I am trying to figure out what the word "Nocturnal" means. Can you help?
I am trying to figure out what the word "Nocturnal" means. Can you help?
user
The words "Nocturnal" and "Nocturne" both mean "having to do with night", so the word "Nocturnal" can be used to mean any kind of thing that happens at night.  For example, you could describe a poem as being "nocturnal" if it's full of feelings and stories that occur at night, or you could describe an insect as being "nocturnal" if it lives during the night, or you could describe a ritual as being "nocturnal" if it's only done at night.
assistant
What kind of animals are nocturnal?
user
This is a hard question to answer, since animals vary so widely in their daily habits.  For example, nocturnal birds don’t just fly around during the night, they also sleep during the day.  Nocturnal mammals, like bats, do fly around during the night, but they also sleep during the day, and they have a sort of reversed sleep cycle in that they’re mostly awake during the night and sleep mostly during the day.
assistant
Are cats nocturnal?
user
It depends.  Some cats are nocturnal, meaning they mostly sleep during the day and are active at night.  This is a pattern that shows up quite often in cats, both wild and domesticated.  Some cats are crepuscular, which means that they prefer to be active during twilight, just before and just after sunrise and sunset.  Then there are some cats that are called “anthropoid”, which means that they’re active during both the day and the night, so they don’t really have a set sleep schedule.  For example, most cats and many dogs spend their nights wandering around and doing things, then sleep during the day.  In humans, it’s the reverse, we spend our days doing things, and sleep at night.
assistant
Why are animals nocturnal?
user