Clever girl who prefers nocturnal lifestyle. Nocturnal animals. What makes them nocturnal

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The world in sunlight is a riot of colors, changing and moving objects, various color images. Every morning, these colors seem to be renewed by a great artist - nature, who prudently created an organ-device for the perception of this magnificence - the eye. Most diurnal animals - predators and herbivores, flying in the sky and galloping in the grassy sea, big and tiny, like dwarfs - receive necessary information about the world around, primarily through vision.

The pupil of many nocturnal animals is not round, but vertical. This allows you to change its value in a larger range.

Eyes - main body feelings for large cats hunting in open spaces, for monkeys looking for food among lush vegetation, for birds of prey looking for prey on the ground from a dizzying height. Their eyes distinguish colors, see both stationary and moving objects well, but at dusk the visual acuity of the eyes decreases.

Eye of a bird of prey

Those who go hunting at nightfall are endowed with eyes that can see in the dark. In most animals, adaptive features of vision are reduced to an increase in the sensitivity of the eye, which allows it to perceive the weakest rays of light, however, the perception of colors, a clear vision of small details of objects, is difficult. The eyes of some animals that have adapted to life in the dark have a wide-opening pupil and a large lens-lens that collects light rays directly on a sensitive screen - the retina. Such eyes capture more light and are available, for example, in opossums, house mice, and lynxes. In other nocturnal and crepuscular animals, the skull is laterally narrowed (primate galagos, owls, some deep-sea fishes), which led to a cylindrical elongation of the light-perceiving structures of the eye.

A characteristic feature of the twilight inhabitant is huge eyes directed forward, a wide and flattened front part of the head. These are flying squirrels, tarsiers, owls, lemurs, etc.

Philippine tarsier

As a rule, in animals leading a nocturnal lifestyle in the retina of the eye there are more sensitive nerve cells that are responsible for twilight vision, the so-called rods, which allows you to see the shape, size and movement of objects, but as if in black and white, in gray tones. The cat shark and the galagos have practically no cones - the elements of the retina that perceive colors.

The inhabitants of the darkness have eyes that “glow” brightly when a beam of light falls on them. In fact, there is no glow here, just in the eye in front of the retina there is a special light-reflecting layer - the tapetum, which acts like a miniature mirror. Only the "mirror" is not solid, but consists of small silvery crystals. Rays of light that are not absorbed by the retina are reflected back by the “mirror”, which ultimately significantly increases the probability of absorption. At rest or half-asleep, the eyes "go out", but as soon as the animal becomes alert, two bright flashes suddenly flash - this is the tapetum crystals turning at a certain "working" angle. The shape of these crystals is determined genetically, so the color of the glow of the eyes is a species trait.

Leopard eyes

The complex (faceted) eyes of nocturnal insects are exceptionally sensitive to light contrasts and are capable of changing their sensitivity by a factor of 4-5. In addition, their eyes provide color vision, as well as the perception of ultraviolet and infrared (thermal) rays.

The eyes of a bear at dusk are cast in orange, in cats - green, in a raccoon - bright yellow, and the eyes of tropical frogs glow green light. An alligator looks out for its prey with a pair of rubies from the dark oily water.

Some crustaceans and fish living on great depths, sensitivity is increased by maximum absorption by the eye of the blue-violet part of the spectrum of light rays, which is more transmitted by the dense water column. Other rays are mostly absorbed by water and do not reach the depths, and therefore are practically useless for creatures that do not float close to the surface. The deep-sea fish Bathylychnopus has two pairs of eyes. The strongly protruding eyes of the upper pair are able to see prey and enemies well, while the second pair, directed downward, turned out to be very sensitive to weak doses of light. These four eyes provide bathylychnopus with stereoscopic vision, thanks to which the fish is perfectly oriented and hunts in the depths of the ocean.

