Our Nocturnal Neighbors

Opossums

Although their eyesight is generally poor, opossums’ eyes have a giant iris (this is why they look black) to take in any available light, and a reflective layer of tissue at the back of the eye that makes their eyes appear to glow in the dark. Their large whiskers on their cheeks and snout help them feel their surroundings, and their sharp sense of smell is excellent for locating food sources like insects, fallen fruit, deceased animals and rodents. Darkness provides safety from some hunting animals, but these slow-moving creatures can also climb (using a strong tail) and swim well. When escape is not possible, they are known to sometimes fall over and release a foul odor (“playing opossum”) — thereby warding off potential predators that would want to avoid eating spoiled meat. 

Bats

We are lucky to have over 20 different species of bats living in San Diego County. These nocturnal animals are extremely valuable to our environment — in fact, almost every bat found in this area eats insects, which provides a huge benefit to our region's gardens and farms. Bats are the only mammal capable of true flight and are the world's primary hunters of flying insects, with a single bat capable of eating as many as 1,000 mosquito-sized bugs per hour! To find food in the dark, bats rely primarily on echolocation, which involves sending out a series of clicks and beeps that bounce off the objects surrounding them and using the reflected sound waves to create an image of their environment. Some fruit and nectar-eating species are essential for pollination and seed distribution for crops like bananas, mangoes, cocoa and agave (used in the making of tequila!). 

Although we have the largest species of bat in the U.S. (the Western Mastiff), the bats found here are much smaller than the huge tropical fruit bats often seen in movies. Because of this, they must find dark, safe places to hide in the daylight hours (such as tucked up under palm fronds) to avoid becoming food for other animals. 

Owls

These master hunters of the night have huge eyes positioned on the front of their face and are shaped to act like binoculars, giving them excellent depth perception. They cannot move their eyes in the socket, but extra neck bones more than make up for this, allowing owls to turn their heads 270 degrees! Despite their incredible vision, owls primarily rely on their excellent hearing to hunt. Their faces are shaped like satellite dishes, helping to funnel sound to their ears. This incredible hunting prowess makes owls beloved by farmers and gardeners, who can encourage these natural predators by putting up owl boxes.