What makes nocturnal animals different

Fur will be missing, crusty, or matted. Pus may exude from the eyes and form a crust around the eyelids. Animals with the aforementioned characteristics should be removed by a qualified professional. Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management. Skip to content Most people understand that animals are active during the day diurnal or night nocturnal. Nocturnal animals can do the same thing using very small amounts of light.

The eye is made up of many different parts. When a nocturnal animal sees light, the pupil allows light to enter the eye. The pupil is the black part of the eye. The pupil sends the light onto the retina. The retina is made up of cells called rods and cones. Rods look like tall cylinders and cones look like small triangles. Nocturnal animals have more rods than daytime animals. The rods pick up light and help the animal see when it is almost completely dark outside.

Many animals eyes have a special part called a tapetum lucidum. The tapetum lucidum helps with night vision. It is made of thick reflective cells and is beneath the retina. The tapetum lucidum is sort of like a mirror. It reflects light back to the retina a second time. This gives the rods a second chance to absorb the light. Sometimes light reflects off the tapetum lucidum, and the animals eyes appear to glow.

You might have seen this happen with a pet dog or cat. Animal scientists can actually look for glowing eyes to find animals at night. Human eyes do not have a tapetum lucidum. In the heat of the day many diurnal animals will rest in the shade of a plant or under a rock. During the winter months when it is cold outside, many animals will hibernate or be less active. In our new Sonoran Desert Seek and Find you can choose to find information about nocturnal or diurnal animals.

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