Crepuscular animals - Definition and 5 examples

The spatial and temporal characteristics of the medium have put pressure on organisms, resulting in the different ways of life that we know today.It is easy to understand that a living being occupies a physical ecological niche, for example, in the marshes we can see how many species of herons, spatulas and limicoles are fed, that It is their ecological niche from where they obtain food and most likely shelter.This will also be the niche for feeding eagles, eaglets or hawks.

On the other hand, otters also have the same ecological niche as the animals mentioned above., but we will never see them together, because they live in different time zones or in other words, when these birds go to sleep the otter goes out to hunt fish and crustaceans, they feed on the same resource but do not compete for the time because the ecological niche tempora l is different.

This is one of the advantages of crepuscular animals and, therefore, in this article of Animals and Pets Online we will explain what they are and give some examples.

What are crepuscular animals?

Twilight animals are those that enter into activity during sunset and/or sunrise.This type of behavior, like being diurnal or nocturnal, is regulated by the biological cycles inherent in each species.

Twilight animals gain certain advantages because of their lifestyle.In desert climates they protect themselves from the high temperatures of the day and the low temperatures of the night, since they leave just at the moment when the ambient temperature It starts to oscillate.

They are more protected from being hunted by diurnal predatory animals if we take it for granted that the predator has already got food during the day.When a twilight animal leaves its shelter they will not have done so yet.nocturnal animals.

During the hour at which these animals begin their activity, the sun's rays affect the earth's surface in such a way that it is more complicated for both a daytime predator and another nocturnal predator to detect its pr those.

Cardiac rhtyms

To better understand the biological cycles of crepuscular animals, we will talk about circadian rhythms.Chronobiology is the discipline that studies biological rhythms, describing both their temporal characteristics and their implications for life.A biological rhythm is an oscillation of a biological parameter that depends on the endogenous clock (physiology and genetics) and environmental synchronizers (variations in the environment).

Then, there are different types of biological rhythms:

Circadian rhythm: biological activity that occurs with a periodicity of approximately 24 hours.According to this cycle, diurnal, nocturnal and crepuscular animals will appear.
Ultradian rhythm: biological activity that occurs in cycles of less than 20 hours (for example, feeding).
Infradian rhythm: biological activity whose frequency is greater than 24 hours, that is, they occur less than once a day (for example, lunar cycles).

Examples of crepuscular animals

Many animal species lead this twilight lifestyle either by living in climates, avoiding predators or not having to compete for certain resources with other species.Below we show some animal species with crepuscular habits:

Gila's monster (Heloderma suspectum): this reptile is the largest venomous lizard in the United States, it only comes out of its lair when the sun goes down, sometimes it can be days and weeks without going out and only It will do so if the weather becomes rainy.The striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is another twilight species.During the day time passes in its burrow, but at dusk and dawn it goes in search of food.a very calm animal that tends to ignore other animals, but if it feels threatened it will spray a pestilent liquid on its attacker.The European otter ( Lutra lutra ), difficult to see and very elusive, has its beak activity during twilight.The field rabbit ( Oryctolagus cunicu lus), although it can be seen during the day when the temperature is hot, they are crepuscular animals.This allows them to avoid some aerial predators, like the eagle.The wild cat ( Felis silvestris ), very similar to the common cat, like this one, is of crepuscular habits.In the Iberian Peninsula there are several subspecies of wild cats, all of them with the same habits.

If you want to read more articles similar to Crepuscular animals-Definition and 5 examples , we recommend you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.

Bibliography

Arendt, J.(1998).Biological rhythms: the science of chronobiology.Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London, 32 (1), 27-35.
Rickel, S.,&Genin, A.(2005).Twilight transitions in coral reef fish: the input of light-induced changes in foraging behavior.Animal Behavior, 70 (1), 133-144.
Roenneberg, T.,&Foster, RG (1997).Twilight times: light and the circadian system.Photochemistry and photobiology, 66 (5), 549-561.

