Don’t you think bats really stand out in the animal world? They are the only mammals that can actually fly without the help of large aircraft, and they live much of their lives hanging upside down whereas most humans just feel like they do.
Most species are only active at night, dusk and dawn, spending their days in dark caves. I’d say that pretty much describes my schedule as well. Many bats have developed adaptations that let them find their way (and their prey) in complete darkness. Bats are also well-known for sucking, though in actuality, there are only a few specific species that feed this way.
Bats eat bugs which is really a very valuable service as most of us hate bugs. A single bat can eat approximately 1200 mosquitoes per HOUR. Makes you want to invite one to your outdoor events for mosquito control – it’s better than Raid! Bats also fish and are capable of catching up to 30 fish a night.
Bats get a bad rap because of Dracula movies and the idea of rabies – but less than 10 people have contracted rabies from a bat in the last 50 years. Because people fear them, more than 50 bat species are on the decline or on the endangered species list. Before you think “who cares,” – remember those mosquitoes!
Remember that article on the honey bees? Well, bats also pollinate plants and trees so they are also indispensable. Some enlightened humans put bat houses in their trees to give bats a safe roosting area – the bats in turn eat the mosquitoes and pollinate the plants. Sounds like a win-win to me.
Some bats live to be 30 years old, though most average 10-20 years (if not killed off by human interference) but with each female bat having only 1 baby every 14 months, that isn’t replenishing the supply as fast as humans are diminishing it.
Yep, bats are actually rather cool creatures. Most of them are so tiny they’d fit in the palm of your hand!
