What kinds of nocturnal animals can you find in Arizona?

Heading outside after dark can turn up a surprising number of creatures. Keep reading to learn about what you may encounter!

18 Nocturnal Animals in Arizona:

#1. Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

Adults are mottled gray-brown with reddish faces.
They have prominent feather tufts on their heads and large yellow eyes.

You may not see Great Horned Owls often, but they are common nocturnal animals throughout Arizona.

These raptors can actually be found from the Arctic south to the tropics. Its habitat is practically unlimited as long as there are trees and rocky nesting sites available. It is hard to find a bird that can adapt better than a Great Horned Owl.

Great Horned Owl Range Map

These owls are quite large and look fierce! To identify them, look for their long tufts of feathers that resemble ears on their head. Also, check out their intimidating eyes. I know I would not want to have a staring contest with one!

Both sexes hoot, but males are lower-pitched than females. Males give territorial calls that can be heard a few miles away at night. I don’t think there’s another owl species that does hooting better than a Great Horned Owl!

#2. Coyote

Canis latrans

Their coloring is grayish to yellow-brown on top with white underparts.
They have a bushy tail, large, triangular ears, narrow muzzle, black nose, and yellow eyes.

Coyotes are some of the most common nocturnal animals in Arizona.

These predators have a large range in North America and are found in various habitats, from the tropics to the tundra. They have expanded their range after the near extermination of wolves and cougars by European settlers.

Coyotes are also highly versatile in their food selection. Despite being primarily carnivorous, they consume various plants, including berries, grass, and food crops. They will eat almost anything, and this extensive menu allows them to thrive in nearly every environment in Arizona!

Even if you haven’t seen one, you’ve probably heard a Coyote before! They’re extremely vocal and communicate through howls, yips, whines, and barks. These vocalizations are used to warn pack mates of danger, greet each other, and play.

#3. Common Nighthawk

Chordeiles minor

Adults are camouflaged gray, white, buff, and black.
They have short legs, flat heads, and tiny bills.
They have noticeable white patches near the bend of their wings.

These odd-looking birds are one of the most interesting nocturnal animals in Arizona.

Common Nighthawks are sometimes called “bullbats” because their awkward, erratic flapping makes them look like bats. While they can be tough to spot in the, you’ll probably hear their sharp peent call as they soar through the night skies feeding on insects.

Common Nighthawk Range Map

You may also see males putting on a “booming” display. The males will dive towards the ground, pulling up at the last second.

The air rushing across their wingtips during this maneuver makes a booming or rushing sound like a racecar.

#4. White-Tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

Their coloring is tan or brown during the summer and grayish in winter, with white on the throat, chest, and underside of the tail.
The males have antlers, which they shed in the winter.

White-tailed deer have an extensive range in North America and are able to thrive in various habitats, including coniferous, mixed, and deciduous forests, sawgrass and hammock swamps, cactus and thorn brush deserts, brushy areas, and farmlands.

While they are somewhat nocturnal, you’re most likely to see White-tailed Deer in Arizona around dawn and dusk when they forage.

They are also completely comfortable in suburban environments, and it’s common for them to live in small wooded parks near housing developments. The herd in my neighborhood is particularly fond of our bird feeders. They stop by for a snack almost every evening!

#5. Big Brown Bat

Eptesicus fuscus

Larger-sized bat with around a 12-inch (30 cm) wingspan.
Brown fur with black ears, wings, and feet. Wings are hairless.

These flying nocturnal mammals are widespread in Arizona.

If you know where to look, you’ll find Big Brown Bats inside caves, tunnels, or other human structures.

Big Brown Bat Range Map

These bats primarily eat insects, especially ones that fly at night. However, their preference is to eat beetles. The Cucumber Beetle is their favorite, which benefits farmers because these insects are terrible pests for agriculture. Many farmers even use bat boxes to attract Big Brown Bats to their property!

RELATED: 24 Types of Bats Found in Arizona! (ID GUIDE)

Though rabies is common in all bats, research has shown the disease is rarer in this species. The reason for this fact is that many Big Brown Bats have immunity to rabies. Interestingly, researchers discovered that these rabies antibodies get passed down from generation to generation!

#6. Bobcat

Lynx rufus

Their coloring is buff to brown, sometimes with a reddish tint, and black and brown spots and stripes.
They have facial ruffs, ear tufts, white spots, and short, bobbed tails.

Bobcats are solitary, elusive, shy, nocturnal animals that are rarely seen in Arizona.

These cats are highly adaptable and found in various habitats. They may be observed in residential areas. However, they generally avoid extensively cleared agricultural lands.

As carnivores, Bobcats are highly skilled hunters. They can climb, run up to 30 miles per hour (48 kph), and leap high enough to grab low-flying birds. They spend their nights patiently stalking their prey until they are close enough to pounce.

The largest threat to Bobcat populations is habitat fragmentation due to their large home ranges and elusive nature. However, rodenticides can also cause issues in populations when they feed on contaminated prey.

RELATED: 5 Reasons Why You Should NEVER Use Rat Poison!