Comments

My lovebird has diarrhea - Causes and treatment

Lovebird has become one of the most frequently birds they find in our homes.Their color, their beauty, and that nickname of "inseparable" that we like so much, makes them as appreciated as the canaries were once. But the arrival of any bird, exotic or not , puts us in front of new situations that sometimes we are not accustomed to face.Animals and Pets Online will try to help distinguish pathological situations from those that are not, and to handle us in the event that our lovebird has diarrhea , In the following article we explain the possible causes that cause it . It is not always diarrhea, even if it seems We may notice that there are more liquid stools than usual in our lovebird on the floor of the cage and identify it as diarrhea, even if it is not. Evacuations Sewers in birds are made up of a greenish part (they can vary in color if they take feed, they are real feces), a white part (urates, mineral salts), and a liquid part (urine).Everything goes out...

Frugivoros Animals - Characteristics and +20 Examples

Frugivorous animals are those that base their diet on the consumption of fruits , or much of what they consume is made up of this type of food.In the animal kingdom, many species are frugivorous, from insects to large mammals. The plants that produce fruits are the angiosperms .In this group, the flowers of the female plants or the female parts of a hermaphrodite plant have an ovary with several ovules that, when fertilized by a sperm, thickens and changes color, acquiring very attractive nutritional qualities for animals. 20% of the known species of Mammals are frugivorous animals, so this type of diet is very significant and important among animals. At first glance, frugivorous animals do not seem to possess distinctive features of animals not frugivoros, even less if they are omnivorous animals that, although they can be feed on many products, its main food is fruit. The main qualities appear along the digestive tract , starting with the mouth or beak.In mammals or o...

Malt for cats - Different uses and how often to offer it

Cats are especially clean animals that spend hours grooming.lick ingest a lot of hair.If you live with a cat, you've sure seen it seen coughing and even vomiting hairballs. That's when some people turn to cat malt , a very useful product of natural origin that improves digestion and intestinal transit of our cat. Discover in Animals and Pets Online everything related to malt for cats, including the necessary doses, at what age It should be offered or information about vomiting.All the benefits of this product below: What is malt? Cat malt is a paste of color similar to honey and denser texture .It consists of vegetable oils and fats, malt extract, fiber, dairy products and yeast mainly.It also often contains dyes, preservatives and vitamins. There are numerous brands in the market with different formats.The most frequent is in the form of a tube of toothpaste.The composition varies slightly according to the brand but the basis is malt extract.Some cats show a prefe...

Types of canaries and their names

How many races of canaries are there? At present, more than 30 types of canaries are known , this being the most abundant species of domestic bird in the world with parakeets, although there are many classifications possible, the canary breeds are usually divided into three large groups: Singing canaries : here, we find the most coveted breeds in canariculture, thanks to their incredible ability to learn and play melodies complex and a great variety of sounds.In the next sections we will see the main races of singing canaries. Canaries by color : this, perhaps, is the most basic classification of canaries, based on the color of their feathers.It is divided into subgroups according to the predominant pigments in its plumage, the lipochromic canaries (shades of dominant and recessive white, yellow and red) and the melancholic canaries (colors black, agate, green, bromine, isabela, brown and tona corrugated qualities). The position or position canaries : also called a design or...

What do my dog's barks mean

As we know, dogs communicate in many different ways both with each other and with the rest of living beings and some do it so clearly that humans often say that "if you do not need to speak, you already know what you want to tell me and how to do it." It is important to know that Dogs communicate in many ways for example with their smell, their body, with vocalizations and looks, etc.In the case of voice communication, barking is perhaps the most recognizable form of communication in dogs, but they are not the only form since they also shout, snort or snort, grunt and groan. In this new article of Animals and Pets Online we are going to focus on a single aspect of the communication of the canids, the barking.Certainly there are very varied barks but all they have their reason for being.If you want to know what your dog's barking means read on and then you will see the different types and meanings of their barking. Continuous, fast and medium tone barks Dogs use...

