The penny is FINALLY starting to drop regarding this ambiguous word. :-)

It may be an Australian thing that makes me want a clearer definition.
I notice that on most Aussie web sites that, if the term "crepuscular"
is used to describe an animal, it also includes qualifications such as
"...and nocturnal" or "..also active during the day."

eg

http://www.oren.org.au/issues/endspp/Tigerquoll/DraftTQAS.htm

"Spot-tailed Quolls are carnivorous, feeding mainly on mammals
including rodents, possums, small dasyurids, bandicoots and rabbits.
Reptiles, birds and invertebrates are also eaten, and the carcasses of
larger mammals such as wombats and wallabies may be scavenged (Belcher
1995, 1997, 2000b). Quolls will also prey upon domestic poultry.
Spot-tailed Quolls are generally nocturnal or crepuscular, although
they will hunt during the day, especially for possums in tree hollows,
where they are much easier to catch than in the tree canopy at night.
The species is terrestrial and arboreal, and is an adept climber,
hunting for prey in tree hollows and the canopy. Spot-tailed Quolls
shelter and rear young in dens, and individual animals use a number of
dens, perhaps 15 or more, and may use a different den each night. Den
sites include caves, rock crevices, hollow logs, tree hollows, rabbit
and small wombat burrows (Belcher 2000b)."

They sound a bit like polecats, don't they?

Shirley

[P.S.]

Aww.  It even LOOKS a bit like a ferret.

http://www.bird.net.au/bird/index.php?title=Spot-tailed_Quoll

[Posted in FML 5551]