Bats are amazing animals that look quite sinister and traditionally cause hostility in people. However, the fear of these cute animals that we experience thanks to horror movie scriptwriters is not justified.
According to scientists, bats have been on this planet much longer than us - they even managed to catch dinosaurs.
Although there are indeed species of bats that feed on blood, most bats are absolutely harmless to humans. Moreover, some people keep bats as pets because these creatures are very social and love the attention of their owners. When the owner of the animal leaves somewhere, the bat languishes without communication and may even die of melancholy.
Our selection includes the most beautiful bats in the world. Yes, some of them look strange and scary - and this is the aesthetics of the disgusting in its purest form.
California leaf-nosed bat
You can meet these amazing creatures in the warm deserts of Mexico and the USA. California leaf-nosed bats are harmless and do not drink blood - they prefer to feed on grasshoppers, butterflies and moths.
These babies weigh from twelve to twenty grams and have a body length of about six centimeters. The wingspan of the Californian leaf bat can reach thirty centimeters. They have funny long ears and a soft brown coat.
Wings
Mammal flyers are creatures that have wings of a strange, but convenient shape for flight. They are membranes that are stretched between the limbs (back and front). The skin is thin, without feathers. The toes of the forelimbs are longer than the others. The membranes are attached to them.
The wingspan depends entirely on the type of animal. Reaches one to two meters. Quite strong and strong. Withstand heavy loads. They make the flight safe and your sleep sound, quiet, and warm. The wings additionally serve as a blanket, shelter from sunlight.
White leaf-nosed bat
Very cute tiny bats. The body length of the white leaf-nosed insect does not exceed three centimeters.
They live in heliconia leaves, from which bats construct tents in the shape of an inverted boat. White leaf-nosed bats live in small groups consisting of males and females. However, when females have offspring, leaf-nosed insects change their way of life - several males with offspring live with one harem male, who guards their home.
Reproduction and raising of offspring
On average, baby bats become sexually mature at one year of age. They are ready to mate and procreate the very next year after birth.
Mating season
The mating season depends on the habitat of winged mammals.
Tropical varieties reproduce twice per season. Residents of temperate latitudes organize mating games in the fall before hibernation.
Duration of pregnancy and childbirth
After mating, the sperm “freeze” and remain throughout the winter. In early spring, they “awaken” and fertilize the egg. The timing of gestation depends on temperature and climate. The warmer it is, the faster the embryo will develop. On average, the duration of pregnancy is from 25 to 40 days.
Babies are born blind, deaf and naked. The weight of mice in some species does not exceed 1g.
The number of cubs in a litter is from 1 to three and depends on the species. For example, ordinary long-eared bats give birth to one baby at a time; leather bats or bats can give birth to 1 to 2 babies. And in litters of hairy tails there can be 3 mice.
Caring for the Cubs
After birth, babies feed on mother's milk and grow very quickly.
By the end of the first week, the weight of the pups doubles, and the body is completely covered with fur. In the second week, their eyes open and hearing appears.
Bats are caring mothers even when the babies grow up. take them with them hunting. The cubs cling to the mother's fur and accompany her on flights, but do not take part independently. Within a month they can hunt next to their mother’s nest.
Brown long-eared bat
This is a small funny animal - most likely, when you see a brown long-eared bat, you will experience not horror, but tenderness. Its main advantage is its huge ears, which can be longer than the entire length of the animal’s body. Naturally, it is not easy to be the owner of such luxury - bats have to hide their ears under their wings or tilt them back when resting.
Brown long-eared monkeys can also be found in Russian forests, but in our country their numbers are not so large. These cute creatures are most common in Iran, Palestine and Portugal.
Benefit
But the benefits of bats are much greater:
Large fruit-eating leaf-nosed insect
The appearance of these animals may seem quite frightening, but their unique beauty lies in this awkwardness. These bats live in Central and South America. The body of a large fruit-eating leaf-nosed insect is covered with short, smooth brown fur. The muzzle is decorated with two light stripes.
As you may have guessed, this type of bat eats fruits - so you should not be afraid of them.
