Built for the Day
As the night animals head off to bed, the day shift clocks on — and these creatures are built to make the very most of the sunshine.
A world of colour:
Day animals such as bees and butterflies have wonderful colour vision. In fact, a bee can see colours that we can't see at all, and this helps it spot exactly the right flowers. Daylight is when colour and pattern really matter — for finding flowers, finding a mate, and keeping an eye out for danger.
Catching the sun's warmth:
A cold-blooded animal like the common lizard can't make its own heat inside its body. So it stretches out and suns itself — this is called basking — until it is warm enough to dash about and hunt.
Flying by sunlight:
Bees go out gathering in the daytime and even steer by the sun, like a compass in the sky. A butterfly spreads its wings open to the warmth first, soaking up the sun, before it is ready to flutter away.
💡 Fun Facts
- Day animals such as bees and butterflies have excellent colour vision — bees can even see colours we can't, which helps them find flowers.
- A cold-blooded common lizard can't make its own heat, so it suns itself until it is warm enough to run and hunt.
- Bees forage in daylight and steer by the sun; butterflies warm their wings open to the sun before taking off.
- Daylight is when colour and pattern really count — for finding flowers, finding a mate, and spotting danger.
- The daytime shift begins as the night creatures head off to sleep.