Is a bat a bird or an animal? Types of bats and their characteristics. What do bats eat, where do they live, why are they dangerous, and how to get rid of them? Live bats

Flying mammals vary in size, diet and habitat, but almost all bats fly night look life. There are legends, tales and traditions about them, and in our review we will present Interesting Facts about bats, and we'll tell you about them unusual abilities and species diversity.

Among environmental holidays, there is one that is completely unusual. The whole world celebrates the Night on September 21 bats. It has been celebrated in Europe for several decades, but it came to Russia in 2003.

The holiday was born to draw attention to the problems of protecting and preserving the population of these exotic inhabitants of our planet.

Chiroptera

Zoological science identifies more than a thousand species of bats. They belong to the bats, but they are the only ones in this family that can fly. Since flying squirrels from the same family do not fly, but glide.

The scientific name of the detachment comes from the ancient Greek phrase of two words “cheir”, which translates as hand, and “pteron” - wing

Bats hunt at night, but spend the day in secluded shelters, caves, attics of houses, or on tree branches. During the day, they sleep upside down, clinging to the surface of a shelter or branch with their limbs.

It is a social animal and is accustomed to living in a community. Some colonies can reach one million individuals.

Diet

In their habitats they feed mainly on mosquitoes and small ones. But some species happily eat frogs, lizards and even birds.

A special subfamily of vampires feeds on blood. large mammals and poultry. Some drink nectar and absorb pollen from flowering plants.

Medieval prejudices and the irrepressible imagination of writers and film directors created real monsters out of them. Because of this, many people simply experience superstitious fear at the mere mention of bats. But in fact, this is a completely harmless animal, frightening only with its unusual appearance and the fact that it likes to live in secluded, dark places.

Aesop's explanation

The ancient Greek fabulist explained in one of his works why these creatures are nocturnal.

In his fable, a bat borrowed money from other animals and was unable to pay it back. So she hid in caves from creditors during the day, and flew out to hunt at night.

Bats that feed on blood are classified into a special subfamily. Vampires live in tropical forests America, and are not found in Europe.

In total, 3 species of vampires live in wildlife, preferring the blood of mammals and birds. There have been cases when individuals of this species attacked sleeping people.

The fastest

Almost all species easily reach speeds of 100 km/h, but the Brazilian folded lip, with a weight of only 10–12 grams, reaches speeds of up to 160 km/h.

Thus, a small mouse with wings easily overtakes the record holder among birds, the black swift, which accelerates to 112 km/h.

Flying mammals feel great in the air, but on the ground they are practically helpless. The fact is that they cannot take off from earth's surface, and therefore they choose places for the day where they can throw themselves down. It is because of this feature that they spend most of their lives upside down.

Gluttons

Their metabolism process goes through quickly, and therefore within 20 minutes food eaten in large quantities is digested.

Scientists have refuted the stereotype that bats are blind. They have excellent vision, but they navigate in space using echolocation, which has developed during evolution.

The principle of operation is known to everyone, they emit a sound inaudible to humans, which is then captured by the whole body in the form of a reflected echo. But they can also make an audible squeak, which they use to communicate and even sing songs like birds.

Unusual abilities

It's time to introduce why these mammals are considered amazing creatures.

Firstly, they easily regulate body temperature within a range of 50 degrees. During sleep, metabolism slows down significantly, and they fall into a stupor, reducing themselves to the state of icicles.

Secondly, they can fast for two days, but when hunting, they find their prey using infrared receptors. Vampires can even hear the breathing of their victims from a great distance.

Bats easily adapt to conditions environment, and the processes of microevolution can be traced on them.

There is a task in biology textbooks where scientists moved a population from areas with dark soil to lighter soil. Some bats will adapt to the new habitat and survive. But some will die, since without protective coloring they will be visible to predators. After several generations, the population will develop a fur color that matches the color of the light soil.

Hog-nosed bat

With a weight of no more than 2 grams, and a body length of up to 33 mm, it is not only the smallest bat in the world, but also the smallest mammal living on the planet.

The small animal chose small areas of Thailand and neighboring Myanmar as its place of residence, where bamboo grows and there are limestone rocks where you can spend daylight hours.