#7. Raccoon

Procyon lotor

Their fur is grayish-brown with 4 to 6 black rings on the tail and a black “mask” marking around the eyes.
They have bushy tails and paws with five long, finger-like toes.

Raccoons are one of the most common nocturnal animals in Arizona around people!

Due to their ability to adapt to humans, Raccoons have an extensive range and are found in forests, wetlands, suburbs, parks, and cities. They generally avoid large open areas and thrive in areas with water sources, abundant food, and den sites.

Raccoons feed on practically anything they can fit in their mouths. Individuals living in urban locations are often larger than those in unpopulated areas because they have adapted to live on human hand-outs, pet food, and trash.

Raccoons often pick up food items and rub them with their paws, sometimes removing unwanted parts. This gives the appearance that they’re washing their food.

Lastly, they have REALLY cute babies. 🙂

#8. Striped Skunk

Mephitis mephitis

Their coloring is black with two thick white stripes running down the back and tail and a thin white stripe from the snout to the forehead.
They have a bushy black tail, small triangular heads, short ears, and black eyes.

Striped Skunks have perhaps the worst reputation of any nocturnal animal in Arizona.

They’re best known for their unusual defense system. When threatened, a Striped Skunk will first stomp its feet or handstand as a warning.

If these aren’t heeded, the skunk bends its hindquarters to face the animal and releases its defensive smelly spray. The unpleasant, oily liquid can reach up to 20 feet (6 m) and may cause nausea, intense pain, and temporary blindness.

Despite their foul odor, Striped Skunks provide benefits to humans in the form of pest control. In the summer, they’re largely insectivorous and spend their nights feeding heavily on grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, and bees. The best thing to do if you see a skunk is to give it space. They usually move on quickly when they notice humans!

These small mammals are typically common in suburban areas but are rarely seen because they are nocturnal. As seen below, they often visit bird feeders to eat leftover seeds on the ground!

Learn more about the LIVE animal cam seen above.

#9. American Bullfrog

Lithobates catesbeianus

Coloration is typically olive green, with some individuals having gray or brown mottling or spots.
Fully webbed back feet.

The American Bullfrog is the largest frog in Arizona!

Believe it or not, these nocturnal amphibians can grow to weigh as much as 1.5 pounds (.7 kg).

American Bullfrog Range Map

Green = native range. Red = introduced range.

Bullfrogs can be found in permanent bodies of water, including swamps, ponds, and lakes. If you want to see one, it’s best to head to these areas at night, when the frogs are most active.

Bullfrogs are known to eat just about anything they can fit in their mouth and swallow! The list of prey includes other frogs, fish, turtles, small birds, bats, rodents, insects, crustaceans, and worms. I have personally witnessed one even trying to eat a baby duck!

They are named for their deep call, which is thought to sound like a bull bellowing.

#10. Eastern Cottontail

Sylvilagus floridanus

Their coloring is reddish-brown on the upper body with white on the underparts and tail.
They have distinctive, large eyes and a round, fluffy tail.

These nocturnal animals are vulnerable to many predators in Arizona, so they require a habitat with good cover. Areas with a mix of grasses, dense shrub thickets, blackberry bushes, and brush piles are ideal.

One of their favorite places to nest is suburban yards! So, if you notice Eastern Cottontails hanging around your property in the evening, be careful when you mow your lawn. Although rabbit nests are usually slightly below ground level, lawn equipment is still dangerous for baby rabbits and mothers.

Eastern Cottontails consume a wide range of plant materials. They can be a nuisance for gardeners by eating garden plants and flowers. However, in winter, they eat woody materials from birch, oak, dogwood, sumac, and maple trees.

#11. Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

A relatively small, stocky, compact heron.
Appears a bit hunchbacked, as it often tucks its neck into its body.
Black head and back, which contrast against its white belly and gray wings.

Black-crowned Night Herons are nocturnal birds found in wetlands across Arizona. In fact, they are the most widespread heron in the world, but they are often hard to actually locate and see!

Black-crowned Night Heron Range Map

As their name suggests, these herons are most active at dusk and during the evening. While the sun is out, they spend the day hiding among brush and vegetation near the water’s edge. By foraging at night, these birds avoid competition from other heron species!

When surprised or under duress, Black-crowned Night Herons give a loud, barking “quawk.” While at their nesting colonies, you can hear a variety of other croaks, barks, hisses, screams, clucks, and rattles.

#12. Cougar

Puma concolor

Coloration ranges from reddish-brown to tawny or gray, with a black tip on their tail.
They have round heads, pointed ears, and powerful forequarters.

Cougars are among the largest nocturnal animals in Arizona.

Their large hind legs and massive paws help give Cougars incredible athletic ability. They can jump 15 feet high and 40 feet in distance and sprint at 50 miles per hour. Yet, despite their impressive speed, they generally wait and ambush prey.

Except for females raising young, adult Cougars generally only kill one large animal every couple of weeks. Then, they drag the kill to a preferred area and cover it with brush, returning to feed off it over a few days.

