Those Magnificent Flying Animals

There are so many interesting things to know about bats.

And so many things that people believe about bats that are not true.

Read below to learn more…

BATS UNDER THREAT

It is generally believed that bat populations worldwide have declined in recent decades. Many bat species have become extinct or are on the verge of extinction.

Because bats have low reproductive rates, populations cannot recover quickly after events in which many die (e.g. disease or over harvesting them for food). There is concern about the conservation status of bats as many species are increasingly affected by multiple actions of humans such as ignorance, pesticide poisoning, roost destruction, habitat loss, over-exploitation, and extermination as pests.

Of these, habitat loss is probably the biggest threat to bats.

Cave bats are especially vulnerable since there is a shortage of caves that meet their specific needs within their favoured habitat. In addition, several different species are usually found together, often in large numbers. It is therefore possible to a make a large negative impact on bat populations by simply destroying one cave.

Due to misconceptions and ignorance, some people utilize unacceptable and senseless methods to get rid of bats, even if it means killing them.

THE BENEFITS OF BATS

Worldwide, bats are the major predators of night-flying insects, including mosquitoes and many crop pests. It is estimated that the colony of 300,000 bats at De Hoop Cave catches 100 tons of insects a year, providing an important service to farmers in the Bredasdorp area. With bats eating all those insects, fewer chemicals and poisons are be used on crops, and that’s healthier for all of us as well as making food production cheaper!

Bats spread seeds for new plants and trees, and throughout the tropics the seed dispersal and pollination activities of fruit and nectar-eating bats are vital to the survival of rain forests, with some bats acting as ‘keystone’ species in the lives of plants crucial to entire ecosystems. Many plants bloom at night, using unique odours and special flower shapes to attract bats.

Wild varieties of many of the world’s most economically valuable crop plants rely on bats for survival, examples include wild bananas, breadfruit, avocados, dates, figs and mangoes. Although many of these are now commercially cultivated, the maintenance of wild stocks is vital as a source of genetic material for breeding disease-resistant and productive varieties in the future.

More than 300 plant species in the Old World tropics alone rely on the pollinating and seed-dispersal services of bats, providing more than 450 economically important products, valued at hundreds of million of US$ annually. The durian fruit crop of Southeast Asia, sells for US$120 million each year and relies exclusively on flying foxes for pollination.

The value of tropical bats in reforestation alone is enormous. Seeds dropped by bats account for up to 95% of forest re-growth on cleared land.

In many African and Asian countries, as well as certain Pacific Islands, bats are a normal part of people’s diets.

Amazing Bat Trivia

 

 

  • The world’s smallest mammal is the bumblebee bat of Thailand, weighing only 2 grams.
  • Giant flying foxes that live in Indonesia have wingspans of nearly 1.5m.
  • Bats are extremely long lived for their size. The oldest bat known exceeds 40 years!
  • Mexican free-tailed bats sometimes fly up to 4 km high to feed or to catch tail-winds that carry them over long distances at speeds of more than 96 miles (150 km) per hour.
  • The pallid bat of western North America is immune to the stings of scorpions and even the seven-inch centipedes upon which it feeds.
  • Fishing bats have echolocation so sophisticated that they can detect a minnow’s fin as fine as a human hair, protruding only two millimetres above a pond’s surface.
  • African heart-nosed bats can hear the footsteps of a beetle walking on sand from a distance of more than six feet.
  • Red bats that live in tree foliage throughout most of North America can withstand body temperatures as low as 23 degrees F (-5°C) during winter hibernation.
  • The Honduran white bat is snow white with a yellow nose and ears. It cuts large leaves to make “tents” that protect its small colonies from jungle rains. More information here...
  • Disk-winged bats of Latin America have adhesive disks on both wings and feet that enable them to live in unfurling banana leaves (or even walk up a window pane!).
  • Frog-eating bats identify edible from poisonous frogs by listening to the mating calls of male frogs. Frogs counter by hiding and using short, difficult to locate calls.
  • Vampire bats adopt orphans and have been known to risk their lives to share food with less fortunate roost-mates.
  • Male epauletted bats have pouches in their shoulders which contain large, showy patches of white fur that they flash during courtship to attract mates.
  • Mother Mexican free-tailed bats find and nurse their own young, even in huge colonies where many millions of babies cluster at up to 500 per square foot (5000 per square meter).
  • A colony of 150 bats can protect local farmers from up to 33 million or more rootworms each summer.
  • The 20 million Mexican free-tails from Bracken Cave, Texas eat approximately 200 tons of insects nightly.
  • Tropical bats are key elements in rain forest ecosystems which rely on them to pollinate flowers and disperse seeds for countless trees and shrubs.
  • In the wild, important agricultural plants, from wild bananas, breadfruit and mangoes to cashews, dates, and figs rely on bats for pollination and seed dispersal.
  • Tequila is produced from agave plants whose seed production drops to 1/3,000th of normal without bat pollinators.
  • Desert ecosystems rely on nectar-feeding bats as primary pollinators of giant cacti, including the famous organ pipe and saguaro of Arizona.
  • Bat droppings in caves support whole ecosystems of unique organisms, including bacteria useful in detoxifying wastes, improving detergents, and producing gasohol and antibiotics.
  • An anticoagulant from vampire bat saliva may soon be used to treat human heart patients.
  • Contrary to popular misconception, bats are not blind, do not become entangled in human hair, and seldom transmit disease to other animals or humans.
  • All mammals can contract rabies; however, even the less than a half of one percent of bats that do, normally bite only in self-defence and pose little threat to people who do not handle them.

More Bat Facts

Myths About Bats

Do you fear Bats? Is this fear warranted?

An uncontrollable, irrepressible fear of bats may exist, but it is often the result of centuries of prejudice, misinformation and ignorance about bats. The Dracula and other horror stories have contributed greatly to these misconceptions causing people to fear them and be unconcerned for their conservation

A “Myth” is a commonly held belief, idea or explanation that is not true.
Myths arise from people’s need to make sense of things we do not understand or have sufficient knowledge of. They attempt to explain unpleasant events in ways that fit with our preconceived ideas about the world – they arise from and reinforce our prejudices and stereotypes. Myths have powerful implications for how we look at the world. Below we present some common myths and illusions about bats.

Bats are blind: FALSE All Bats can see.

Bats will get tangled in your hair: FALSE Bats do not want to be in anybody’s hair.

Bats are related to mice and rats: FALSE Bats and Rodents are both mammals but are in separate families (rodents in Rodentia, bats in Chiroptera).

Bats are aggressive and will attack humans: FALSE Bats are shy, naturally gentle and not aggressive. They tend to avoid humans.

Bats may carry diseases, such as rabies: TRUE Bats can carry diseases such as rabies, but it is rare.

Bats have no real benefits for people: FALSE Most bats eat insects and consume huge numbers of crop pests. Bats also play important roles in pollination and seed dispersal.

More Myths

Have you found or seen an interesting bat?

If you have you come across any interesting bats that you would like identified or just know more about, contact us. Send photos and any other relevant details such as its location and the date it was seen. Bats can be very difficult to identify by photo alone, but with additional information it is often possible to get to an answer.

For more information on Bats in Buildings, visit our Bats in Buildings page.