Little-known facts will continue with information about the composition of mammal saliva. It contains enzymes that interfere with the blood clotting process. Therefore, after a bite, there is a danger of large blood loss.

But scientists from an Australian university discovered a poison in their saliva that is comparable in quality to thrombolytics. Based on it, new ones began to be developed medications to prevent strokes and lower blood pressure. The editors of TopCafe hope that pharmacists will soon make very effective means of preventing strokes.

Object of Worship

Buddhists South-East Asia and the indigenous tribes of Australia consider bats sacred and worship them like gods.

For some tribes of the aborigines of the Green Continent, this is a totem animal from which they descend. But in China it is a symbol of happiness, and the words “happiness” and “bat” sound the same in Chinese.

Tourists visiting the Cambodian province of Kandal can taste unusual culinary dish, namely bat soup.

In this country it is considered medicinal, and almost every restaurant has such an exotic soup on the menu. If you order it, they will first bring you a cage with bats so that you can choose which individuals will be used to prepare the dish.

architecture element

These animals are so unusual that architects of various historical eras widely use their image in architecture.

The terrifying gargoyle statues on the facades of castles and palaces are sculpted with bat wings.

Insect eaters provide an invaluable service to farmers in controlling field pests. US scientists conducted an experiment in which they found that bats, by eating insects, help save farmers up to 3.8 billion dollars a year.

Farmers are also pleased that by flying over agricultural plants, they contribute to the process of pollination. This is especially pleasing to tequila producers, since it is agave that mice pollinate best with the help of their wings.

Despite the unusual appearance, because the face of some species really only evokes horror, bats are a popular character in cartoon films, comics and literary works.

In many ways, a negative attitude towards these harmless creatures developed in the Middle Ages. But after the publication of the book “Dracula” in 1897, they began to be even more associated with evil spirits. Because of this, during Halloween celebrations, a bat on the face of children and adults becomes a popular symbol of All Hallows' Eve.

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Zoological science has debunked medieval myths and prejudices about bats, but these creatures have retained an aura of mystery and mystery. Animators and authors computer games are happy to include them in their projects, and the cinematic Batman has become a symbol of the fight against evil forces.

Bats are small, furry animals that expertly dart through the sky as dusk sets in.
Almost all species of bats are nocturnal, resting during the day, hanging upside down, or huddled in some kind of hole.

The bats belong to the order Chiroptera, and make up its main part. It is worth noting that bats live on all continents of our planet, except Antarctica.

It is not realistic to see a mouse in flight; their flapping flight is very different from the flight of birds and insects, surpassing them in maneuverability and aerodynamics.

The average speed of bats in flight is from 20-50 km/h. Their wings have brushes with long fingers connected by a thin but strong leathery membrane. This membrane stretches 4 times without rupture or damage. During flight, the mouse performs symmetrical flapping of its wings, pressing them tightly towards itself, much more tightly than other flying animals, thus improving the aerodynamics of its flight.

The flexibility of the wing allows the Bat to instantly turn 180 degrees, practically without making a turn. Bats are also capable of hover in the air like insects, making rapid flapping of their wings.

Echolocation of Bats

For orientation Bats use echolocation, and not by sight. During flight, they send ultrasonic impulses, which are reflected from various objects, including living ones (insects, birds), and are captured by the ears.

Intensity ultrasonic signals, sent by a mouse is very high, and in many species reaches up to 110-120 decibels (a passing train, a jackhammer). However, the human ear cannot hear them.

Echolocation helps the mouse not only navigate in flight, maneuvering in a dense forest, but also control the flight altitude, hunt, pursue prey, and look for a place to sleep during the day.

The bats often sleep in groups, despite small size, they have high level socialization.

Songs of the Bats

Among mammals (other than humans), bats are the only ones that use very complex vocal sequences to communicate. This sounds like bird songs, but much more complicated.

Mice sing songs during the courtship of a male with a female, to protect his territory, to recognize each other and indicate his status, when raising cubs. Songs are published in the ultrasonic range; a person can only hear what is “sung” at low frequencies.