Cougars have the most amount of names of any animal North America. While Cougar seems to be the most common, these large cats are also known as catamount, mountain lion, puma, ghost cat, and panther.

#13. American Badger

Taxidea taxus

Their long fur is brown or black with white stripes on their cheeks and one white stripe running from their nose to the back of their head.
They have a large, flat body, short, powerful legs, triangular face, small ears, and long, sharp claws.

The American Badger is an intimidating nocturnal animal that primarily feeds on small burrowing creatures, like ground squirrels, rats, gophers, and mice.

They spend their nights digging prey out of burrows with their strong claws or entering the burrows and waiting for the creature to return. Interestingly, Coyotes regularly stand nearby and wait to catch animals fleeing from badgers.

American Badgers create their own burrows as well. They regularly dig upwards of 32 feet of tunnels that reach 10 feet below the surface, with enlarged chambers for sleeping, storing food, and giving birth. Their burrows have one entrance with a pile of dirt next to it.

#14. North American Porcupine

Erethizon dorsatum

Their fur ranges in color from brownish-yellow to black, with white highlights on their quills.
Porcupines are covered in approximately 30,000 hollow quills.

This nocturnal animal is the second-largest rodent in Arizona!

While North American Porcupines generally spend much of their time on the ground, they can also climb trees, using their tail for support. But they aren’t the best climbers; one study found that 30% of the porcupines had healed fractures from falling from trees.

North American Porcupine Range Map

They’re well known for their sharp quills used for defense. When threatened, porcupines draw up the skin of their back, bristling so that the quills face all directions. The porcupine keeps its back to the predator and moves its tail back and forth.

But, despite their effective defense, porcupines are still preyed on by fishercats, coyotes, wolverines, and other predators that have adapted to hunting them.

Contrary to popular belief, porcupines can’t throw quills at their attacker! 🙂

#15. Mexican Free-tailed Bat

Tadarida brasiliensis

A smaller bat with gray fur on the front and back. The face, ears, wings, and legs are light black.
Ears are short and rounded, with lines inside and ruffled on the bottom.
Wings are elongated and narrow with pointed tips.

The Mexican Free-tailed Bat is the fastest bat in Arizona!

These nocturnal animals have long, narrow wings that help make them quick and have direct flight patterns while catching their flying prey. They also use echolocation to help them navigate in the night sky.

Mexican Free-tailed Bat Range Map

This species primarily roosts in caves, but they can be found in any structure with an opening and dark hiding place.

Mexican Free-tailed Bats have glands in their skin that cover their body. These glands leave a scent that other bats can smell, so they know that this roost is only for the Mexican Free-tailed Bats.

#16. Western Spotted Skunk

Spilogale gracilis

Their fur is glossy black with white spots.
They are small and slender and have a fluffy black tail with a white tip and underside.

Western Spotted Skunks are some of the smelliest nocturnal animals in Arizona!

They prefer areas that provide extensive cover, and they’re rarely seen in open fields or yards.

Like Striped Skunks, this species sprays a noxious oily secretion if threatened. The smelly, toxic substance can temporarily blind an attacker.

Despite their excellent defense and hiding skills, their populations are decreasing, and some individual states have listed them as a species of greatest conservation need. They are most threatened by vehicle collisions, trapping, and pest control efforts.

#17. Ringtail

Bassariscus astutus

Their coloring is pale tan with a dark brown wash on the upper parts and pale buff on the underside.
They have a bushy tail with black and white rings, large oval ears, a cat-like body, and a fox-like face.

Ringtails are one of the most interesting-looking nocturnal animals in Arizona!

They’re sometimes called ring-tailed or miner’s cats, but despite these nicknames, they’re members of the raccoon family. Look for Ringtails in semi-arid climates of deserts, woodlands, and conifer forests. They’re also often found foraging in areas with trees near streams and rivers.

These nocturnal mammals spend their nights hunting and foraging. They are omnivorous, but the bulk of their diet is rodents, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and carrion. They sometimes eat berries, acorns, and other fruits.

When threatened, Ringtails bristle and arch their tails over their heads to appear larger. If grabbed, they release a pungent, foul-smelling secretion and make a high-pitched screaming sound.

#18. Canyon Tree Frog

Dryophytes arenicolor

Typically brown, gray-brown, tan, or gray-green with darker, irregular blotches on the back. They often match the color of their habitat.
They sometimes appear golden in direct sunlight, and the inside of the hind legs is bright yellow.

Canyon Tree Frogs are nocturnal animals found in rocky areas in Arizona.

They may be called tree frogs, but this species is mainly found perched on boulders and rock faces near permanent water sources.

Canyon Tree Frog Range Map

During the hottest part of the day and periods of low rainfall, Canyon Frogs will seek shelter in rock crevices. They sometimes cluster together in these areas to help reduce moisture loss. They also have tougher skin on their back than most frog species to help them cope with their hot, dry climate.

At night, you may hear the male’s low call during the breeding season, which is sometimes thought to sound like a distant sheep or goat. Since they are nocturnal, your best bet is to hear one at night.