Why do some animals have a better faculty of sight than others? Which part play dinosaurs why so many mammals are nocturnal? Which animals are actually nocturnal? The book "Lebendige Nacht" by the biologist Sophia Kimmig is full with fascinating facts about creatures that come to life when night begins. As I very enjoyed reading the book, I am happy to tell you more about it. Unfortunately, the book is available so far only in German.
Title: Lebendige Nacht – Vom verborgenen Leben der Tiere
Author: Sophia Kimmig
Imprint: Hanser
Length: 272 pages
Published: 2023
Language: German
Blurb
Wollen Sie wissen, wie das Leben auf der dunklen Seite des Tages aussieht? Was die Dinosaurier damit zu tun haben, dass die meisten Säugetiere nachtaktiv sind? Warum der Mond Würmer platzen lässt und Eulen sich beim Kopfverdrehen nicht den Hals brechen? Weshalb Waschbären der Dunkelheit ihre Panzerknacker-Maske verdanken und die Welt ohne Dunkelheit vielleicht stiller wäre?
Dann lassen Sie sich von der Wildbiologin Sophia Kimmig mit in die Nacht nehmen, und lernen Sie deren wilde Bewohner kennen. Denn sobald die Sonne untergegangen ist, wird es bei den Wildtieren erst richtig interessant: Wo tagsüber Menschen auf Busse warten, durchwühlt eine Wildschweinfamilie den Mülleimer an der Haltestelle. Füchse suchen nach Futter, Glühwürmchen senden Blinksignale an potenzielle Partner, Waschbären durchstöbern das Gebüsch. Ein ganzer Kosmos erwacht bei Dunkelheit zu Leben und es ist an der Zeit, ihn näher zu beleuchten und seine Einzigartigkeit und Schönheit zu zeigen.
Thoughts about the book
I have to admit. I am a little bit scared of the night. Especially alone. Although there is so much to explore in the night! Be it a hunting owl. A fox searching for food. Or bats catching insects. The night is full of life which many people - including me - do not perceive enough.
Maybe I also do not know (and see) much about life during the night, as I do not see as good as animals with a Tapetum lucidum? Like, for example, a cat or many other nocturnal animals?
I do not know. But I think that many of us do not know that much about nocturnal animals, as our life is adjusted to the day. And not to the night.
Luckily, some people explore more the night and tell everything they know with others. Like the author of the book "Lebendige Nacht" - a wonderful book about nocturnal animals. Although the author is a field biologist who studied a nocturnal mammal - the red fox - she also knows much about other nocturnal wildlife. But she always indicated that we still do not know much about the night and its wildlife.
The book is divided in different themes like, for example, why are animals nocturnal or the meaning of light pollution and its consequences for wildlife. Furthermore, the author introduced in short chapters typical nocturnal animals like dormice, owls, bats, racoons, or moths. Each chapter ended with a fun fact.
I enjoyed reading the book. However, I have to admit that it took me some time to get through the book, as there was much information in each chapter. Furthermore, I did not know some of the animals the author wrote about like, for example, the spotted cuscus or the common giant flying squirrel. I had to look them up later. As I preferred reading without constant interruptions, I made notes and did not constantly research in the internet additional information or photographs of animals which I did not know.
The language of the book is still comprehensible and easy to unterstand. As a scientist, the author referred masterfully to numerous scientific publications. Thus, interested readers can look up the particular scientific publication to get more detailed information. Most interestingly for me were all the personal stories by the author from her work with red foxes, which she could connect with well-researched facts and information. That made the book enjoyable to read.
While reading the book, I could perceive the author's enthusiasm for nature and its creatures. Therefore, it was important for her not only write about facts, but also about how humans use the night and which impact they have to the animal world. The key word here is light pollution. Interestingly, in this context, the author compared light with some kind of "mass product". I think this was a very good comparision and I hope that many other people as well will think about this...
I will try to explore more the night in the following summer, in order to encounter more animals in the city during the night.
Conclusion
Comprehensible and entertaining. Encourages to reflect and look up. A wonderful topic in a wonderfull book. Enjoy reading!
Have you read the book "Lebendig Nacht" by Sophia Kimmig? Or do you know another book about nocturnal animals? Please let me know in the comments.
