Home >> Science & Nature >> Nature

Nocturnal Animals That Are Found in Iowa

Iowa's subtle landscapes of timbered hills, relict prairies, bottomland woods and vast agricultural fields come alive at night with a whole host of nocturnal creatures. A quiet woodland hiker during the day may see various songbirds and the occasional white-tailed deer. Along the same path at night, foxes, owls, skunks and opossums may be prowling, all to the wild soundtrack of whip-poor-wills and American toads.

Owls
- The barn owl is an evocative nocturnal resident of Iowa.
  
  These big-eyed birds of prey are some of the most iconic nocturnal animals in America, and Iowa harbors a number of species. One type, the short-eared owl, is actually often diurnal, hunting open fields and prairies in the manner of a northern harrier. Snowy owls sometimes stray into Iowa during the winter, and these, too, may be active during the day. But the rest are primarily creatures of the night. The great horned owl is the largest and most ecologically versatile, at home in a city park or a bottomland swamp. Its sonorous evening hooting helps draw in the night, and its size, power and tenacity allows it to tackle anything from rodents to red-tailed hawks. Ghostly barn owls are often seen in agricultural areas, while forests and thickets may conceal little eastern screech owls
Carnivores
- Coyotes, found everywhere in Iowa, are most active at night near developed areas.
  
  Those seeking a glimpse of Iowa's elusive carnivorous mammals have the best shot at night: most are particularly active after dark, especially near developed areas. Red and gray foxes are lithe, cat-like canids that prowl woods, fields and suburbs in pursuit of mice, cottontails and birds -- bobcats target the same prey. Some Iowa waterways are patrolled by river otters, while robust, pugnacious American badgers hunt ground squirrels and snakes in grasslands. Omnivorous raccoons and opossums have healthy populations in Iowa. Coyotes are the largest common carnivores in Iowa, found anywhere in the state. But as of the early 21st century, such rare beasts as gray wolves, pumas and black bears -- native but extirpated by Euro-Americans -- have begun occasionally wandering back within its borders.
Whip-poor-will
- During the day, Iowa's deciduous woods conceal sleeping whip-poor-wills.
  
  This well-camouflaged nightjar is a bird scarcely seen during the day, when its mottled plumage blends with the forest ground cover on which it rests. At night, when it actively hunts for insects, its evocative, looping call -- of which its common name is a phonetic approximation -- is commonly heard in rural and wild areas. A related, slightly bigger species, the chuck-will's-widow, reaches southern Iowa and has a similar though distinct vocalization.
Bats
- Watching the sky at dusk is a good way to spot bats beginning their nightly hunts.
  
  A number of bat species inhabit Iowa, and all are most active between dusk and dawn. As the robins and meadowlarks of the day begin settling down, their place in the low sky is taken by these flying insectivorous mammals. The big brown bat enjoys the biggest range in Iowa, and thanks to its habit of roosting in human buildings, is commonly seen at twilight. One of the most striking-looking kinds is the red bat, which has a rufous pelt; this large bat is migratory and inhabits Iowa mainly in the summer.

Nature