Metaturnal
Encyclopedia
In animal behavior
, metaturnality describes the behavior of sleeping partly during the daytime and partly during the night. Metaturnal animals include cats, rabbits, and mice.
Cathemeral, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary of Zoology, is the appropriate term for an animal which has an activity pattern that is neither nocturnal, diurnal, or crepuscular
, and is characterized by irregular activity at any time of day or night.
Ethology
Ethology is the scientific study of animal behavior, and a sub-topic of zoology....
, metaturnality describes the behavior of sleeping partly during the daytime and partly during the night. Metaturnal animals include cats, rabbits, and mice.
See also
- Nocturnality
- CathemeralCathemeralA cathemeral organism is one that has sporadic and random intervals of activity during the day or night in which food is acquired, socializing with other organisms occurs, and any other activities necessary for livelihood are performed...
is the more accepted term.
Cathemeral, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary of Zoology, is the appropriate term for an animal which has an activity pattern that is neither nocturnal, diurnal, or crepuscular
Crepuscular
Crepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight, that is during dawn and dusk. The word is derived from the Latin word crepusculum, meaning "twilight." Crepuscular is, thus, in contrast with diurnal and nocturnal behavior. Crepuscular animals may also be active on a bright...
, and is characterized by irregular activity at any time of day or night.