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Summer Night Hunters
Great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) are large night hunters with a poor sense of smell. They will hunt and eat striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis)!
Striped skunks are also night hunters and will eat beetles and grasshoppers, and many other things!
Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) hunt at night in search of smaller fish species like bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus).
Bluegill will hunt at night for foods like small minnows and aquatic invertebrates.
In an interesting twist, minnows and dragonfly nymphs will prey upon each other!
Bats catch and eat flying insects, too!
Coyotes (Canis latrans) hunt at night and eat a wide variety of prey, including small mammals and large insects!
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are night feeders. They feed mainly on plant material.
American badgers (Taxidea taxus) loaf the day away in their dens. Nighttime prey species include ground squirrels, shrews and mice.
Many Illinois snake species become nocturnal hunters during the summer months. They also prey upon small rodents, among several other species like birds, amphibians and reptiles.
Southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) come out at night to feed. They eat nuts and seeds.
Raccoons (Procyon lotor) eat a wide variety of items, including salamanders and larger invertebrates.
