Follow-on
Credit: Image by paislie from Pixabay
WHY LOVE BATS – ‘Out of the closet’?
Remarkable Diversity, Unusual Capabilities, Societal and
We Need Them
Previously, The Humble, Bizarre Bat - Spooky (A Short Chronicle - Myths, Legends, Folklore and Superstitions)
In our final article on Bats, we now take a brief look at some astonishing facts about these small marvels beings (including their significance to humankind). Not so spooky.
THE REALITY OF BATS
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Chiroptera
Enlightening Facts – Awesome Creatures
Discovered around 50 million years ago, scientists believe Bats first appeared on earth sometime during the dinosaurs' age.
There are more than 1,400 species of bats worldwide. They are the most diverse mammals on the planet and the second most common group of mammals.
Their habitat is nearly every part of the planet except in extreme deserts and polar regions. Some bats can survive freezing temperatures, even after being encased in ice, and they usually hibernate in caves through the cold winter months.
Their diverse title comes from peculiar behaviour; one example is the Mexican fish-eating bat (Myotis vivesi). It uses its long claws to catch fish. Sometimes classified as marine mammals, these bats drink saltwater while spending lengthy amounts of time at sea.
Credit Carlos Baez on Twitter
Bats can devour up to 1,200 mosquitoes an hour, consume insect pests that may be of nuisance to humans and typically find their food in total darkness.
Their difference in size and shape is impressive. Bats range in size from Kitti’s hog-nosed bat (‘nicknamed’ the Bumblebee) weighing in at less than a penny, the world’s smallest mammal (approx. 29 – 34 millimetres) to the flying fox, with a wingspan of up to 6 feet (around 1.7 metres).
Bats are real fliers, the only mammals that fly and have better flying skills than birds. The wings of a bat are very different from that of a bird. Bats do not use their wings. They flap their fingers rather than their wings - moving their forelimbs entirely and maneuvering with their fingers when taking flight. Nor do they need to flap their wings as much as a bird to keep still in the air. As a result, they are more like fish in the air than birds - sliding or swiming through the air rather than flying.
While they are tiny, they sure are fast little things; depending upon their species, bats can reach speeds over 100 mph.
Credit dw.com
Bat ‘Senses’ - Contrary to popular belief, bats are not blind. They have extrasensory abilities and generally avoid artificial light. A bat's echolocation is extremely sensitive, and it can detect the tiniest of human hair. When they use their echolocation, bats emit swift-fire high-frequency clicks. The bats' ears also move around to act as a radar to catch the echo of their clicks. Various species of bats can also detect ultraviolet light. Overtime, bats have also grown to develop overly sensitive hearing. Ranging from, depending on the species of bat a frequency of 1 kHz at its lowest and up to 120,000 Hz at its highest.
Bats have bigger brains than birds, which aids their survival throughout the seasons in their respective habitats.
Some female bats can control when they give birth to their young, although usually, they will have one newborn a year. Unusual as most mammals of smallish size will have way more.
Bats have few natural predators, and disease is one of their biggest threats.
Without bats, say goodbye to bananas, avocados, mangoes and tequila. Over 500 species of fruit/plant depend on bats for pollination. Hence Bats are known as “farmers of the rainforest.” Bats also help spread seeds for nuts, figs and cacao. Further, we would have to go without plants like agave or the saguaro cactus (tequila ingredient). Bat dung is also known to be a fertiliser for tropical plants.
Bat Mortality - Bats break that rule of longevity. As a rule, 30 years but a small Bat from Siberia broke the world record, living to 41 years.
Like cats, Bats clean themselves and typically wash behind their ears. Far from being dirty, Bats spend a lot of time grooming themselves or sometimes each other.
Bats are inspiring medical marvels. Roughly 80 medicines come from plants that rely on bats for their survival. Bat saliva is known to have been used to treat human stroke patients.
The Vampire bat is the only mammal in the world whose survival depends exclusively on blood. Only three known bat species have evolved to feed solely on their prey's blood. To survive, it needs enough blood to match its weight. Vampire bats do not suck blood; they use heat sensory to locate their victims' veins before cutting into their skin with their fangs. The bat then uses its tongue to lick out the oozing blood from its victim until it is satisfied. Vampire bats can detect humans apart and distinguish different species by the way they breathe. While it is rare for a vampire bat to bite a human, their chances of being bitten again are higher once bitten. The Vampire bat is the only species that can move well on the land. It moves much like a spider and can move side to side and frontwards and backward. Only three bat species are vampire bats, and its ability to transmit diseases such as rabies makes it the third most feared animal in the world. 
Most bats eat upside down, and they can tell if their prey is poisonous or not.
Bats are highly sociable.
During the American Civil War, Bat manure was used as an ingredient to make gunpowder.
Endangered, more than half the population of bats in the United States are on the verge of extinction, mainly due to habitat loss.
Do bats deserve their sinister reputation? Despite all their unnerving associations, they are extraordinary creatures and heroes of the night. Performing an essential role in the environment, Bats add significantly to humanity's wellbeing; they are a notable species that impact our daily lives in ways we might not even realise.
What's scary about bats is the rate at which they're disappearing? Let’s give them the recognition they deserve because if they were to disappear tomorrow, we would have something to fear genuinely and cause us to worry.
Credit: anaimals.sandiegozoo.org
Without bats, say goodbye to bananas, avocados, mangoes and tequila. Over 500 species of fruit/plant depend on bats for pollination. Hence Bats are known as “farmers of the rainforest.” Bats also help spread seeds for nuts, figs and cacao. Further, we would have to go without plants like agave or the saguaro cactus (tequila ingredient). Bat dung is also known to be a fertiliser for tropical plants.
Bat Mortality - Bats break that rule of longevity. As a rule, 30 years but a small Bat from Siberia broke the world record, living to 41 years.
Like cats, Bats clean themselves and typically wash behind their ears. Far from being dirty, Bats spend a lot of time grooming themselves or sometimes each other.
Bats are inspiring medical marvels. Roughly 80 medicines come from plants that rely on bats for their survival. Bat saliva is known to have been used to treat human stroke patients.
Credit: Image by Simon Berstecher from Pixabay
Credit: Image by Claudia Peters from Pixabay
Most bats eat upside down, and they can tell if their prey is poisonous or not.
Bats are highly sociable.
During the American Civil War, Bat manure was used as an ingredient to make gunpowder.
Endangered, more than half the population of bats in the United States are on the verge of extinction, mainly due to habitat loss.
Do bats deserve their sinister reputation? Despite all their unnerving associations, they are extraordinary creatures and heroes of the night. Performing an essential role in the environment, Bats add significantly to humanity's wellbeing; they are a notable species that impact our daily lives in ways we might not even realise.
Bats are incredible creatures, unlike anything else on earth!
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