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

The bats - the only mammals that have mastered the air environment thanks to their wings. In addition, the bat is not a relative of the terrestrial, either in origin or in lifestyle.

What species is a bat? She belongs to the order of bats, whose name speaks for itself. Why bats called mice? it was named for its distant external resemblance to a land rodent and the ability to make sounds similar to a mouse squeak.

Appearance

Bat, description: most of the animal's body is devoted to the wings. If you do not take them into account, then you can note a miniature torso with a short neck and an elongated head. The mouth opening of the animals is large, sharp teeth can be seen through it.

Some types of bats fascinate people with a pretty face, others scare unusual shape nose, disproportionately large ears and amazing growths on the head.

The cutest bats of the fruit bat family considered a fruit dog: She has large open eyes and a long, fox-like nose. Interestingly, the names of some were given based on the shape of the nose of animals: pig-nosed, horseshoe-nosed, smooth-nosed.

The white bat has a peculiar “horn” on its muzzle that gives the nose the shape of a petal. Thanks to this device, the forward-directed nostrils of the animal capture odors faster and more efficiently.

Not less than the bulldog mouse has a specific appearance: on its muzzle in the transverse direction there is a cartilaginous fold running above the nose from one auricle to another. The cartilaginous roller brings together the edges of the auricles, increasing their area for more perfect hearing, which is necessary for orientation in space during the flight.

On the muzzle animal you can "read" about lifestyle and even mouse nutrition. For example, fruit lovers don't need the powerful locators needed by flying representatives that cut through the neighborhood at night. But their nostrils are wider: They search for food based on smells..

Photo

What a bat looks like: see the photo below:

Structure

Birds have adapted to flight thanks to lightweight cellular bones, air sacs in the lungs, and a cover that is heterogeneous in structure and function of feathers. Flying bats do not have all this, and skin membranes can hardly be called wings.

How do bats fly? Flight mice like flying aircraft Leonardo da Vinci, who adopted from nature the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe structure of the wing of a flying mammal.

A continuous, air-tight skin membrane "covers" air masses from above, which allows the animals to push off from them and fly.

Skeleton and wings

The skeleton of a bat has its own characteristics. limbs bats are modified: they serve as a backbone for the wing. The humerus in these animals is short, and the bones of the forearm and the last 4 fingers are elongated in order to increase the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe flying “mantle”.

A skin-fibrous fold is stretched from the neck to the fingertips of the animals. Thumb with a tenacious claw is not included in the wing, he necessary for the animal to grasp. between hind legs and long tail the posterior (interfemoral) part of the membrane is stretched.

See what bat wings look like in the photo below:

Flight

The arm with the wing is set in motion by several paired muscles of the upper girdle, which to reduce energy costs for flights attached not to the chest, but to the fibrous base wing. The keel of the sternum of the animals is inferior in power to the avian one: only one muscle necessary for flight is attached to it - the pectoralis major.

Spine at flying mammals more mobile than birds. It allows mice to be more agile out of air.

Ground movement

How does a bat move? Evolution has deprived bats of strong bones lower belt, thigh and lower leg, leaving behind them the right to fly most of their lives.

Some types of mice, such as vampire mice, have stronger thigh bones and able to walk on earth. They are supported by the thickened skin of the paw pads. Fruit bats cannot move in this way and do it extremely clumsily.

Dimensions and weight

Tiny body length animals inhabiting Russia, usually does not exceed 5 cm, the wingspan of the smallest of them is 18 cm. The mass of champions-babies is 2-5 g.

Earflaps, white and pig-nosed mice have small sizes. Representative of the last species considered one of the smallest mammals on the ground.

Large individuals weigh up to a kilogram. The distance between the tips of the fingers of the front paws with spread wings can reach one and a half meters, and the body length is 40 cm. Bats, South American false vampires, are considered real giants among bats.

sense organs

The reaction of bats to light: Bat retinas lack cones- receptors responsible for daytime vision.

Their vision is twilight and is provided by sticks. That's why animals are forced to sleep during the day, because at daylight they see badly.

Some representatives of the eyes are covered with bizarre skin folds. This further confirms the hypothesis that navigate in mouse space not with the help of a visual analyzer. Close relatives of bats, fruit bats, also belonging to the order Chiroptera, have cones. These animals can be found during the day.

Minor role for the animals of the visual analyzer was discovered in a simple experiment: when the animals were blindfolded, they did not stop orienting themselves in the environment. When the same thing was repeated with the ears, the mice began to stumble on the walls and objects in the room.

Bats bring undoubted benefits to gardening and farming. In the dark, when the birds are inactive, they massively destroy not only pests, but also small rodents. Read our articles about these mysterious animals and what is them.

How do mice see in the dark?

How do bats navigate? In the dark? What sounds do bats make? Amazing Ability bats to fly and forage without the participation of vision was revealed after using sensitive sensors managed to write ultrasonic signals emitted by animals during flight.

