Hungry wolf-pack, prowling badgers and glowing fireflies revealed in stunning nocturnal animals photo collection
SUMMER heatwaves mean it can be a struggle to sleep at night but you definitely won't be the only one awake.
We've rounded up some stunning photos of nocturnal creatures who usually start their day when you go to bed.
Wolves
Wolves hunt at night in there large packs of up to 30 individuals.
The large canines are native to Eurasia and North America.
They are known for their howling.
Wolves howl to communicate and studies show the ones that howl to each other more often have stronger connections.
Badgers
European badgers live in burrows and come out of a night.
They're the UK's largest land predator and eat small mammals like mice and frogs.
Racoons
Raccoons are native to North America.
In the wild they live for two to three years.
They naturally prey mostly on aquatic creatures but are partial to eating things that humans have thrown away.
Fireflies
Fireflies glow at night in the hope of finding love.
They are commonly found in very humid regions.
A chemical reaction inside their bodies causes them to glow.
This is how males of the species can attract a mate.
Kiwis
Kiwis are New Zealand's native bird.
The chicken-sized birds can't fly and aren't used to predators so often end up getting eaten.
Kiwis are endangered and the focus of conservation efforts.
Geckos
There are over 1,000 species of gecko.
They can snap their own tails off and regrow them.
This helps them to escape predators.
Slow loris
The slow loris has huge eyes to help it see with night vision.
Bats
It's a myth that bats are blind.
However, some species do prefer to use echolocation to find prey when they're hunting in the dark.
Owls
Not all owls are nocturnal but others, like the long-eared owl pictured, are rarely seen other than my night time photographers.
There are around 200 different species of owl.
Mice
Wood mice are known for entering human homes and keeping them awake at night.
They are essentially nocturnal but some may venture outside in daylight.
Red foxes
Red foxes usually live in burrow systems.
They often hunt at night and hunt even when they're not hungry so they can have food stored for later.
Koala bears
Koala bears are mostly nocturnal but they also sleep for part of the day too.
This is because they sleep for around 18 to 20 hours everyday.
Red-eyed tree frog
Red-eyed tree frogs hide in the canopy of the rainforest and hunt their insect prey at night.
They sleep on the bottom of leaves.
Hamsters
These pets are notorious for keeping their owners awake.
They have very poor eyesight but can rely on a trail of scent to help them get around.
Beavers
Beavers are the second largest rodent in the world.
They mostly work on their large underwater dam homes of a night and sleep through the day.
Hermit crab
Hermit crabs can be spotted wandering along shorelines of a night.
The strange creatures moult their shells and then eat the old one.
Sloths
Sloths spend most of their lives hanging from trees and sleeping.
Some can sleep for 15 to 20 hours a day.
When they do wake up and move, it's usually at night.
Longest living animals
Here's a list of creatures that were around for a very long time…
- The oldest living human on record was Jeanne Louise Calment who lived to the ripe old age of 122 years and 164 days
- A spider named Number 16 lived until it was 43 years old
- The oldest cat on record lived to 38 years old
- The longest living gold fish was won at a funfair and lived until 43 years old
- Bowhead whales are famed for being the longest living mammal species on Earth with the oldest one living to 211 years old
- A few years ago fishermen caught a Greenland shark which was around 512 years old
In other animal news, beavers have won the permanent 'right to remain' in a river in the UK.
KFC is working with a Russian 3D bioprinting company to create lab-produced chicken nuggets.
And, bison are returning to the UK 6,000 years after prehistoric Brits hunted them to extinction.
What's your favourite of the creatures? Let us know in the comments…
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