Nocturnal creatures are most active at night. Some examples include most owls, bats, cockroaches, most spiders, raccoons, and fireflies. Diurnal creatures are most active during the day. Some examples include butterflies, pigeons, cows, bees, killer whales, polar bears, and alpacas. Crepuscular creatures are most active at dawn and dusk. Some examples include moose, housecats, bobcats, and skunks. This distinction is not absolute, because crepuscular animals may also be active on a bright moonlit night or on a dull day.     Matutinal animals are active before sunrise. Example: gerbils     Vespertine animals are active after sunset. Example: moths Many factors affect the time of day an animal is active: Predators might hunt when their prey is more available Prey try to avoid the times when their main predators are hunting The temperature may be too high at midday or too low at night There may be too much competition for food resources at certain times of the day Resources Content, HTML, graphics & design by Bill Willis 2024