Links[edit]
- ^ abcde Rodriguez, B.; Pineda, V. (2015). "Ectophylla alba". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
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2015
: e.T7030A22027138. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T7030A22027138.en. - ^ a b Gillam, Erin N; Chaverri, Gloriana; Montero, Karina; Sagot, Maria (2013). "Social calls produced in and around roosts in two species of tent bats, Dermanura watsoni and Ectophylla alba". PLOS ONE
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(4):e61731. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061731. PMC 3634860. PMID 23637893. - ^ a b Lim, Burton K.; Pedro, Wagner A; Passos, Fernando C (2003). "Differentiation and species status of the Neotropical yellow-eared bats Vampyressa pusilla and V. thyone (Phyllostomidae) with molecular phylogeny and overview of the genus". Acta Chiropterologica
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: 15–29. DOI: 10.3161/001.005.0102. - Allen, Harrison (1892). "Description of a new bat genus Phyllostome". Proceedings of the United States National Museum
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(913): 441–442. DOI: 10.5479/si.00963801.15-913.441. - "USNM 15950". Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved March 31, 2022. - ^ abc Gardner, A. L. (2008). Mammals of South America, Volume 1: Marsupials, Xenartrans, Shrews and Bats
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. University of Chicago Press. item 327. ISBN. 978-0226282428. - "Honduran white bat (Ectophylla alba)". Wildscreen Arkive
. Wildscreen. Archived from the original on May 30, 2010. Retrieved May 14, 2022. - "Phantom Bat". Encyclopedia Britannica
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↑ Emmons, L. H. (1997).
Mammals of the Neotropical Rainforest
(2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0226207216. - ^ B s d e g Timm, R. M. (1982). "Ectophylla alba". Mammal Species
(166): 1–4. DOI: 10.2307/3503942. JSTOR 3503942. - ^ a b Galvan, Ismail; Garrido-Fernandez, Juan; Rios, Jose; Perez-Galvez, Antonio; Rodriguez-Herrera, Bernal; Negro, Juan José (2016). "The tropical bat as a mammalian model of skin carotenoid metabolism". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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(39):10932–10937. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1609724113. PMC 5047184. PMID 27621447. - Rodriguez-Herrera, Bernal; Rodriguez, Paulina; Watson, Whitney; McCracken, Gary F.; Medellin, Rodrigo A.; Galvan, Ismael (2019). "Sexual dichromatism and state-dependence in bat skin". Journal of Mammology
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(2):299–307. DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz035. - Galban, Ismael; Vargas-Mena, Juan Carlos; Rodriguez-Herrera, Bernal (2020). "Roosting in tents may have contributed to the development of yellow skin coloration in Stenodermatinae bats". Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Studies
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: 519–527. DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12329. - ^ ab Novak, R.M. (1994). Walker's Bats of the World. JHU Press. ISBN 978-0801849862.
- Goodwin, George Gilbert; Underwood, Cecil F. (1942). "Mammals of Honduras". Bulletin of the AMNH
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:134. - ^ abcdef Rodriguez-Herrera, Bernal; Medellin, Rodrigo A; Gamba-Rios, Melkizedek (2008). "Establishing requirements of the white tent bat Ectophylla alba (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)". Acta Chiropterologica
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: 89–95. DOI: 10.3161/150811008X331126. S2CID 85819483. - Rodriguez-Herrera, Bernal; Medellin, Rodrigo A; Gamba-Rios, Melkizedek (2006). "Tent construction by a female Ectophylla alba (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in Costa Rica". Acta Chiropterologica
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(2):557. DOI:10.3161/1733-5329(2006)8[557:TBBFEA]2.0.CO; 2. - ^ abc Rodriguez-Herrera, Bernal; Ceballos, Gerardo; Medellin, Rodrigo A (2011). "Ecological aspects of the tent construction process with Ectophylla alba (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)". Acta Chiropterologica
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(2): 365. DOI: 10.3161/150811011X624839. S2CID 86646976. - Brook, Anne P. (1990). "Tent selection, roosting ecology, and social organization of the tent bat Ectophylla alba in Costa Rica." Journal of Zoology
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: 11–19. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1990.tb03771.x. - "Honduran white bat". Rainforest Alliance
. Rainforest Alliance. September 14, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2018. - ^ab Villalobos-Chavez, David; Spinola-Parallada, Manuel; Heer, Catherine; Kalko, Elizabeth K.V.; Rodriguez-Herrera, Bernal (2017). "Effects of a special diet on the foraging behavior of the Honduran white bat Ectophylla alba (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)". Journal of Mammology
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(4): 1193. DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyx044. - Rodriguez-Herrera, Bernal; Wickes-R, Louis; Cordero-Schmidt, Eugenia; Sandoval, Jean M; Rodriguez-Duran, Armando (2016). "Energetics of tent roosting in bats: the example of Ectophylla alba and Uroderma bilobatum (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)". Journal of Mammology
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. American Chemical Society. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
Red hairtail
These amazing creatures help our ecosystem. The fact is that farmers in North America partly owe their harvest to red hairy tails, which destroy a huge number of insects.
