Each summer many families will pack up the car for a Missouri float trip and camping. But before you roll out the sleeping bags, it’s important for parents to prepare their little campers for some of the sounds they’re likely to hear at night. Nocturnal animals in Missouri include: badgers, bats, cats, crickets, firefly, fox, owls, moths, mouse, opossums, raccoons, skunks, otters, and snapping turtles.
A few weeks before your float trip, have a discussion with you kids, reassuring them there’s no need to be afraid of the dark. Explain that the night sky was created for us so we could sleep. Ask: What time do you go to bed each night? What things happen at night? Do certain animals come out at night? Do you use a nightlight? Parents can play a word rhyming game with smaller children, starting with light, fright, etc. Use any words that have “ight” like the word “night.”
Next define nocturnal animals for your kids. Explain that nocturnal animals are more active at night than they are during the day. Ask if they can think of any animals that come out at night like bats, raccoons, owls, skunks, etc. Tell your kids that while they’re playing in the afternoon these animals are usually sleeping in a burrow or a den. Nocturnal animals living in the desert sleep underground during the day and come out a night because it’s cooler. Nocturnal animals have special eyes that allow them to see better in the dark. Some have hearing that’s better than humans. Owls have eyes and ears that allow them to see and hear in 3-D. So hearing rabbits is a breeze. Owls eat at night because the animals they eat, like mice and other small animals, are also nocturnal. Owls have specially designed feathers that make them silent fliers. Mice and other small animals never hear the owl coming when it swiftly flies down to grab its meal. If you’re lucky enough, you might hear a great horned owl’s series of three to eight deep hoots grouped in a pattern, such as “hoo hoohoohoo hoo hoo.”
Emphasize the importance of keeping a clean campsite because another nocturnal animal is quite attracted to garbage – raccoons. Most raccoons live about 6 years in the wild in a variety of habitats. Describe their appearance to smaller children. Raccoons have a black “mask” around their eyes, bushy tails with black rings. They use their clawed feet to eat frogs, crayfish, birds, mice, fruit, nuts, plants and garbage.
Another nocturnal animal your family may see is bats. Bats use echolocation to know where they’re going, emitting a high-pitched sound that bounces off the objects around them. When the sound bounces back it lets the bat know the shape, direction, distance and texture of objects around him. Bats eat insects and there’s no shortage of them at night. Bats can also carry disease, please do not enter any cave that you’ve not been authorized to enter.
Some of the insects your family is likely to see and hear are crickets, fireflies and moths. Explain to your kids that crickets jump and make a loud chirping sound by rubbing their forewings together. The warmer the outside temperature, the faster they’ll chirp. Crickets live under rocks and logs where it’s moist and cool. Crickets eat dead insects, decaying material and young plants. But birds, rodents, reptiles, beetles, wasps and spiders eat crickets. Fireflies, or lightning bugs, are also plentiful most Missouri summer evenings. Their bright yellow-green glow not only attracts other fireflies but small campers too. Another nocturnal insect is moths. But little campers should be warned. Moths are attracted to lights. So unless you want your tent full of moths, turn off your flashlights.