In winter, some bats migrate to warmer regions, while others spend the winter by hibernating.

Conservation status of the Bat

All European species bats are protected by many international conventions, including the Berne Convention (conservation of European animals) and the Bonn Convention (conservation of migratory animals). In addition, all of them are listed in the IUCN International Red Book. Some species are considered endangered, and some are considered vulnerable, requiring constant monitoring. Russia signed everything international agreements for the protection of these animals. All species of bats are also protected by domestic legislation. Some of them are included in the Red Book. According to the law, not only the bats themselves, but also their habitats, primarily shelters, are subject to protection. That is why neither the sanitary inspection nor the veterinary authorities simply have the right to take any measures regarding the found settlements of chiropterans in the city, and also, by law, a person does not have the right to destroy the habitats of mouse colonies and the mice themselves.

Interesting facts about Bats

1. There is an international night of bats. This holiday is celebrated on September 21 in order to draw attention to the problems of the survival of these animals. In Russia, this environmental holiday has been celebrated since 2003.

2. In one hour, a bat can eat up to 600 mosquitoes, which, based on the weight of a person, would be equal to about 20 pizzas.

3. Bats are not obese.

4. Bats sing songs at high frequencies.

These are mainly a variety of insects. Some large individuals eat fruit. Some species feed on fish. And the vampire bat from Central and South America bites other animals and feeds on the blood that flows from the wound. All bats are good hunters and can detect the slightest sounds and the smallest movements.

Types and names of bats

There are about 1,000 different species of bats, and it's not surprising that their feeding habits can vary. What does a bat eat? Most of these animals eat insects and are called insectivores. These bats especially love to eat mosquitoes, beetles and moths. And they eat them in huge quantities. For example, one little brown bat can eat more than 1,200 mosquitoes in just one hour. This is a species characterized by small body size. Average weight is approximately 14 grams, and the length reaches 8-9 cm.

The Indiana is a medium-sized bat that can range in color from brown to gray or black. They reach 2.5-5 cm in length as adults. Weight is about 7 grams. The Egyptian fruit bat (bat) is an animal that is a smaller variety and is about 15 cm long. However, they have a large wingspan that can reach two meters. They weigh at least 230 grams.

Giant golden crowned flying fox- This is a rather rare species, which is distinguished by very long wings. One more rare species is kitty. What makes it unique is the way the bat looks. Her upturned nose, in appearance and shape, resembles a pig's snout; in addition, due to her tiny size, she was given the nickname bumblebee.

Vegetarians

Fruit bats are often referred to as flying foxes due to their resemblance to red foxes. They live in tropical forests and do not spend much time in dark caves, like many other species. Instead, they can be found hanging from fruiting banana palms and mango trees. The animal's daily activity mainly consists of searching for food.

Their feeding habits are beneficial to the environment, as they also pollinate plants. Their favorite delicacies are figs, mangoes, dates and bananas. Fruit representatives of bats feed on fruits, seeds and nectar and are the largest representatives of their family.

Vampire bats

There are bats that eat birds, fish, frogs, lizards and even other bats. There are even species that drink blood. They are called vampire bats. There are only 3 species of them, and they all live in Central and South America. People shouldn't worry about this... vampire bats They don't like to drink human blood.

They mainly prefer the blood of cows, sheep and horses. Vampire bats bite animals while they sleep and lick up the droplets that appear. To saturate one individual, approximately 2 teaspoons per day are needed. Thus, the cow or sheep often does not even have time to wake up, and the bat is already full. This fascinating creature has been associated with numerous legends over the centuries. This special kind The bat has a short snout instead of the standard conical one.

Structural features

Bats, which can vary in size depending on the species, have approximately the same body structure. Their hearing is well developed. They use it to find food and care for their young. In species that feed on insects and fish, large ears help with echolocation. Typically, such echoes are received by the funnel-shaped ears, which are directed forward.

The sense of smell is also well developed and is used to find and identify certain foods. Fruit bats can find food by smelling ripe fruits. Bats are not blind; for example, the flying fox has a very good vision and use their eyes along with their excellent sense of smell to find food in the dark. In general, these bats see better in the dark. Most species see everything around them in black and white, but some frugivorous representatives have color vision.