These animals ended up in our selection due to their fiery red fur. Red hairy tails are very small, and therefore are unlikely to scare anyone, despite their terrifying appearance.
Typically, bats give birth to only one pup - but female red hairy bats can carry up to four pups.
Distribution area
Bats live on literally every continent. Exception: isolated islands, highlands. Only one of the representatives - the northern leatherback - lives quietly and travels beyond the Arctic Circle. There are also islands on which this is the only creature of the order of mammals: Hawaii, Zealand, and the Azores.
Chiropterans feel great regardless of climatic conditions and ecosystems. They are divided into two suborders: Pteropodidae (fruit bats) and Microchiroptera. The second order is additionally numbered by 17 families.
Gray hairtail
Gray hairtails are fast and agile hunters. An hour after sunset they begin to catch insects, and, it must be said, they extremely rarely fail.
These are small animals with a body length of about 26 cm and a weight of 14 to 26 grams. They have short but very thick fur of a pleasant gray shade. You can meet these amazing creatures in North and South America.
Hammerhead fruit bat
These are huge bats with a very specific appearance. Their body length can reach as much as 28 centimeters!
Hammerhead fruit bats live in the tropical forests of Africa. These strange animals are often called “flying dogs” - their muzzle actually vaguely resembles a dog’s.
Hammerhead fruit bats feed exclusively on fruits - so if you do come across this incredible animal, you don’t have to be afraid of it.
Ushan Townsend
The main distinguishing feature of Townsend earflaps is their very long, flexible ears. This is a small animal whose body length rarely exceeds 10 centimeters.
These bats prefer to hide in abandoned buildings, mines and caves.
They feed on moths and other small insects. Townsend's long-eared cats are skilled, dexterous hunters, capable of performing incredible tricks in the air.
What is a bat?
Bats belong to the order Chiroptera. This means that both forelimbs are turned into large wings , with highly elongated fingers serving as a frame for them.
This structure does not allow them to soar like birds, forcing them to constantly flap their wings.
The flight speed of bats can vary from 15 km/h when simply moving, to 60 km/h when catching insects.
Another distinctive feature of these animals is the way they land . In a short period of time, bats need to slow down and sit head down on a horizontal surface. They do not create nests .
REFERENCE! They feed on the fly, catching various insects right in the air. Typically, one animal can catch up to 200 mosquitoes in an hour.
You can find out more about what bats eat here.
Yellow-winged false vampire
This animal has amazingly beautiful yellow-red wings and ears. The rest of the body may be mousy or blue-gray. The yellow-winged false vampire has a very large funny nose, which makes his appearance truly memorable.
These animals are quite common in Africa. They feed exclusively on insects and pose no threat to humans.
Wool
The creature, based on the descriptions of different species, also differs in color. In 75% of cases, the mammal is gray, dark gray, or brown. This coloring helps to hide from predators and makes them invisible at night.
Mexican piscivorous species have yellow or orange fur. Some species are light yellow in color. Representatives of Honduras are albinos with yellow ears and nose.
The body and head are covered with fur. The wings are bare, with soft skin. This feature also applies to young nocturnal animals. The fur can be thick or sparse, with long or short pile. The habitat of the species plays a role here.
Interesting fact! There really is a vampire bat. But it feeds exclusively on the blood of small animals. It poses no danger to humans, even if she is very hungry. Maximum harm from flyers: babies fly poorly, so a collision may occur. Only the cub suffers from such blows.
Hairy Vampire
Perhaps the most dangerous bats in our selection. They live in Central and South America, and you really need to beware of them - they are adapted to human blood and can feed on it.
This is one of the three existing types of real vampires. It is because of them that other bats do not have the best reputation. It was previously believed that bushy-footed vampires could feed exclusively on the blood of wild birds, but recent research has refuted this.
Varieties
White
The tailless or Honduran white bat is one of the small members of the family. In addition to Honduras, he also lives in Central America - Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama.
The body is up to 4.5 cm long , the ears are small, the nose is of an unusual shape. Through it, animals perform echolocation - this structure makes it possible to focus and amplify the signals sent.
They live under large heliconia leaves, gnawing holes in them so that the ends, hanging down, form a tent. They eat fruit .
Usually a family of 5-6 bats lives under one leaf, but sometimes several families unite into a large clan. Females give birth to one young per year .
Pig Nose
The hog-nosed bat, or bumblebee mouse, was discovered in 1973. The bat received its second name due to its size - the body is no more than 3.3 cm , and the weight is up to 2 grams. This is the smallest bat.
