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The bat has long inspired fear in humans. Many legends and stories have been invented around their unusual lifestyle and appearance. Their sharp teeth and nocturnal flights combined to create the illusion that there was potential danger when encountering them. However, in reality, everything is not so, and only a few rare species living in certain places feed on the blood of large mammals. The rest are content with insects and have nothing to do with vampirism.
Origin of the species and description
Photo: Bat
Bats are primarily amazing because they move through the air by flapping their wings like birds. However, they do this exclusively at night, without using one of the main senses - vision. They, of course, are not birds, because they themselves are viviparous and feed their young with milk. And they have nothing in common with birds, except the ability to fly, even feathers.
Video: Bat
Bats belong to the class of mammals in the order Chiroptera. There are a huge number of types. According to various sources, there are from 600 to 1000 species of bats. Of course, it is impossible to consider each species separately without being an expert on these animals.
The main types, the most common and having obvious differences, can be counted on one hand, namely:
- two-tone leather;
- giant noctule;
- white leaf-nosed plant;
- pig-nosed bat;
- great harelip;
- water bat;
- brown long-eared bat;
- dwarf pipistrelle;
- ordinary vampire;
- white-winged vampire;
- hairy vampire.
It is believed that the first bats appeared about 70 million years ago, when small arboreal mammals began to develop membranes on their sides, which later evolved into wings. It is possible that the formation of membranes was caused by a gene mutation. Scientists believe that the change in the body structure of animals occurred quite quickly, since to date not a single individual of the transitional species has been found. That is, the so-called high-speed evolution occurred.
Orientation in space
Of great interest to scientists is not so much the lifestyle of representatives of the order Chiroptera or what bats eat, but rather their ability to echolocation. Ultrasounds are emitted while the animal is flying.
Reflecting from the surfaces of surrounding objects, they help the mammal locate its prey. Thanks to this ability, bats can freely navigate in the dark. They move, anticipating the presence of any objects in the surrounding space.
Appearance and features
Photo: Big bat
Bats are quite small in size. The weight of the smallest species, the pig-nosed bat, is about 2 grams, while the body length of the individual is only 33 mm. This is one of the smallest representatives in general among the animal kingdom. The largest bat is the giant false vampire, whose wingspan is 75 cm, and the body weight of an adult is in the range from 150 to 200 grams.
Different species of bats differ from each other in appearance and skull structure. But they all have common external characteristics. The main difference from many animals is their wings. They are thin membranes stretched between the front and hind limbs. The wings of bats are significantly different from the wings of birds. They do not have feathers, but have long fingers to which membranes are attached.
Interesting fact: wings are not only used for flying, but also as a blanket while sleeping. Bats wrap themselves in them to keep warm.
Their hind limbs are also different. They are turned to the sides, with the knee joints back. The hind limbs are very developed. With their help, bats can hang upside down for a long time. Moreover, it is in this position that they sleep.
Almost all bats have large ears. Which is not surprising for an animal that does not have good eyesight. Ears are used by bats for echolocation and spatial orientation. The animal emits high-frequency subtle sounds, which are reflected from all objects and then perceived by the animal itself. The ears are equipped with a large network of blood vessels that nourish them. The eyes of bats, on the contrary, are very small in size. Vision is monochrome and not sharp. Although there are exceptions, for example, the California leaf-nosed bat, when hunting, relies more on its vision than on its hearing.
Most species of bats are dull in color. They are usually brown or gray in color, sometimes dark gray. This is due to the need to be undetected while hunting at night. There are also exceptions, for example, some species have white or bright red colors. The hair of animals is thick, single-tiered. In this case, the skin membrane is covered with very sparse hair.
Where does a bat live?
Photo: Black bat
Bats are distributed everywhere, with the exception of polar latitudes, starting from the tundra. There, mice simply have nowhere to hide from harsh climatic conditions, and there is also no necessary amount of food. It is especially not comfortable for bats to exist among the snow, even considering the fact that they are capable of hibernating.
Thus, we can assume that these amazing animals live on all continents except Antarctica. Of course, they differ in species; for example, some live in Europe, but completely different ones live in South America.
The most important condition for their existence is the presence of shelter, which will allow them to hide during daylight hours and sleep every day. As is well known, caves can be like this. Bats simply attach themselves to the ceiling of the cave with their paws upside down and spend daylight hours there. At dusk they begin to fly out to hunt. It is very interesting that when flying out of the cave, bats always fly to the left.
