[1] This is distinguished from diurnal and nocturnal behavior, where an animal is active during the hours of daylight and of darkness, respectively. Many familiar mammal species are crepuscular, including some bats, hamsters, housecats, stray dogs, rabbits, ferrets, and rats. [2], Crepuscular birds include the common nighthawk, barn owl,[11] owlet-nightjar, chimney swift, American woodcock, spotted crake, and white-breasted waterhen. A number of factors impact the time of day an animal is active. https://animals.fandom.com/wiki/Crepuscular?oldid=54708. Predators need to link their activities to times of day at which their prey is available, and victims try to avoid the times when their principal predators are at large. Those that are active during both morning and evening twilight are said to have a bimodal activity pattern. The western diamondback rattlesnake, which is nocturnal in summer, switches to crepuscular or diurnal behavior in spring and fall. The distinction is not absolute however, because crepuscular animals may also be active on a bright moonlit night or on a dull day. Other crepuscular mammals include jaguars, ocelots, strepsirrhines, red pandas, bears, deer, moose, chinchillas, the common mouse, skunks, Australian wombats, wallabies, quolls, possums and marsupial gliders, spotted hyenas, bobcats, tenrecidae, capybaras, African wild dogs and sitatunga. [2] Some creatures may adjust their activities depending on local competition. Predators hunt when their prey is available, and prey try to avoid the times when their principal predators are at large. Those active during both times are said to have a bimodal activity pattern. Many predators forage most intensively at night, whereas others are active at midday and see best in full sun. Some creatures may adjust their activities depending on local competition. Snakes and lizards, especially those in desert environments, may be crepuscular. Some predatory species adjust their habits in response to competition from other predators. Thus, the crepuscular habit may both reduce predation pressure, thereby increasing the crepuscular populations, and in consequence offer better foraging opportunities to predators that increasingly focus their attention on crepuscular prey until a new balance is struck. The distinction is not absolute however, because crepuscular animals may also be active on a bright moonlit night or on a dull day. The word crepuscular derives from the Latin crepusculum ("twilight"). The various patterns of activity are thought to be mainly anti-predator adaptations, though some could equally well be predatory adaptations. Some crepuscular animals may also be active by moonlight or during an overcast day. [8] Other crepuscular mammals include jaguars, ocelots, bobcats, servals, strepsirrhines, red pandas, bears,[9] deer,[2][10] moose, sitatunga, capybaras, chinchillas, the common mouse, skunks, squirrels, Australian wombats, wallabies, quolls, possums[2] and marsupial gliders, tenrecs, spotted hyenas, and African wild dogs. Its sense accordingly differs from diurnal and nocturnal behavior, which respectively peak during hours of daylight and darkness. Many moths, beetles, flies, and other insects are crepuscular and vespertine. The various patterns of activity are thought to be mainly antipredator adaptations, though some could equally well be predatory adaptations. Some animals casually described as nocturnal are in fact crepuscular. Such shifting states of balance are often found in ecology. Barred Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, night-herons such as the Black-crowned Night-heron and the Yellow-crowned Night-heron, Northern Mockingbirds in suburban areas, and under specific lunar conditions, the Eastern Whip-poor-will (see species accounts at the end of this document The temperature at midday may be too high or at night too low. Many predators forage most intensively at night, whereas others are active at midday and see best in full sun. The term is not precise, however, as some crepuscular animals may also be active on a moonlit night or during an overcast day. Special classes of crepuscular behaviour include matutinal (or "matinal", animals active only in the dawn) and vespertine (only in the dusk). [3] Its sense accordingly differs from diurnal and nocturnal behavior, which respectively peak during hours of daylight and darkness. [12], Many moths, beetles, flies, and other insects are crepuscular and vespertine. Other crepuscular mammals include jaguars, ocelots, strepsirrhines, red pandas, bears, deer, moose, chinchillas, the common mouse, skunks, Australian wombats, wallabies, quolls, possums and marsupial gliders, spotted hyenas, bobcats, tenrecidae, capybaras, African wild dogs and sitatunga. Special classes of crepuscular behaviour include matutinal (or "matinal") and vespertine, denoting species active only in the dawn or only in the dusk, respectively.