For some reason, perhaps owing to their small size and defenselessness
against birds and beasts of prey, the great majority of small mammals,
including hundreds of species and untold millions of individuals, are
nocturnal or live such obscure and hidden lives they are unknown except
to the comparatively few people who go much afield, with all their
powers of observation alert by day and by night. Many of the mainly
nocturnal species pursue minor activities by day, where shelter of one
kind or another gives them a reasonable feeling of security.
Under the revealing light of day most small mammals, especially the
rodents, are extremely watchful and timid, leading lives filled with
alarms which commonly end in tragic deaths. By night they appear to
have far greater confidence; yet this also is a time of imminent danger
from the owls and many beasts of prey then prowling about.
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