Animal behavioral patterns very widely, based on their needs and how they’ve evolved or adapted. Animals have varying times of activity from day to night, and everything inbetween. Some are active at night, some active during the day, and more. Some are active at night due to the presence of diurnal (active during the day) predators. Sometimes this roll is changed. Other animals are active when their prey is active. Thus their prey dictates the predator’s behavioral patterns.

The different animal behavioral patterns are: cathemeral, crepuscular, diurnal, matutinal, nocturnal, and vespertine. Below you will find the examples and descriptions of each classification.

Cathemeral

This is sometimes referred to as metaturnality. When an organism’s pattern of activity is dispersed throughout regular intervals during the day and night, (which is typically when food is obtained by them), the activity of that organism can be called cathemeral. The animal’s activity is spread out throughout a 24 hour period.

Crepuscular

These animals are active during dawn and dusk, or twilight. Animals that are crepuscular are typically so due to the fact that many predators are not active during those times of the day. But as in the case of being diurnal or nocturnal, sometimes the organism is crepuscular in an effort to obtain food that might be present at these times. Mule deer, desert cottontails, coyotes, porcupines, and black-tailed jackrabbits, to name a few, fit into this category.

Diurnal

An animal that falls into this category is active during the day. Animals that fit this description typically use sight for hunting prey. Others, like turtles, are active during the day as they need the sun’s rays to aid in the production of vitamin D, which is needed to help process calcium and prevent metabolic bone disease. Hummingbirds rely on the sun as most of the nectar they gather comes from flowers that are open during the day. Cows, dogs, elephants, butterflies, and squirrels, for example, are diurnal.

Matutinal

Matutinal organisms are awake in the morning. Animals such as bees tend to fit into this category. Some birds do as well. Waking up in the morning has its advantages, as one can grab prey or other food before the heat of the day kicks in and before other diurnal predators are awake. Bees and gerbils are matutinal.

Nocturnal

Organisms that are nocturnal are active at night. Animals that fit into this category are typically prey animals that rely on the cover of darkness as a defense. Granted, there are no shortage of predators at night. Some organisms adopt a nocturnal lifestyle due to climate issues. Many desert dwelling animals are nocturnal as it is simply cooler outside at night. Aardvarks, badgers, bandicoots, and aye-ayes are just some examples of nocturnal creatures.

Vespertine

These animals are active in the early part of the evening. The benefit to this is that prey or other food sources can be gathered or fed on before the nighttime predators awake for the evening. Then they can spend the rest of their time hiding from predators or engaging in other activities. Moths and bats are just 2 critters that fit into this category.