Paws with powerful claws help the animals hang upside down on their perches, as well as catch and hold fish. Bats fly using their arms and wings, and they can also crawl through trees by moving a membrane between their body and their fifth toe. This is called an "elevator".

This mammal is covered with fur, which protects the body from the cold, and various options colors can serve as camouflage if you need to hide from danger. Mice keep their fur clean by licking it regularly, something similar is done by a cat.

A predator can also become a victim, or Who eats bats

Surprisingly, despite the fact that bats look quite scary, they themselves can become prey to a number of predators. Hawks and owls regularly kill and eat these little monsters. Snakes and carnivorous mammals(stoats, minks, weasels and raccoons) climb into shelters and attack defenseless sleeping bats.

There are many in the world different predators, which can cause problems for bats. Tarantula spiders pose a danger to small species of bats. Even small birds can be cruel; they fly into caves and can peck bats to death. Then the birds pull them out and eat them.

Myths and misconceptions

1. “All bats carry disease.” In fact, less than 0.5% of the total carry the rabies virus. Additionally, rabid bats are rarely aggressive. For example, in the United States, only 40 cases of rabies infection from bats have been identified over the past 40 years.
2. "Bats get tangled in people's hair." Although bats can sometimes fly very close, especially when catching insects, they do not get stuck in people's hair because, thanks to their ability to echolocate, they can easily avoid an obstacle as large as a person.
3. "Bats drink human blood." The most famous are vampire mice. These amazing creatures have been found in Mexico, Central and South America. What does a vampire bat eat? It feeds on the blood of warm-blooded animals such as birds, horses and large cattle. The process of eating food releases saliva containing an anesthetic, which reduces the likelihood that the animal will feel something. In general, these little bloodsuckers rarely cause much harm.
4. "Bats are blind." Although most species cannot distinguish colors, they can see at night using echolocation.

Bats are the only flying mammals that belong to the order Chiroptera and are primarily nocturnal. Most females produce only one offspring per year. The gestation period lasts only a few weeks. Babies develop very quickly, and most can learn to fly within two to five weeks after birth.

They live relatively long, up to 30 years, which is not typical for small mammals. What a bat eats largely depends on its species. Carnivores eat insects, fish and even other bats, while vegetarians prefer pollen and fruits.

1.Bats are animals that belong to placental mammals, the species is chiroptera.

The bats - amazing creatures, they are flying mammals. They are rightfully considered the most mysterious animals.

2. On the one hand, bats are the only mammals that can move through the air; Based on this ability, they argued that they were birds. But, on the other hand, they are viviparous; they feed their young with milk, which birds do not do.

3. The study of the life of bats is complicated by their secrecy, but scientists were able to establish that this moment About 700 species of these animals have been recorded. Despite certain similarities, their different species also have plenty of differences - while some of them feed on flower nectar, others prefer fresh blood, that is, bats are insectivorous and herbivorous, as well as bloodsucking. But they all have one thing in common - a nocturnal lifestyle.

4. Types of insectivorous and herbivorous bats: two-tone leather, giant noctule, white leaf-nosed bat, pig-nosed bat, great harelip, water bat, brown long-eared bat, dwarf pipistrelle.

5.Types of blood-sucking bats: common vampire, white-winged vampire, rumpled vampire.

Bats of the two-color leather type

6. Bicolored bats live in almost all countries of Eurasia. You can also find them in Russia, from Southern Siberia to western borders. They live in mountains, forests, and steppes. Some animals of this species easily inhabit even the attics of houses in large cities.

7.The body length of these bats is up to 6.5 centimeters, and the wingspan is 33 centimeters. Moreover, they weigh up to 23 grams. These dimensions allow us to say that the two-color leather is a fairly large bat.

8.The original coloring of the animal determined its name: the ears, muzzle and wings are almost black, the back is dark brown, and the belly is light gray or white. Two-color leatherbacks feed on nocturnal insects.

