Wild Fact: Animal Activity Patterns

Biologists refer to animals that are active at night as “nocturnal” while those that come out during the day are “diurnal.” “Crepuscular” wildlife, like deer and rabbits, are most active at dawn and dusk. These various activity patterns allow more animals to use the same habitat, just at different times of the day. For example, a hawk may hunt over a field during the day while an owl may search for rodents in the same area at night. Special physical traits that aid survival under different conditions are called “adaptations” (such as a hawk’s speed and binocular vision versus an owl’s silent flight and large eyes).

WILD Fact is a regular feature written by Linda May, a wildlife interpretive specialist with the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division based at the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Mansfield, Georgia.