Bats are on our side - especially if you are like me and don’t like to
be bothered with flying pests!
The beautiful bat pictured above is the Malaysian Flying Fox Bat. It has the largest wingspan of about six-feet
and weighs about two pounds. It only
eats fruit.
The smallest bat is known as the Bumble Bee Bat. It is found in Thailand. It comes in at a weight of 2 grams… which is
about the weight of a dime. The tiny bat
is dwarfed by its wings that span to six inches. These little guys eat spiders and other small
insects.
Vampire Bats live in southern Mexico, Central America and South
America. They do drink blood, as their
name implies. Their feeding is about a
tablespoon from animals such as chickens, pigs, goats and cows.
Here are some quick facts about these often-misunderstood and often feared manuals:
- They are mammals! Bats make up the largest group of mammal species in the world. They are the only flying mammals.
- Their wing structure is very similar to a human hand. It has four long fingers with a thin skin stretched between them and a small thumb ending in a long, sharp nail.
- There are 1,300 kinds of bats in the world. 50 different species live in the US and Canada.
- They are the #1 predator of night, flying insects.
- They pollinate crops.
- Tropical bats are a fundamental factor in keeping the eco system running smoothly.
- Bats are responsible for eating 2,000 to 6,000 insects a night. Bugs are the diet of most bats.
- Less than one percent of bats test positive for rabies. In over 50 years, only forty cases of rabies related contraction was reported from bats in the wild.
- Bats like to live in colonies, but not all do.
- Most bats have one baby at a time.
- Bats can live 10 to 20 years.
- Some bats migrate others hibernate.
- Bats can be found living in caves, dead trees, man-made bat houses and under bridges.