Poor vision is compensated in new habitats by the development of other features that allow animals to survive. They are able to “see” the world through a new sense, thanks to it they find food, exchange information with each other. So, in demersal catfish living in muddy water, special long outgrowths are developed around the mouth opening - sensitive (sensory) antennae, with which fish feel the bottom in search of food, and also receive a message about chemical composition water and substrate.

blue shark

A longitudinal strip, the so-called lateral line, stretches along the sides of the body of the fish. The scales located in this place are pierced with holes leading deep into the skin, and under them there is a canal, in the walls of which there are nerve endings. The lateral line organ is one of the most important sensory organs in fish. With its help, the fish perceives slight fluctuations in water, the speed and direction of currents by the difference in pressure on different parts of the body, the movement of its own body and the presence of objects in the path of movement. This organ is very sensitive. So, thanks to him, the shark catches the movement of fish at a distance of 300 meters.

flock of squid

In the depths of the ocean, there are many animals that use "night vision devices". The last reflections of light in the water go out at a depth of 300 m, and life continues under a ten-kilometer water column. Some animals are endowed with bioluminescent lanterns (angler fish) that serve as bait for prey; others have learned to see infrared light emanating from living beings. From invertebrates deep sea squid, in addition to ordinary eyes, they have special ones - thermoscopic, catching infrared rays. In the structure of such eyes there is a pupil, lens, vitreous body, but the retina is tuned to perceive only infrared light. The thermoscopic eye is equipped with a special light filter that blocks visible rays and transmits thermal ones. A hunting squid attacks moving luminous targets in a school of fish or hurriedly "takes its feet" from a hungry sperm whale, approaching as a huge colossus shimmering in black water.

Blind fish living in the underground reservoirs of karst caves have no eyes at all, and they orient themselves only thanks to the developed lateral line organs, which are even on their heads.

Of the terrestrial animals, bloodsucking bugs and nocturnal pit vipers have the ability to thermolocate. By fixing the heat rays emanating from living beings, and capturing changes in the temperature of surrounding objects by just a fraction of a degree, they orient themselves in space, successfully hunt and avoid trouble.

Blood-sucking insects need warm-blooded prey. And these malicious creatures are showing amazing abilities to detect it with the help of special devices that capture heat waves. So, an ordinary bed bug, undertaking its predatory attacks at night, fixes a person at a distance of several meters. As it approaches, the bug leads in all directions with its antennae-antennae, “groping” greatest intensity heat waves and outlining a place for suction. Finally, having accurately chosen the direction, the bug aims the antennas exactly at the target and, turning with its whole body, hurries to its bloody feast.

Rattlesnake

During the day, bedbugs hide under wallpaper, baseboards, in the crevices of floors, in the folds of mattresses, furniture and wait for the night - "the opening of the hunting season." Only very hungry bugs attack a person during the day or under artificial lighting.

Live in America rattlesnakes- with a rattle of dense scales on the tail, and in Central Asia- night moths; both of them are extremely poisonous and are united under the general name "pitheads". On both sides of their heads, next to the ear hole, there are recesses - thermolocators. At the bottom of the recesses, a thin membrane is stretched, dotted with thermoreceptors - nerve cells sensitive to changes in outside temperature. The fields of the thermolocation pits overlap, and a kind of equivalent of stereoscopic vision appears, which allows the snake to pinpoint the location of the heat source. Snakes have poor eyesight and sense of smell, they “hear” only the vibrational vibrations of the soil, so thermal location is vital for them. The booty may have patronizing coloration, merging with the surrounding background, it may not smell, but it cannot but radiate heat.

Hawk hawk "dead head"

Moths have organs-devices from among infrared locators, capable of translating invisible rays into a visible image using fluorescence. Infrared rays pass through a complex optical system and are assembled on a coloring matter, which, under the action of thermal radiation, fluoresces and converts the infrared image into visible light. However, these visible images are built directly in the butterfly's eye!

Thermolocators of pit vipers respond to a temperature change of 0.002 °C. A snake hunting at night for rodents rarely gives its prey a chance to escape.

Thanks to this ability, butterflies in the dark find flowers that emit radiation at night in the infrared region of the spectrum.

Organisms living in almost complete darkness or in very turbid water are deprived of the ability to use their eyesight due to extremely adverse conditions for the functioning of the visual apparatus. Even the most bizarre tricks of nature do not allow you to "tune" the optical system, and the eyes become simply unnecessary. So, for example, the larvae of cave amphibians have eyes, while in adults they are underdeveloped. Interestingly, if these larvae develop under normal light, their eyes are preserved. The mole, zokor, mole rat, laying underground labyrinths in pitch darkness, have eyes covered with a leathery fold, but the animals have learned to do without them.

monkfish fish

The fish that live on great depth, mastered the biotope with the worst living conditions - eternal darkness, cold, huge pressure of the water column, the minimum amount of food. However temperature regime here it is stable throughout the year, and the number of enemies is noticeably reduced. Fish of the cetacean order, swimming at a depth of 1500-2000 m, have an almost black body color with scaleless, bare skin. They are characterized by the absence or a strong decrease in the size of the eyes, which led to the development of other sensitive organs: they have a very thick lateral line with huge round pores, as well as an accumulation of spongy, red-glowing tissue at the anus and along the base of the fins.