The number of mice living in the caves suggests an accumulation of their droppings on the lower part of the stone niche. Often its accumulation is about a meter.
If there are no caves nearby, then other shelters are suitable, in nature these are trees: mice find secluded places between twigs, fruits or in dense foliage. The most important thing for them is that sunlight does not fall on them. In cities and villages, it is even easier for bats to find shelter - any attic of a residential building will suit them. They are not afraid of people and calmly settle into their houses.
The role of bats in nature
Considering what small bats, as well as representatives of larger species, eat, we can talk about the significant role of these animals in the life of nature. The amazing gluttony of bats makes them indispensable assistants to humans in the fight against pests of cultivated plantings and forests. In addition, individuals that feed on nectar and pollen participate in such an important process as plant pollination.
Scientists are interested in the composition of bat saliva. From some sources it has become known that the pharmaceutical industry is making successful attempts in the process of obtaining an effective drug that prevents cardiovascular diseases. Well, we'll wait and see.
What does a bat eat?
Photo: Forest bat
Despite tales of vampirism and the use of bats in horror films such as From Dusk Till Dawn or Dracula, these creatures are completely harmless. They cannot bite a person. However, you should not touch bats - they can carry diseases that are dangerous to humans or pets, such as rabies.
Most species of bats feed on insects: they are capable of eating up to 200 mosquitoes in an hour of hunting. If we consider the ratio of the weight of the animal and the amount of food eaten, then it comes out to be quite a lot, about a fifth of its own weight.
Some species of bats are larger; it is not enough for them to eat small insects and they are carnivores - they eat frogs, toads, lizards, small birds and rodents. There are several species of bats that eat fish.
Blood-sucking bats, called vampire bats, feed on the warm blood of animals and usually bite livestock. Bites are painless for animals because, together with saliva, they secrete a substance that has an analgesic effect. However, they can be dangerous because they carry various diseases that can even kill the animal.
There are also many species of bats that feed on plant foods:
- flower pollen;
- tree fruits (usually dates, bananas, mangoes);
- flowers.
Such bats. They live in hot tropical countries where vegetation abounds all year round. Now people are trying to keep exotic animals at home. The bat is no exception and is in demand in the pet market. But if you are not a specialist, you should not do this.
Since these pets are very specific. They require enormous dedication and strictly defined conditions. For food, carnivores can eat cut-up meat or offal of birds or animals; herbivores should be fed fruits and given water and milk to drink. The owners also treated the animals with condensed milk as a treat.
Conditions of detention
The animals have become so popular that some animal lovers have begun breeding the mammals at home. Of course, breeders have many questions: what do bats eat at home, how to keep them, can they be trained?
It is worth noting that not all species of bats can adapt to captivity. In addition, not everyone who wants to support them is able to create the appropriate conditions for this.
This is especially true for the nutrition of bats. Feeding should occur several times a day. Experts note that frequent meals have a positive effect on the animal’s well-being.
A cramped enclosure is unsuitable for keeping, as this creature loves to fly. The air temperature in the room where the pet lives should constantly change. It depends on the type of activity of the animal. During sleep, awakening, digestion of food and wakefulness, the temperature should be different.
If you neglect the recommendations for regulating the temperature in the enclosure, you can significantly shorten the life of these fastidious pets.
Features of character and lifestyle
Photo: Simple bat
Bats are nocturnal. During the day they sleep, and at the same time they usually hide in various shelters, including underground. They are very fond of caves, tree hollows, earthen holes, as well as quarries and mines; they can hide under tree branches and under bird nests.
They usually live in small colonies of several dozen individuals. Although there are also more populous colonies, including those consisting of several different subspecies of bats. The colony of Brazilian folded lips, consisting of 20 million individuals, is considered to be the record in number today.
In winter, most bats hibernate. But some are capable of migrating like birds to warmer climes, covering distances of up to 1000 km. Hibernation, depending on the area, can reach 8 months.
Hibernation occurs upside down, by hanging on the hind legs. This turns out to be convenient so that you can immediately go on a flight, spending less effort and time. No energy is spent on hanging due to the structural features of the limbs.