In addition, on the muzzle there is a characteristic nose, reminiscent of a pig's snout . The ears are large, but, unlike other animals of the family, the pig-nosed mouse does not have a tail.
The main habitat is Thailand and some neighboring lands. Lives in limestone caves and flies out to hunt in groups of 4-5 animals.
Do not move more than 1 km from the place of residence. Insects are looked for in thickets of bamboo or teak wood. There is no exact data on reproduction; most likely the female gives birth to one cub per year.
Vechernitsa
Evening bats are one of the large genera of bats, which includes 8 species and 13 subspecies. They live in Europe and North Africa, where they are the largest bats of their kind.
Body length - from 10 to 50 cm . It lives mainly in deciduous forests; it does not settle in treeless areas.
Hunts at dusk and dawn, preferring beetles and butterflies . The largest noctules are gigantic and can eat small songbirds .
REFERENCE! They are the fastest flyers - they can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h, rising to a height of up to 100 meters.
They are sensitive to frost, therefore, with the onset of cold weather, they migrate over distances of up to 1000 km. Females give birth to one or two, rarely three cubs.
Flying dog and fox
Flying dogs or flying foxes, the fruit bat is the common name for an entire species of animal, the fruit bat.
In essence, they are not insectivorous bats, but are closer in structure and development to herbivorous primates .
The main differences from each other are the food consumed , the structure of the wing, the use of echolocation in mice and vision in fruit bats.
These animals are not found in Russia ; their main place of residence is the Asian tropical forests of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Laos and other countries.
They received the nickname “flying dogs” because of their characteristic elongated muzzle . Adult fruit bats are large in size - the body is up to 42 cm, the wings are up to 1.7 meters . Weight up to 900 grams.
They live in large colonies, settling in trees. They feed on tropical fruits , especially bananas, papaya, coconuts, grapes and others.
Due to their gastronomic preferences, fruit bats are called “fruit mice.” They do not eat the fruits, but only suck out the juice and pulp from them .
IMPORTANT! A flock of fruit bats can cause significant damage to a farm by “eating” the fruit on all the trees in the garden.
Animals sleep upside down . You can often observe a picture when on cold nights one wing is used as a blanket, wrapping the entire body, and on hot nights - instead of a fan.
The female gives birth to one cub per year.
Smooth-nosed
Smooth-nosed bats are a large family with more than 318 species.
They got their name due to the fact that they do not have any characteristic distinctive features; the muzzle is smooth without cartilaginous outgrowths .
The smooth-nosed family includes bats, bats, noctules, long-eared bats and many others.
They live all over the world where there is woody vegetation. There are 37 species of such mice found in Russia.
They are active at dusk or at night, when they hunt for various insects . Some species of bats eat fish .
During the cold period, hibernation occurs , but some (such as noctule bats) fly to warmer places (how and where do bats hibernate?). Females give birth once per season, 1-2, less often 3-4 individuals.
Ushan
Long-eared bats are a type of bat that have large ears used for echolocation. In sleeping animals they hide under folded wings.
Thanks to its short but wide wings, this animal can flutter and even hover briefly in the air to hunt insects. Body length - 5-6 cm .
Distributed throughout the continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, in northern Asia, and North Africa.
They feed on mosquitoes, moths, beetles, and other similar insects . The female gives birth to one, less often two, cubs during the year.
Nocturnal
Noctules or short-eared bats are a species of smooth-nosed bat.
REFERENCE! The main difference from all similar animals is that they fly out to hunt very late, after complete darkness. At the same time, the flight itself is slow and calm.
Body length - 3.5-8.5 cm . Distributed throughout the world , except in the Arctic zones.
In general, they are the only species that has adapted to life in absolutely any natural conditions, even fatal to other bats. There are about 19 species in Russia.
They feed on nocturnal insects . The female brings one, or less often two, cubs during the year.
Horseshoe bats
Horseshoe bats are a species of bat that are so named because of the cartilaginous projection around their nose that looks like a horseshoe.
This structure is necessary for echolocation, the signals of which are emitted through the nostrils. Distributed in the eastern hemisphere , in Russia they live only in the Caucasus.
They eat insects , which they hunt in flight. They may freeze in place for a short time.
They fly out to hunt about half an hour after sunset, and are active during the first half of the night . Females give birth to only one cub during the year.
Bulldogs
Bulldog bats are a family that differs from all other tribesmen in having more developed wings - they are narrow, long and pointed.