Giant noctule bat

9. Giant noctules live in the European part. The giant noctule is the largest bat living in Russia. Its body length reaches 11 centimeters, weight – 70-80 grams, and wingspan – 45-50 centimeters.

10. This animal does not have a bright color: they are usually brown or reddish-brown, the belly is noticeably lighter than the back. But it is quite difficult not to notice the flight of these creatures, since their size is impressive.

11.Observing the life of the noctule bat, we found that these bats eat large insects. In Russia they prefer beetles and butterflies.

12.They most often settle in hollow trees. Since in habitats it is possible low temperatures, in the cold season, animals migrate, choosing more warm regions.

Pipistrelle bat

13. The dwarf bat is rightfully considered the smallest representative of the order of bats living in Europe. Its body is up to 4 centimeters long and weighs 6 grams. Representatives of this species have a fairly long tail - up to 3.5 centimeters.

14.The color of this animal depends on the region where it lives. In animals living in Asia, it is pale, grayish, while in their European relatives it is brown.

15. Bats settle near human habitation, often choosing the attics of houses and barns. Representatives of this species prefer small insects as food, which helps a lot by exterminating thousands of mosquitoes and midges.

White leaf bat - white bat

16. A species of bat, the white leaf-nosed bat is a white bat. It got its name for its original appearance: and wool white with slight gray patches on the abdomen. But the nose and ears of representatives of this species are bright yellow, and their shape resembles leaves. It seems that the animal has stuck autumn leaves on itself.

17. This is one of the small representatives of bats: the body size is no more than 4-5 centimeters, and the weight is only 7 grams. It is so small that sometimes it seems like it is a bird.

18. This white miracle lives in South and Central America, Honduras, and Panama. To live, they choose evergreen forests, where they always find food - ficuses and fruits.

19.The original appearance of this animal attracts attention, so the bat is becoming more and more common at home.

Hog-nosed bat

20. Pig-nosed bats are rightfully considered the smallest: their weight does not exceed 2 grams, their body length is 3-5 centimeters. Sometimes they are confused with bumblebees.

21.They got their name from their original nose, reminiscent of a pig’s snout. The usual color is dark brown, sometimes grayish-brown. The fur on the belly is a lighter shade.

22.Pig-nosed bats live in the southwest of Thailand and on some nearby islands. They are not common in other places, so they are rightfully considered endemic to the area.

23.A peculiarity of these animals is their joint hunting: they usually gather in small flocks and fly out together in search of small insects.

24. Small bats are difficult to see with the naked eye, making their lives very difficult to observe. The limited habitat has made the population of these animals extremely small. Currently this species is listed in the Red Book.

Great harelip

25. Bats of the greater harelip species live from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, as well as the Bahamas and Antilles.

26. The great harelip is a large bat: its weight sometimes reaches 80 grams, its body size is up to 13.5 centimeters.

27. Animals have interesting feature colors: males are bright red, sometimes even fiery red, but females are very faded, grayish-brown.

28.These bats received their second name - fish-eating bat - due to their feeding habits. Animals prefer to live near bodies of water. Scientists have found that the harelip eats not only insects, like many chiropterans, but also small fish, small crayfish and frogs.

29. And they can fly out to hunt, unlike many representatives of their squad, during the day.

Water bat

30. The life of bats of the water bat species was described in detail by the French scientist Daubanton. It was in honor of him that these animals received their second name - Dobanton's bats.

31. These are relatively small animals (weight up to 15 grams, wingspan - no more than 27 centimeters, and body length - 5.5 centimeters) hunt near bodies of water, preferring mosquitoes and other blood-sucking insects as food.

32. These small-sized bats have a fairly wide habitat: in Russia they can be found in the lower reaches of the Volga, in the Ussuri Territory, on Sakhalin, Kamchatka, in the Primorsky Territory; They also live in other countries: Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Mongolia, Italy.

33. Inconspicuous in appearance (usually their fur is dark brown), they are excellent hunters, destroying entire hordes of insects.

34.The reduction in the population of water bats contributes to the spread of livestock diseases transmitted through insect bites.

Brown long-eared bat

35. The most noticeable part of brown long-eared bats is their huge ears. With a weight of no more than 12 grams and a body size of 5 centimeters, the ears are sometimes larger than the body.

