Bats

Bats Bats are the only flying mammals.

Bats They give birth to live young and nourish them with milk. Bats are nocturnal; they are most active at night and sleep during the day, hanging upside-down.

Bats Bats are found in all types of habitats all around the world except at the poles. There are over 900 species of bat. During the winter, some bats will migrate to warmer areas. Some bats, like the brown bat, hibernate during the cold weather.

Bats Bat’s wings are long fingers covered by thin skin. They have furry bodies. Some bats have short tails, others have no tail. Bats have weak legs and do not walk very well.

Bats The smallest bat is the bumblebee bat, with a wingspan of 6 inches and weighing less than a penny. The biggest bat is the flying fox bat, with a wingspan of 6 feet and weighing about 2 pounds.

Bats Bats can see, but do not use this as their primary sense.

Bats There are 2 types of bats that differ in their diet and in the way they sense and obtain food. Microchiropterans—these bats use echolocation to find insects and small animals to eat. While flying, these bats send out high-pitched sounds that bounce off other objects. The bat listens for the bounced sound and can determine where objects are located. People can not hear these high-pitched sounds. Some microchiropterans include the vampire bat and the frog-eating bat.

Bats The vampire bat is the only bat and the only mammal that eats blood. It makes a small hole with its 2 sharp incisor teeth and laps up the blood, which does not clot because of anticoagulants in the bat’s saliva.

Bats Megachiropterans—these large bats use the sense of smell to find their food, fruit, and/or nectar. Some megachiropterans include the fruit bat and the blossom bat.

Vampire Bats These bats sleep during the day in total darkness. They hang upside down from the roofs of caves. They typically gather in colonies of about 100 bats, but sometimes in groups of 1000 or more. In one year, a 100-bat colony can drink the blood of 25 cows.

Vampire Bats During the darkest part of the night, common vampire bats come out to hunt. Sleeping cattle and horses are their usual victims. They have been known to feed on people as well. Bats drink their victim’s blood for about 30 minutes. They don’t remove enough blood to harm their host, but their bites can cause bad infection and disease.

Vampire Bats Vampire bats strike their victims from the ground. They land near their prey and approach it on all fours. Bats have few teeth because of their liquid diet, but the teeth they do have are razor-sharp. Each bat has a heat sensor on its nose that points it towards a spot where warm blood is flowing just beneath the victim’s skin. After putting a bite on an animal, the vampire bat laps up the flowing blood with its tongue.

Vampire Bats Young vampire bats feed not on blood but on milk. They cling tightly to their mothers, even during flight. They will eat nothing but milk for about 3 months. The common vampire bat is found in the tropics of Mexico, Central America, and South America.

Vampire Bat Scientific Names Desmodus rotundus (Common Vampire Bat)

Vampire Bats Scientific Names Diphylla ecaudata (Hairy-legged Vampire Bat)

Vampire Bats Scientific Name Diaemus youngi (White-winged Vampire Bat)