5 animals that live by moonlight

Feeling warm and bright by JoAnna Wendel Aug. 19, 2020 Shutterstock

Shutterstock We think of the Sun as the almighty harbinger of life — and while that’s true, the Sun isn’t the only celestial body living things rely on.

Shutterstock Some plants and animals live their lives according to moonlight.

Shutterstock Here are 5 plants and animals that need moonlight to survive.

Shutterstock Once per year on the Great Barrier Reef, corals release sperm and eggs en masse — but only under a full moon .

Only under a full Moon, the Ephedra foeminea plant releases sweet, sticky nectar to attract pollinators to spread its pollen. Gideon Pisanty (Gidip) / CC BY

Shutterstock Nocturnal species of dung beetles navigate their surroundings using polarized moonlight .

A full moon acts like an alarm clock for the tropical bird, Barau’s Petrel. Under the light of a full moon, the birds gather to mate . Maans Booysen/Birding Weto

Even tiny animals like the marine worm Platynereis dumerilii take cues from moonlight. The tiny worms’ reproductive cycle follows the monthly lunar cycle.

5 animals that live by moonlight

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