8 gray cat breeds

Gray cat breeds with blue eyes Next, we talk about some of the gray cat breeds that have impressive blue eyes: Gray Persian cat There is a great variety in the world of Persian cats, of all colors and sizes, which makes this breed one of the most famous and desired.The gray Persian cat is descended from the Angora cat , a Turkish species that exists since Antiquity: Its appearance makes it look like an obese cat, however, this is because the breed is robust and muscular, also, the head is rounded by nature. The eyes are large and colorful Intense, which can range from blue to yellowish and greenish hues.Gray Persian cats are usually very affectionate and silent , they love being in company, so they always attract the attention of their human companions and look for caresses. Turkish Angora Although it is common to observe it with white fur, there are examples of Turkish angora whose fur is gray.As the name implies, this animal is originally from Turkey , it is a very h...

How to know what size a mongrel dog will be?

When we talk about a mixed breed dog or mixed breed dog , generally we refer to a dog whose ancestry is unknown and that has typical characteristics of two or more breeds.This is usually the result of a non-selective breeding, but generally fortunate, since a mongrel dog can be exactly as good companion as a dog of a certain breed. Due to numerous factors, although here it is worth highlighting the great genetic variability, there are many advantages of having a mongrel dog and it is important to emphasize this point since unfortunately it is usually grant a lower value to a dog of these characteristics.If you are thinking of adopting a mixed breed dog, you are surely gathering all the necessary information, if you are wondering how to know what size a mongrel dog will be I didn't leave It is to read this article of Animals and Pets Online. Is it possible to know the size of a mongrel dog? Of course, estimating the exact size of a mongrel dog is not an easy task, although ...

Should parrots' wings be cut?

Having parrots at home is very common.They are small pets , colorful and very funny to see in their day to day.However, with the popularity they gain as companions of human homes, the number of people who choose to cut their wings to prevent them from escaping also increases. This practice that may seem common, has its detractors when it comes to thinking about the most beneficial for the bird.Do you want to know if the wings of the parrots should be cut ? Keep reading This article from Animal Expert! How are parrot wings cut? Before telling you whether or not it is advisable to cut the wings of your parrot, it is necessary to explain a little about how the process is carried out and the modifications that it implies in these limbs of the birds. When we talk about cutting the wings, there are two main procedures and some levels in each.The first of these processes is the alectomy , which consists in removing the distal phalanges of the wing and removing the primary feathers ,...

10 breeds of water dogs

The breeds of water dogs form a large and diversified family of medium sized dogs that stand out for having a woolly and/or curly mantle, active behavior and remarkable vocation for aquatic activities.Historically, these dogs were associated with the fishing and small game , serving mainly as bird collectors and small aquatic mammals. Subsequently, due to their energy temperament, versatility and predisposition to training, water dogs managed to adapt easily to other activities and canine sports, but also they became very appreciated company dogs, despite their slightly independent character. If you are thinking of adopting a water dog or you like to know more about the history of the different dog breeds known today, you have arrived at the pagi na ideal.In this article of Animals and Pets Online, we invite you to learn more about the 10 breeds of water dogs most famous around the world.Do not miss them! 1. Caniche or poodle Standing out as one of the most intelligent do...

How to care for an epileptic cat

Epilepsy is not an exclusive disease of the human being, dogs and cats also suffer , being in these small felines much more common than we might initially think, which is due to numerous causes ranging from genetic inheritance to various physical problems. Symptoms of epilepsy in cats are very similar to which a human could experience, and although the most characteristic is the seizure, in the feline we can also observe other signals that prepare us to provide the necessary assistance. While it is true that a feline that presents This disease will necessarily require various veterinary care, there are also certain recommendations that we must adopt at home.In this article of Animal Expert we show you how to care for an epileptic cat in order to offer you the best quality of possible life. Recognizing the symptoms of epilepsy in cats Epilepsy in cats is a disease that becomes evident when our pet suffers a spontaneous seizure , however, to be prepared to provide all the necess...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog