Animals in fiction tend to be shown being active at the wrong time of day or night. These terms describe when an animal is most active. * Nocturnal - active primarily at night. * Diurnal - active primarily during the day. * Crepuscular - active primarily during both dawn and dusk. Many animals that are casually referred to as nocturnal are actually crepuscular. Though not generally active in the middle of the night, they are similarly absent in broad daylight. * Matutinal - active primarily during the dawn and/or early morning. * Vespertine - active primarily during the dusk and/or evening. Vespertine animals are usually referred to as nocturnal. * Metaturnal - active part of the day and part of the night. * Cathemeral - can be active at any time of the day or n