Ditropicht fish have no eyes at all. The endings of the optic nerve, branching, come to a highly developed pigmented spot on the skin and play the role of an indicator of light.

The owl has an unusually sensitive hearing. Her sensitive ears hear the sounds of small steps of a rodent coming out to feed, the quiet squeaking of a shrew sniffing out insects, the rustle of a hedgehog making its way among the grass. The ear of an owl is equipped with a movable skin fold, around which, in the form of a beam of radiantly diverging feathers, there are so-called feather ears. Such a device, similar to the auricle of mammals, allows owls to catch very faint sounds by turning the "ears" in the desired direction. In addition, the ear openings are very large, their location on the head is often asymmetrical, due to which the owl is especially sensitive to the difference in the time of arrival of the sound signal in the left and right ear. It is this mechanism that serves most important way exact definition sound source.

Owl

A specialized sound-receiving sensitive system, thanks to its anatomical features, complements the perfect location abilities of this nocturnal predator. An owl can locate and catch a free-running mouse even in total darkness. She unmistakably determines the direction of movement of the rodent and, preparing for an attack, places deadly claws along the body of the prey.

We know many amazing and beautiful animals. Some we were told about in childhood, some we see ourselves or learn about them on TV. But there is a huge group of animals that we know a little less about - these are animals that are nocturnal.

In natural conditions, meeting these animals is not so easy. That is why we decided to slightly open the door to wonderful world nocturnal animals that are distinguished by their beauty.

Below is a list of the 10 most beautiful nocturnal animals in the world according to our online magazine.

#10

Almost all species of animals of the chiroptera order, including bats and fruit bats, are nocturnal creatures. In the world there are about 1000 various kinds bats.

Is perhaps the most beautiful view winged families. These animals live in the forests of India, China, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives.

Has quite big sizes among their relatives - the wingspan can reach 1.5 meters. Also, these animals have a rather interesting and expressive appearance. Unlike bats, flying foxes not so terrible, their heads are more like dogs, and their bodies are covered with reddish hair.

These animals feed exclusively on fruits. They travel long distances in search of food at night. Big eyes with excellent night vision help them in night flights over long distances.

#9

These snakes of the viper family are distinguished by their bright color and amazing eyelashes. They live in tropical forests Central and South America.

They come in a variety of colors including yellow, red, green and brown. These snakes carry most of its time on small branches of trees, often hanging upside down, catching the branches with its tail. At night, snakes come out to hunt.

They feed on small rodents, lizards, frogs and small birds. But if disturbed prehensile-tailed botrops, it can even attack a person. The venom of these snakes can be fatal to humans.

#8

barn owl— night-bird, which lives on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica. And on the territory Russian Federation these birds are found only in the Kaliningrad region.

barn owls known for their distinctive oval face shapes and beautiful plumage. During the day, owls rest in quiet and hidden places, and at night they come out to hunt.

These birds have keen hearing and excellent eyesight. These qualities make barn owl excellent hunters. With the development of Internet technologies barn owls have become quite popular birds, videos with them are gaining a huge number of views.

They are not only beautiful, but also funny. Often barn owls they begin to make funny faces and sway from side to side when they are near a person, which causes great interest among people.

