Night Shift
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When the sun goes down, most animals go to sleep. Some, however, are just getting up.
It's pitch-black. I am walking through a forest in Central America. The jungle is so thick that the treetops block light from the stars and moon.
Flicking on my headlamp, I start walking down a path. In daylight, I've seen birds and monkeys here. Now I want to see the animals that come out at night.
SLITHERING SOUNDS
Many animals are active during the day. But some come out only after the sun sets. Animals that are active at night are nocturnal.
I have to be careful as I walk down the path. My light shines on the ground. I am searching for snakes. Many nocturnal snakes in this area are venomous, or poisonous.
They slither through the forest, looking for animals that might make a tasty snack. If I step on a poisonous snake, I could be in big trouble.
Suddenly, I hear a crash in the treetops. I don't know what made the noise. Whatever it is, I know I don't want it to spot me before I see it. What should I do?
Turning off my headlamp, I freeze in the darkness. I quietly wait to hear the noise again. Suddenly something scuttles in the leaves scattered on the ground. My heart beats faster. What is it? Could it be a snake?
NIGHT WALKERS
I try to stay calm. Then I hear a second crash in the treetops. I turn my lamp back on and search for what made the noise. First I see a swaying branch. Then I spot two shining circles glistening in the darkness.
I've found my first nocturnal critter. The circles are really eyes. Many nocturnal animals have a lining on the back of their eyes. It's called the tapetum. It helps nocturnal animals see better in dim light. It also reflects light.
The eyes stare back at me for a brief moment. They belong to a "night walker," or kinkajou.
A kinkajou is a small, honey-colored animal. It sleeps all day in tree holes and romps through trees at night. It bounds from limb to limb with the aid of a tail that grasps branches like an extra hand. It loves to slurp nectar from flowers with a five-inch-long tongue.
ECHOES IN THE NIGHT
As the kinkajou slips away, the jungle goes nearly silent. All I hear is an eerie voice echoing from the shadows: Hu-huuuu, huu huu huu.
I quickly recall what makes that sound. Only one kind of animal makes it. It's the great horned owl, of course.
This bird is an amazing night hunter. It's so deadly many people call it the "tiger with wings."
A great horned owl sits patiently on a tree limb scanning for prey. It has great hearing and large eyes that help it spot prey in the dark.
A great horned owl sees the world differently than you and I do. Its eyes work in the dark, but they don't see color. An owl sees the world in black and white.
Also an owl cannot shift its eyes from side to side. Instead, it has to move its head. An owl can spin its head around backward!
When the owl hears prey, it quietly swoops off its branch and swiftly soars downward. Then it spreads its talons wide and pounces on the prey. It's dinnertime.
SEEING WITH SOUND
After spotting the owl, I make my way down the path until I come to a hollow tree. It's the kind of place where bats like to hang out.
Fossil evidence shows that bats have been around for 50 million years. Nearly 1,000 kinds of bats currently flitter through the air. Many people think that bats drink blood. But only three kinds of bats do that. Most eat insects.
Bats use two senses to find prey. Most have good eyesight. They also use echolocation. They make high-pitched sounds that echo off nearby objects. The echoes help a bat tell what lies in its flight path.
When I peek inside the hollow tree with my flashlight, I find an empty cavity. If bats live here, they must be out looking for food.
THE SPIDER'S LAIR
Another night animal is home, however. I spot a tarantula den near the base of the tree. The spider's long legs are hanging out of its burrow. The largest spider ever found was a tarantula. Its legs were nearly 13 inches long!
Tarantulas are carnivores. That means they are meat-eaters. They eat many different kinds of creatures. For instance, they munch on beetles, birds, frogs, lizards, and snakes. Tarantulas have fangs. They use their fangs to inject poison into their prey.
I tap the tarantula's burrow with a stick, as if I were a beetle walking by. The spider darts out of its burrow and attacks the twig. Quickly realizing it has been fooled, the spider goes back into its den.
NIGHT STALKERS
Leaving the tarantula alone, I continue down the trail. I round a corner and see a footprint in the mud. I kneel down to get a closer look. It was made by a big cat—a jaguar.
Jaguars are the largest cats in the Western Hemisphere. Today they roam only in Mexico, Central America, and South America. Nearly a hundred years ago, however, they were also found in parts of the Southwest region of the United States.
The animals can be up to eight feet long. And they can weigh as much as 200 pounds. They are also nocturnal predators. They quietly follow their prey until they get close enough to attack. Then they pounce.
Jaguars eat almost anything they can catch. They often snack on deer, fish, rodents, turtles, and wild pigs.
Jaguars eat more than 85 different kinds of animals. They like everything from frogs and fish to armadillos and crocodiles. Hungry jaguars are also known to hunt humans every once in a while. With that scary thought in mind, I quicken my pace and bid the forest good night.
Article by Rene Ebersole. Online Extra and links by Brian LaFleur.
"Night Shift" appears on pages 4-9 of our October 2004 issue.
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// ONLINE EXTRA //
KINK-A-WHO?
The kinkajou is one of the rain forest's most unusual creatures. There really is no other animal quite like it. Here's the lowdown on this fascinating critter.
What exactly is it?
The kinkajou looks a bit like a monkey. But it is a member of the raccoon family.
How big is a kinkajou?
A kinkajou is not very big at all. Not counting the tail, an adult kinkajou is less than two feet long. It weighs between three and seven pounds. That's about the size of a small cat.
How long is its tail?
A kinkajou's tail is about as long as the rest of its body. It can wrap around branches or small objects. The kinkajou uses its strong tail like an extra arm. The tail also helps the animal keep its balance in the treetops.
Where do kinkajous live?
If you know where to look, you can find kinkajous in Mexico, Central America, and South America. They live in rain forests. There they spend most of their time in trees. As you know, they are active mostly at night.
How can you find them in the dark?
You can hear them! Kinkajous make a short bark. It sounds like wee-wee-wee.
What do they eat?
Kinkajous definitely have a sweet tooth! They love to drink the sweet nectar from flowers. They slurp up the nectar with their long tongues. Other favorite sweet foods are honey and fruit.
Do they eat any other animals?
With sharp teeth and claws, kinkajous are built like carnivores. They eat insects, birds, and small mammals.
// LINKS //
National Geographic: Rain Forest at Night
The sights and sounds of Borneo's rain forest come to life at night. Take a virtual visit to find facts and photos.
National Geographic Magazine: The Kinkajou
Meet this nocturnal critter up close and personal.
Owling.com
Get photos, sounds, and information on the owls of North and Central America.
One World Journeys: Jaguar
Join scientists as they search the Mexican rain forest for the rarely seen jaguar.
PBS: Costa Rica
Learn about the diverse ecosystems and amazing animals of this Central American country.
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