NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/440846
N ebraska has a large biodiversity of animals that may be awake or active during different parts of the day. Humans are considered diurnal, but some activities may make us be nocturnal, instead. This means that we are adapting to certain situations just like animals do. DIURNAL This is a word that most people aren't familiar with, but you should know it, because it's what most people are. Diurnal means active during the daytime. Remember diurnal starts with the letter "d" and so does daytime. Diurnal animals have adapted to being out in the daytime because their main way of hunting is through their vision. Some Nebraska animals that you may see out during the daytime are squirrels, songbirds, butterflies, turtles, hawks, snakes, prairie dogs, and burrowing owls. NOCTURNAL Nocturnal means being active at night. Remember nocturnal starts with the letter "n" and so does the word nighttime. Some Nebraska nocturnal animals you may see are opossums, moths, badgers, bats, amphibians, mice, and owls. Owls have great eyesight, but they rely more on their hearing for hunting. An owls' ears are asymmetrical on their heads, with the right ear being higher than the left ear. This gives them amazing depth perception. They also have eye tubes instead of eyeballs; this allows their eyes to let in as much light as possible, even in complete darkness. CREPUSCULAR Crepuscular means being active at dawn and dusk, right before the sun sets, and right before the sun comes up. Animals in Nebraska that are considered crepuscular are deer, rabbits, coyotes, foxes, and mosquitos. Rabbits are a great example of crepuscular animals. These creatures are preyed upon by several animals in Nebraska, so, they have adapted to coming out at twilight and dawn. Whether animals are diurnal, nocturnal, or crepuscular, they have adapted to fit their needs, and adapted to hunting their food. interesting notes for readers of all ages by Lindsay Rogers and Donna Schimonitz The Twilight Zone Crepuscular, Nocturnal, and Diurnal Monica Keep, Nebraska Project WILD Which Are We? Circle the correct letter beside the Nebraska wildlife. D = Diurnal, N = Nocturnal, C = Crepuscular junior journal junior journal junior journal American mink photo by Thinkstock American Robin D N C Raccoon D N C Cottontail D N C American Elk D N C Big Brown Bat D N C Dragonfly D N C Leopard Frog D N C NATURE CALENDAR ■ Canada geese search for mates: February through mid-April ■ Look for evidence of animals feeding on twigs and saplings: December through February ■ Mink begin breeding: February through April ■ Smallmouth salamanders emerge after winter hibernation: Late February through early March Thinkstock Thinkstock Justin Haag Eric Fowler Bob Grier Thinkstock Ken Bouc ANSWERS: American Robin (D), Big Brown Bat (N), Raccoon (N), Dragonfly (D), Cottontail (C), Leopard Frog (N), American Elk (C). from NEBRASKAland‛s Trail Tales magazine for kids 58 NEBRASKAland • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015