Environmental conditions change considerably in the course of 24 h with respect to abiotic factors and intra- and interspecific interactions. These changes result in limited time windows of opportunity for animal activities and, hence, the question of when to do what is subject to fitness maximisation. This volume gives a current overview of theoretical considerations and empirical findings of activity patterns in small mammals, a group in which the energetic and ecological constraints are particularly severe and the diversity of activity patterns is particularly high. Following a comparative ecological approach, for the first time activity timing is consequently treated in terms of behavioural and evolutionary ecology, providing the conceptual framework for chronoecology as a new subdiscipline within behavioural ecology. An extensive Appendix gives an introduction to methods of activity modelling and to tools for statistical pattern analysis.

This book explains what a bat does during the day and describes the specific adaptations that help it navigate at night.

Explores the world of nocturnal animals, including the lynx, owl, raccoon, bat and tarantula. Explains why some animals are nocturnal instead of diurnal, how nocturnal animals see at night, how nocturnal animals communicate and where night creatures go during the daytime.

The book gives the characteristics and habitats of bats and other nocturnal animals.

Explains what different nocturnal animals do at night, including fruit bats, owls, and boa constrictors.

Presents information on nocturnal animals and how they survive in the world of twilight and shadow. Includes a quiz at the end of each chapter and a glossary.

Discusses the habits of animals that spend most of their lives in the dark, such as raccoons, owls, hyenas, and catfish.