodland and urban areas and scavenge for food wherever they can find it.

Owls

One of the most beautiful birds living in Britain is the brawn owl. It has snowy white feathers and is about 34 cm. tall. Brawn owls got their names because they like to hunt in open fields and grasslands, so they are often found resting on farms.

Tawny owls

Tawny owl is larger than a brawn owl (about 40 Cm.) and has speckled brown fethers. Tawny owls prefer to hunt in woods and hedgerows. The male and female owls call to each other, making a “hoo-hoo” noise.

Sight and sound

Owls have excellent hearing and sight. This helps them to find their food, even when it is dark. Their feathers are very soft.  They are also very quite. Other birds make a noise when they fly but owls fly in silence. This helps them sneak upon their prey without being noticed.

Prey and pellets

Owls eat mice, voles and shrews. They have strong beaks but no teeth, so they can’t chew their food. Instead they swallow their food in one gulp. Later they cough up a pellet of bones and fur.

Blind as a bat

Bats cannot see very well. They have week eyes. Instead they have special trick for finding their way in the dark.

They make high pitched squeaks as they fly along. These echo bounce back, off buildings and trees. The echo helps the bat to understand the shape and position of everything nearby. Bats have large ears to help them hear the echo.

Food on the wing

Bats eat moths and other night insects. They catch them in mid air as they are flying along .Bats have to fly very fast and make quick turns in the air to catch them

There are many different types of bats, with fourteen different types living in Britain. They eat flying insects and use sound waves, rather than eyesight, to locate them. They live in cool dark places, caves.

Moths

Moths are flower feeders. They eat nectar- a sweet juice found inside flowers. The flowers moths eat are only open at night, so this is when moths come out to feed.

Moths use the moon to guide them as they fly around at night. They keep the moon on their left or their right to help them keep track of where they are going. Bright street lights and light bulbs confuse the moths so they end up flying in circles close to the light.

Mouse

The wood mouse lives in tunnels underground and is the main food of tawny owls. It has good eyesight and an incredible sense of smell! Mice are rodents, and many rodents come out to look for food during the night time.

Badger

Badgers live under ground in family groups. They live mainly in the countryside. They sometimes visit gardens looking for food. Badgers mainly eat earthworms. A badger’s home is called sett.

Hedgehog

Hedgehogs are the only British mammal with spines. When threatened they will roll into a tight ball, with the spines providing sharp protection from predators. Young hedgehogs are born with soft spines under the skin to protect mum, with a second set of spines emerging within days. One peculiarity to all hedgehogs is the way they cover their spines in foamy saliva, the reason why they do this remains a mystery although it has been suggested it might be a sexual attractant, or be used to reduce parasites, or as additional protection. Hedgehogs aren't fussy when it comes to food: worms, slugs, frogs and even bird eggs can be taken during two kilometre nightly hunt, a resistance to adder venom can also put this snake on the menu.

            You don’t have to stay up all night to see an owl, a bat or a moth. Try looking for them in the evening, before it gets completely dark. Moths are the easiest to catch a glimpse of. In summer they are drawn towards brightly lit windows, and in autumn you may find them in the house, sheltering from the cold.

            Bats tend to start hunting in early evening. Look out for them near the lakes, rivers and woods where there are plenty of insects for them to hunt. Listen for their high pitched squeaks.

            You will be lucky to see an owl. Look for them in woodland and farmland. The best way to sight of a tawny owl is to listen for its call and then follow the sound.