36. Huge ears allow these animals to hunt even in complete darkness.

37.But they cannot boast of original coloring: their gray-brown fur is very inconspicuous.

38. Long-eared ears are found in almost all countries of Eurasia, northern Africa, and China.

39.They adapt almost any place for their homes: caves, buildings, trees. Most often they fly away to warmer regions for the winter, but they always return to their old homes.

Common vampire bat species

40. A very numerous species of bat, the common vampire, has spread the opinion that bats are vampires, capable of drinking all the blood from an animal or a person. Another name is big bloodsucker. The enzyme contained in the saliva of these animals can be quite dangerous: it affects blood clotting. Even a minor wound can cause major blood loss. And if several dozen bloodsuckers attack during the night, then death is inevitable.

41. An ordinary vampire is a not very large bat (weight no more than 50 grams, and a wingspan of up to 20 centimeters) spends the entire day sleeping upside down in its shelter in a large company of its fellows, and when darkness falls it flies out to hunt. She chooses her prey among sleeping animals, especially prefers cattle- they cannot resist. Choosing a place on the body near the blood vessels, the animal bites and licks the blood, which easily flows out of the wound.

42.A person can also be attacked by ordinary vampires if he spends the night in places accessible to these bats. The habitat of this species is South and Central America.

White-winged vampire

43.White-winged vampire. A representative of this species has average dimensions for chiropterans: the body length is up to 11 centimeters, the weight is up to 40 grams, and the wingspan is up to 40 centimeters.

44.Like an ordinary vampire, the white-winged one lives in South and Central America. Its fur has a reddish-brown tint, somewhat lighter on the belly.

45. The white-winged vampire attacks birds; it is their blood that is the animal’s diet.

Vampire bat

46. ​​Vampire bats live in the same places as their blood-feeding counterparts. But representatives of this species can easily attack both birds and animals.

47.Unlike other bats, the rumpled vampire does not have well-developed hearing, so in its flights it relies not so much on the usual echolocation as on vision.

48.Greyish-brown color and small size allow them to approach their victims unnoticed.

49.Many researchers have noted that hairy-legged vampires are absolutely not afraid of people: they can fly very close, practically sit on their hands.

50.Bats are often frightened by being called blood-sucking and dangerous, but of the entire variety of species, as we have seen, only three actually drink blood, and all vampire bats live only on the American continent.

The message about bats can be used in preparation for the lesson. A report about bats for children can be supplemented with interesting facts.

A story about bats for children

A bat is a mammal that belongs to the order Chiroptera. Chiropterans are the only mammals on Earth that can fly.

Description of the bat

Bats are small animals, ranging from 4 to 16 cm in length.

In terms of size and structure of the head and body, the bat is similar to an ordinary mouse, but it also has many features. The animal's nose is blunt, flat with very noticeable nostrils. The eyes are small. The ears are large. Bat wings without feathers. This is a thin, translucent membrane. The tiniest bumblebee bat lives in Thailand and has a wingspan of 160 mm; its body length is about 33 mm, and its weight is about 2 g. The largest bat lives in Malaysia; it has a wingspan of 170 cm.
These animals have another original organ: nature has endowed them with an ultrasonic echo sounder. Probably as compensation for poor vision: both daytime and night.

Where do bats live?

Bats are distributed throughout the world, except Antarctica, the Arctic and some oceanic islands. These animals are most numerous and diverse in the tropics and subtropics.

Bats are nocturnal or crepuscular animals. During the day they sleep, either hanging upside down, or huddled in cracks in trees, rocks, or crevices in buildings.

What do bats eat?

Most feed on insects, but large bats (for example, the giant noctule) can feed on birds, lizards, frogs, a few on fish; bats are known to hunt other species of chiroptera. In South America, there are three species of bats (vampires) that feed on the blood of vertebrates - birds and mammals. Some species are vegetarians: they feed, like fruit bats, on fruits, berries, nectar, pollen, and nuts (for example, leaf beetles).

An insectivorous bat can eat up to 200 mosquitoes in an hour of hunting.