Question report. nocturnal animals set by the author interrogate the best answer is The nocturnal lifestyle of animals is a behavior characterized by activity at night and sleep during the day. Animals Leading nightlife, have very good hearing and sense of smell, specially adapted vision.
Causes
The reasons why some animals are active at night and sleep during the day are as follows:
Competition for food resources. Animals that eat the same food in the same territory, but in different time days, are not competitors among themselves and occupy different ecological niches. Example: hawks (day) and owls (night)
Wombat is a nocturnal animal. Wombats usually sleep during the day.
Stealth. In the dark, it is easier for a predator to get close to its prey unnoticed. Example: lions (which can be equally active both during the day and at night) prefer night hunting, as their main prey, zebras and antelopes, are diurnal and have poor vision at night. The reverse example is also true: many species of small rodents are active at night because those who eat them predator birds mostly active during the day.
Water conservation. The inhabitants of arid places are characterized by a nocturnal lifestyle, since in the absence of the sun, the evaporation of water from the body is noticeably reduced. Therefore, during the day, any desert seems lifeless.
Facts
Some nocturnal animals can see equally well both in the dark and in bright light - these are, for example, cats and ferrets. Others go blind in the light - these are, for example, Galaga and most bats.
All bears are diurnal animals, with the exception of one - sloth.
All monkeys are diurnal animals, with the exception of one family - night monkeys.
At night, when life seems to calm down, many species of animals lead an active lifestyle and among them there are many flying animals of various species.
The most well-known to us are owls, which, due to very sensitive eyesight, go blind during the day from very bright light for them, and lead an active life at night, mainly hunting rodents and other small animals.
It is also worth mentioning the moths that fly out at night to mate and procreate. Of the insects, some species of locusts also prefer to migrate at night, making flights to a new place.
Of the domesticated species, one can distinguish a nocturnal parrot, leading a predominantly nocturnal lifestyle. This is small bird with a large head and a dense physique. In nature, it inhabits the rocky semi-deserts of Central Australia. This bird comes out to feed at nightfall. Night parrots always fly low above the ground and only for short distances. They feed on the seeds of thorny grasses.
Representatives of the bat family also lead a nocturnal lifestyle, this the bats. They feed on insects that they catch in flight. With the help of echolocation in complete darkness, a bat “sees” an insect several meters away and grabs it with its mouth. The animal catches especially large victims with a "pocket", which is an interfemoral membrane stretched between the hind legs. However, not all bat species are exclusively predatory. Some species also feed on flower nectar, which, when absorbed by the body, provides a lot of energy necessary for flight.
In nature, there are many types of flying animals that have adapted to night life in the course of evolution.

Crepuscular animals are those that are predominantly active at dusk (that is, during the periods of dawn and evening twilight). Crepuscular behavior differs from diurnal, nocturnal, and mixed behavior, when animals are active during the day or at night, respectively. However, the term is not precise, as some crepuscular animals may also be active during the moonlit night or during cloudy day. The term morning is used for animals that are active only at dawn before sunrise, and evening for those that are active at dusk after sunset.

The time an animal is active depends on a number of factors. Predators must associate their activities with the times of day when their prey is available, and prey tend to avoid times when their main predators are most active. Temperatures can be too high at noon and too cold at night. Some creatures can adjust their activities based on local species competition for food. Therefore, given the many varied causes, twilight activity can best meet the animal's needs through compromise.

Crepuscular behavior differs from daytime and nighttime behavior, which peak during the hours of daylight and darkness, respectively. However, the difference is not absolute because crepuscular animals can also be active on a bright moonlit night or on an overcast day. Some animals mistakenly called nocturnal are actually crepuscular.

Separate forms of twilight behavior include morning and evening, denoting types of activity only at dawn or dusk, respectively. Animals active both in the morning and in the evening twilight have a bimodal pattern of behavior.

Adaptive Significance of the Twilight Lifestyle

Various behavior patterns are believed to be defense mechanism from predators, although some of them may be equally good for predators. Many predators feed most intensively at night, while others are active at noon and see best in sunlight. Thus, the crepuscular lifestyle can reduce predation pressure, thereby increasing crepuscular populations, and as a result creating more favorable feeding conditions for predators, which become more and more focused on crepuscular prey until the balance changes. Such shifting equilibria are often found in ecosystems.

Some predatory species adjust their habits in response to competition from other predators. For example, a subspecies of short-eared owl that lives on Galapagos Islands, is usually active during the day, but on islands such as Santa Cruz, which are home to the Galapagos hawk, these owls have become crepuscular.

In addition to being related to predation, crepuscular activity in hot regions of the world may also be the most effective way avoid heat stress while using available light during sunrise and sunset.

Examples of animals with crepuscular behavior

Many mammal species we know are crepuscular, including some bats, hamsters, domestic cats, stray dogs, rabbits, ferrets, Guinea pigs and rats. Other crepuscular mammals include: jaguars, ocelots, lynxes, strep-nosed primates, red pandas, bears, deer, moose, sitatungas, capybaras, chinchillas, house mice, skunks, wombats, opossums, marsupial flying squirrels, tenrecs, spotted hyenas and African wild dogs.

Snakes and lizards, especially in desert environments, can also be crepuscular. Crepuscular birds include: small nightjar, barn owl, owl nightjar, smoky needletail, American woodcock, rutting and white-breasted little shepherd. Many butterflies, beetles, flies and other insects are crepuscular and evening.