There are some 950 species of bats. And they are quite amazing. Bats can fly to altitudes of 10,000 ft (3,000 metres) and travel up to 60 mph (100 km/h). They live up to ten years, with one documented as living to 32 years of age.
Bats are the world’s only true flying mammals – with a healthy appetite: a bat can eat up to 1000 mosquitoes or other insects in one hour. About 70% of bat species are insectivores. Most of the rest are frugivores – they eat fruit.
Although fruit bats mostly eat, obviously, fruit, they never suffer tooth decay from the sugar in the fruit. This led scientists to investigate the enzymes in their saliva for a possible cure for plaque disease in humans.
Three bat species prefer blood. They are vampire bats. They only live in Central and South America and Mexico. And while these bats do carry rabies and can infect animals and even people their saliva also contains an enzyme that stops blood clotting and could save the life of stroke victims. So, perhaps you should consider getting a bat house to help protect the species.
Interestingly, bats almost always bank left when they leave their caves.
Facts about where Bats live and what they eat!
Bats are native to all continents except the Artic.
The common habitat are caves, trees, and buildings.
The diet of Bats varies according to the species. Types of food consumed by bats include insects, small mammals, birds, fish and the famous and the blood-eating vampire bats of South America!
Basic Facts about Bats
The name of a male is referred to as simply a male
The name of a female is referred to as simply a female
The name or offspring, or a baby bat, is a pup
The average size of a litter is just one The collective name for a group of Bats is a colony
Bats and Vampires!
In South America there are blood eating bats, called vampire bats! Hence the connection between bats and vampires!
Cool and Fun Facts about the life, behavior and personality of Bats
- During the day bats rest in a variety of roosting places
- Some of the large megabats hang upside down from tree branches in enormous numbers
- The vampire bats of South America are named the Desmodus, Diphylla, and Diaemus
- Vampire Bats feed entirely on blood which is freshly drawn from small wounds inflicted on prey such as fowl, cattle, horses, swine
- The bites of vampire bats have started outbreaks of rabies
- Vampire Bats occasionally feed on the blood of human beings!
The final Curious © phrase:
«Bats have no bankers and they do not drink and cannot be arrested and pay no tax and, in general, bats have it made»
(John Berryman)
