Bats are the only true flying mammals. They belong to the order Chiroptera (coming from the Greek words for "hand" and "wing"). They are further divided into 2 suborders: Megachiroptera (megabats) and Microchiroptera (microbats).
Bats account for 20% of all of the world's mammals. They are present on every continent except Antarctica. They are integral in seed dispersal and the pollination of certain flowers, and they help keep the insect/pest populations down.
Being a mammal, the skeletal structure of a bat's wing is more like a human arm than a bird's wing. In fact, a bat's wing very closely resembles a human arm - the difference is in the proportions. (Imagine your arm with extremely elongated fingers - link to bat wing anatomy).
Monteverde Bat Jungle
Also, the difference between bat and bird flight is that bats do not flap their entire forelimbs like birds, but rather flap only their spread-out "fingers".
bat skeleton, Monteverde Bat Jungle
The anatomy of a bat is perfectly adapted to hang upside-down. Their hindlimbs are rotated 180 degrees so that their knees face "backwards". This helps them navigate in flight and hang by their feet.
Straw-colored fruit bat (Eidolon helvum), Houston Zoo
They have also evolved specialized tendons that hold their toes in place, enabling them to cling to the roost surface without exerting any energy and must actually flex their muscles to let go of the roost surface.
Straw-colored fruit bat (Eidolon helvum), Houston Zoo
These adaptations allow them to instantly drop off into flight from their roost and to occupy roost sites that no other animal could occupy.
Of the 1,100 different species of bats, 70% are insectivores, with most of the rest being frugivores and nectar-feeding species. Additionally, there are a handful of species that are carnivores and 3 species that feed exclusively on blood.
Bats are nocturnal - they hunt at night to avoid competition with birds. The microbats navigate and find prey using echolocation, while the megabats rely on their keen vision and smell. Bats spend their days sleeping, resting, and grooming. (An interesting note: they rarely fly in the rain because the rain interferes with their echolocation.)
Honduran white bats, La Selva, Costa Rica - photo by Christopher L. Wood
Bats can live over 20 years (which makes them the longest-lived mammal for their size). Some species of bats live solitary lives while other species have colonies of over a million bats. Then there's everything in between. For instance, the Honduran white bats (Ectophylla alba) live in small groups of up to 6 individuals.
A large number of bat species migrate hundreds of miles to winter hibernation sites. Some will go into a state of torpor during cold weather and rouse only when it is warm enough for the insects - which they feed upon - to be active. Others will hibernate for 6 months.
Most bats give birth to only one pup per year - which is an incredibly low reproductive rate for an animal of that size! The mother will nurse the baby until it is nearly adult size and can forage on its own (6-8 weeks for microbats, 4 months for megabats). Females have strategies (delayed fertilization, delayed implantation, and delayed fetal development) for timing their pregnancy and timing when they give birth so that environmental conditions and food availability are optimal.
mother and juvenile fruit bats (Epomophorus crypturus), Kruger National Park - photo by Peet van Schalkwyk
BCI's "All About Bats" page
Wikipedia entry on bats
Bats account for 20% of all of the world's mammals. They are present on every continent except Antarctica. They are integral in seed dispersal and the pollination of certain flowers, and they help keep the insect/pest populations down.
Being a mammal, the skeletal structure of a bat's wing is more like a human arm than a bird's wing. In fact, a bat's wing very closely resembles a human arm - the difference is in the proportions. (Imagine your arm with extremely elongated fingers - link to bat wing anatomy).
Monteverde Bat JungleAlso, the difference between bat and bird flight is that bats do not flap their entire forelimbs like birds, but rather flap only their spread-out "fingers".
bat skeleton, Monteverde Bat JungleThe anatomy of a bat is perfectly adapted to hang upside-down. Their hindlimbs are rotated 180 degrees so that their knees face "backwards". This helps them navigate in flight and hang by their feet.
Straw-colored fruit bat (Eidolon helvum), Houston ZooThey have also evolved specialized tendons that hold their toes in place, enabling them to cling to the roost surface without exerting any energy and must actually flex their muscles to let go of the roost surface.
Straw-colored fruit bat (Eidolon helvum), Houston ZooThese adaptations allow them to instantly drop off into flight from their roost and to occupy roost sites that no other animal could occupy.
* * *
Of the 1,100 different species of bats, 70% are insectivores, with most of the rest being frugivores and nectar-feeding species. Additionally, there are a handful of species that are carnivores and 3 species that feed exclusively on blood.
Bats are nocturnal - they hunt at night to avoid competition with birds. The microbats navigate and find prey using echolocation, while the megabats rely on their keen vision and smell. Bats spend their days sleeping, resting, and grooming. (An interesting note: they rarely fly in the rain because the rain interferes with their echolocation.)
Honduran white bats, La Selva, Costa Rica - photo by Christopher L. WoodBats can live over 20 years (which makes them the longest-lived mammal for their size). Some species of bats live solitary lives while other species have colonies of over a million bats. Then there's everything in between. For instance, the Honduran white bats (Ectophylla alba) live in small groups of up to 6 individuals.
A large number of bat species migrate hundreds of miles to winter hibernation sites. Some will go into a state of torpor during cold weather and rouse only when it is warm enough for the insects - which they feed upon - to be active. Others will hibernate for 6 months.
Most bats give birth to only one pup per year - which is an incredibly low reproductive rate for an animal of that size! The mother will nurse the baby until it is nearly adult size and can forage on its own (6-8 weeks for microbats, 4 months for megabats). Females have strategies (delayed fertilization, delayed implantation, and delayed fetal development) for timing their pregnancy and timing when they give birth so that environmental conditions and food availability are optimal.
mother and juvenile fruit bats (Epomophorus crypturus), Kruger National Park - photo by Peet van SchalkwykBCI's "All About Bats" page
Wikipedia entry on bats
hey!! i loveee bats <33 blog looks gnarly
ReplyDeletedo you know what kind of costa rican bat this is? Its white but its not a honduran white bat
http://naturalsciences.org/microsites/education/ecuador/2008/images/29%20-%20White%20Bat.jpg
I used Dr. LaVal's book "Costa Rica Bats" to check the identification. The bat you have provided a link to matches what he identifies as the Northern Ghost Bat or White Bat (Diclidurus albus)
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