Interesting fact: on the island of Borneo there is a unique carnivorous plant that attracts bats with special sounds. But it does not eat them, but on the contrary, provides its inflorescences to bats as a refuge. Animals leave their excrement for the plant, which it uses as fertilizer. In nature, such a symbiosis is unique.
For orientation in space and for hunting, they use echolocation, which helps them maneuver, control their flight altitude and distance to the walls of the cave. It is believed that during a hunt, bats become aware not only of the distance to the pursued target, but also the direction of its flight, and even what type of prey it belongs to.
Social structure and reproduction
Photo: Flight of the Bat
Living together in a colony does not make bats gregarious. Animals do not perform any joint actions and also hunt exclusively alone. They also do not start families. Two individuals unite only at the moment of mating, and then immediately forget about each other.
Most bats that live in temperate climates begin breeding in the spring. Usually there are between two and five young in a litter, but the exact number varies greatly depending on environmental conditions. The female produces offspring once a year. She feeds the cubs until they develop wings. Maturation takes different times for different subspecies.
For small subspecies of bats, it typically takes 6 to 8 weeks until they become independent. For large subspecies of animals this period can reach four months. In the first week, the female usually takes the cub with her on night hunts. At the same time, he holds tightly to his mother during the flight. In the following weeks, he becomes heavy, so she leaves him in the shelter during the hunt.
Interesting fact: female bats have the ability to control their gestation time and also delay the birth of their offspring. They need this so that their offspring are born at a time when the amount of food is maximum. Very often, mating occurs in the fall, but fertilization occurs only in the spring.
The lifespan of bats directly depends on the specific subspecies. Mostly bats live 20 years, but there are subspecies with a life expectancy of no more than 5 years.
Natural enemies of bats
Photo: Bat Face
Bats have quite a few enemies. This is primarily due to their small size and nocturnal lifestyle, when much larger predators go hunting. For them, bats serve as excellent prey.
Among the predators that are especially dangerous for bats, it is fashionable to highlight the following:
- owls;
- candles;
- falcon, golden eagle and other birds of prey;
- marten;
- weasel;
- rats;
- snakes;
- ermine;
- raccoon;
- cats;
- predatory fish;
- ferrets.
In addition to the common predators that mice serve as food, they have enemies of another kind. Bats suffer greatly from parasites such as ticks, fleas or bedbugs. Often bloodsucking animals can kill these animals.
Humanity is very actively fighting against rodents and other parasites; exterminators and disinfectants are called in to spray the premises with poisons. Bats very often end up in the attics of such premises and die from poisoning. This has significantly affected their current numbers.
Not only do they get poisoned from these procedures in their homes, they also lose part of their food. Insects living in the area also die from these poisons, and the mice may not have enough food. Therefore, it is believed that bats do not have an easy life, and they need additional protection from humans. However, their specific lifestyle does not allow even this, because these animals are selective and difficult to monitor.
Population and species status
Photo: Baby flying snake
Most bat species have endangered status. Some subspecies have vulnerable status, requiring constant monitoring.
The population in the 20th century was mainly negatively affected by agricultural development, environmental pollution, and habitat loss. But at the same time, there were cases of deliberate extermination, destruction of nests and treatment of roofs and attics of houses with repellents. Studies have also been conducted in the United States that have shown that wind power plants also affect the number of bats. Bats die from collisions with wind turbine blades and from lung damage due to pressure drops near the blades.
But because bats are central to the ecosystem, measures are being taken to protect them. In Europe, they are actually the only natural regulator of the number of insects that are active at night. Thanks to bat conservation efforts, populations of some subspecies have stabilized and some have increased.
The European Environment Agency, based on a study of nearly 6,000 nesting sites, concluded that bat numbers increased by 43% between 1993 and 2011. But these are average numbers, and, unfortunately, the numbers of some subspecies continue to decline.
Distribution of bats
The habitats of the different species of animals we are considering depend on what bats eat. Their distribution is also influenced by lifestyle. In this regard, bats are distributed throughout the planet. The only exceptions are the Arctic territories.
But to a greater extent, these mammals prefer warm areas of the planet. It is here that animals find food without problems throughout the year. For example, do you know what bats eat in Russia? No? A little later we will cover this issue, but for now we will return to the features of their life cycle. In our country, these creatures can live in both cold and temperate latitudes. Under these conditions they hibernate. Some species of bats are capable of making long flights in order to search for better living conditions.