Because of this, the flapping frequency is slightly higher than that of other mice. The average body length is 4-14.5 cm . They live in tropical regions of both hemispheres.
They can form groups of several tens to millions of individuals. The flight is rapid, the echoes are very high intensity.
Some species can produce 3 litters per year, consisting of one young each time.
Vampire
IMPORTANT! They are dangerous for people and domestic animals, since during a bite they can transmit rabies and various infectious diseases.
Vampire bats are a whole family whose members are parasites .
They feed only on the fresh blood of other animals or birds, and occasionally they can attack sleeping people .
Echolocation is poorly developed; when hunting, they rely more on excellent hearing and infrared receptors . With the help of the latter, the least protected area of the skin is determined.
They live in Central and South America (read more about where bats live and what their favorite places of settlement are here).
Banana Leaf Beetle
These unique creatures come from Mexico. They prefer to live in trees, caves or on the surface of rocks.
Their main distinguishing feature is their long tubular muzzle. They were given such a non-standard appearance because banana leaf-noses feed exclusively on fruit nectar. These little bats do a lot for our ecological system by helping to pollinate plants.
White casetail
A very cute creature with a funny face. White casetails are able to express their emotions through facial expressions, which makes them even more interesting creatures.
White casetails can be seen in tropical forests from Mexico to Brazil, as well as on the islands of the Caribbean.
This species is distinguished by soft, long and pleasant to the touch white fur. Large eyes and tiny yellowish ears make white casetails very cute animals.
Skeleton and wings
The structure of the skeleton resembles that of a small bird. Limbs with five fingers, modified. The claws are sharp and large. The skeleton consists of:
- spine: 3 times shorter than wings;
- limbs: underdeveloped, since the humerus is shortened;
- skull: rounded (front part, depending on the type, shortened or elongated);
- a small tail section that serves as a rudder (with its help the animal maneuvers during flight).
Philippine tubenosed fruit bat
The Philippine tubenosed fruit bat can lay claim to the title of the best hide-and-seek player on the planet - the first individual of this species was discovered only in 1984. It is unfortunate to admit that today these amazing creatures are in danger of complete extinction due to uncontrolled deforestation of rain forests in the Philippines. It is vital for this species to settle in dense and healthy forests. We can only hope that these creatures will not lose their homes due to human whims.
Like many other species of bats, Philippine fruit bats play an important role in our ecosystem by dispersing the seeds of the fruits they eat.
Appearance
The bat looks quite terrifying. However, like fruit bats. The distinctive features of the two suborders are:
- The fruit bat menu consists of vegetables, fruits, and nectar. Microchiroptera feed on insects, reptiles, small mammals, and fish.
- Short muzzle, smaller size
- Fruit bats have two claws on their fingers. The tragus-outgrowth is absent.
- Only the second squad has a sophisticated echolocation system.
Interesting fact! The diversity of species forms does not allow us to determine external similarities and differences between families of bats. The smallest representative weighs 2 g, and the largest are: the bare-skinned bulldog and the false vampire from Southeast Asia, each weighing 175 g.
Indian flying fox
One of the largest species of bats. The wingspan of the Indian flying fox can reach 130 cm, and its weight exceeds 1300 grams.
The structure of the muzzle of these bats resembles that of a dog, which is probably why they do not seem frightening to us at all, despite their impressive size.
Flying foxes love to feast on fruits, which is why they cause indignation among farmers in the Indian subcontinent. People spray fruits with toxic substances, which negatively affects both the number of flying foxes and the health of fruit consumers.
Taxonomy and phylogeny[edit]
| Mesophyll | |
| Hiroderma | |
relative to other genera [3]
The Honduran white bat has been described as a new species, Ectophylla alba
, in 1892 by American zoologist Harrison Allen.
[4] The holotype that Allen used to describe new genera and species was collected by Charles Haskins Townsend near the Coca River in Honduras in 1887. [5] It belongs to the leaf-nosed family, Phyllostomidae. Within Phyllostomidae, it is included in the subfamily Stenodermatinae. McConnell's bat was once included in the genus Ectophylla
, but is now monotypic within
Mesophyll
.
[6] Although the McConnell's bat and the Honduran white bat are no longer in the same genus, they are sister taxa—they are each other's closest relatives. [3] The Honduran white bat is the only member of Ectophylla
, meaning it is a monotypic genus.
[6] The genus name " Ectophylla
" comes from the Ancient Greek "
ektós
", meaning "outside", and "
phúllon
", meaning "leaf", referring to its nasal leaf.
Its species name " alba
" comes from the Latin "[7]
