![]() The Greek philosopher Aristotle suggested that hedgehogs poached apples and carried them off on their spines. ![]() The myths that built up around familiar nocturnal creatures, such as hedgehogs, are evidence of historical attempts to fill the scientific gap. So how did the nocturnal problem arise and why does it still impede science?Ĭonstrained by their own reliance on vision, early scientists struggled to imagine the different ways in which animals might navigate in the dark. A better understanding of nocturnal life is critical to ensure its effective protection. However, given the environmental threat now facing the nocturnal world, this will have profound consequences should it remain unaddressed. The legacy of this inaccessibility remains a barrier to our understanding of nocturnal life today. This scientific blind spot is referred to as the “nocturnal problem”. Physical restraints on human navigation in the dark are partially responsible for this. ![]() The conservation of nocturnal species has therefore become urgent.ĭespite the abundance of night-time life, the understanding of nocturnal species has evaded science throughout history. Environmental change is severely threatening the ability of nocturnal animals to coexist with humans. The transforming night adds new sensory pressures concerning finding food, a mate, and navigating a world permeated by artificial illumination. The stifling night-time heat experienced across Europe this summer is indicative of this, placing nocturnal animals under even greater stress. Recent research has also shown that the night is warming considerably faster than the day. Ecologists suggest that the majority of land animals are either nocturnal or active across both the day and night. Intensive farming, suburban spread, artificially lit cities, and continuously busy road systems mean daytime species are becoming increasingly active throughout the night. Human disturbance is rapidly changing the nature of the nocturnal world.
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