Nocturne: Creatures of the Night is not a book about sleep-deprived college students, club-hopping hipsters or even long haul truck drivers. Nocturne: Creatures of the Night is an intimately photographed book of nocturnal animals and the fun facts about their unique mating habits, lifestyles and food choices.
Photographer Traer Scott came up with this book idea after watching moths circle around her porch light. That led her to thinking about bats, which led her to creating a book about animals that are awake while most other living things are asleep. Traer's husband created a portable photography studio that he covered in black foam, which allowed her camera lens to fit through without freaking out the animals. With help from zoos, animal caretakers and rescue sanctuaries, Traer was able to get up close and very personal with 40 or so creatures.
The resulting photographs made me smile, cringe, and sort of fall in love. I've never seen a common vampire bat up close (they really have two tiny fangs) nor did I know barn owls' ears are asymmetrical to help them judge distance and sound in the dark. I'd never heard of a spiny mouse before, but now I know it's the only mammal capable of tissue regeneration! So the next time I hear opossum scurrying across my roof at three in the morning, I may pause and think, Wow, it can "play dead" for up to four hours at a time, it eats road kill, and it's kind of cute," or maybe not. – Carole Rosner