The ultrasound of bats, which is inaudible to the human ear, is reflected from surrounding objects within a radius of 15 meters, returned to the animal, collected by the auricle and analyzed by the inner ear. Animal hearing is subtle.

Nutrition

flying mammals have their own food preferences. Based on which product the animal is favorite, they distinguish:

• insectivores;
• carnivorous;
• fruit-eating or vegetarian;
• fish-eating mice;
• vampires.

Read an interesting article about how mice hunt in nature.

Dream

Sleep representatives of bats prefer upside down. With the claws of their hind legs, they cling to a horizontal bar or a branch of a tree, press their wings to the body and fall asleep. Why do bats sleep upside down (upside down)? Sitting they do not sleep: weak the bones of the lower extremities do not withstand many hours of stress on them while sleeping.

Sleeping bats, sensing danger, spread their wings, unclench their hind claws and fly away without wasting time getting up from a lying or sitting position.

reproduction

How do bats breed and are born? Before hibernation animals open the mating season (?). A few months after mating 1-2 mice appear who are breastfed by their mother for 2 weeks.

cubs bat, are under guardianship mothers 3 weeks, after which they begin an independent life. Ask how long bats live, there is evidence that bats can live up to 30 years.

Exotic next door

Interesting facts about bats, see the video below:

September 21 marks one of the most unusual environmental holidays - International Bat Night. The purpose of the holiday is to draw people's attention to the problem of protecting and popularizing these animals. In Europe, the night of bats has been celebrated for almost 10 years, and in Russia it has been held since 2003.

On the day of the bat holiday, AiF.ru collected some interesting facts about bats.

1. Bats belong to the order of bats. There are over a thousand species of these small winged animals. Among all mammals, only bats are capable of active flight, while flying squirrels do not fly - they glide from a great height.

Photo: www.globallookpress.com

2. Bats lead night image life, and during the day they sleep upside down, falling into a stupor. They settle on trees in forests, as well as in caves and attics of houses. At the same time, mice do not like loneliness and usually live with relatives. Separate colonies of bats can number up to several million animals.

3. Mice usually do not fly as fast as birds, although the Brazilian folded lip can reach speeds of up to 100 km / h.

4. Most bats feed on insects, but some also prey on birds, lizards and frogs. Some species eat fruits.

One small bat can eat up to 600 mosquitoes in an hour. In terms of the weight of a person, such a portion will be equal to 20 pizzas. At the same time, bats are not obese. The metabolism of these creatures is very fast - they can completely digest a portion of bananas, mangoes or berries in 20 minutes.

5. Mice are not blind at all, they see very well, but for orientation in space they use not vision, but ultrasonic echolocation. Mice make sounds that are not audible to the human ear, and catch the echo reflected from objects. They are also able to communicate with each other using a squeak, have their own language and even sing songs at high frequencies.

6. Bats have long been considered mysterious and sinister creatures, as they settle in places that people are afraid of, appear only after dark and disappear at dawn. With wings like those of bats, dragons, demons and demons were often depicted. The gargoyle statues that sit on the facades of Gothic cathedrals have the same wings. And in the novel "Dracula" by Bram Stoker, vampires for the first time began to turn into bats.

7. In fact, bats of the vampire subfamily, which feed on blood, are not found in Europe. They live in Central and South America. Vampire mice drink the blood of large animals and birds, but sometimes they can also attack sleeping people. They cannot fast for more than 2 days. Vampires find their prey using special infrared receptors, and can also hear the breath of the victim.

Photo: www.globallookpress.com

8. Vampire bites are usually painless, thanks to the anesthetics found in mice's saliva. Their saliva also contains enzymes that prevent blood clotting. Therefore, the wound may continue to bleed even after the vampire has already "fed up".

9. Many species of bats have been listed in the Red Book due to human activities. They have become rare due to the destruction of their habitats and deforestation. Not last role superstitions, fears and conjectures play in the disappearance of mice, because of which people seek to get rid of these harmless, in general, animals. In order to protect the mouse population, many countries have signed the International Agreement for the Conservation of Bats.

10. Bats are not dangerous or aggressive. Those animals that live in our country feed on mosquitoes and other insects. If a mouse flew into your window, try not to harm it, carefully catch it and release it into the wild. IN winter time years, it is better to give her to specialists, because she herself may not find shelter and die.

Photo: www.globallookpress.com

11. The weight of the smallest bat - the pig-bearer - is 2 g, and the largest individuals of the golden-crowned fox can weigh up to 1600 g. The wingspan of these mammals is from 15 to 170 cm. The weight of newborn bats is a quarter of the mother's weight.

12. Bats are able to change their own body temperature in the range of almost 50 degrees. When they are not hunting, their metabolism slows down significantly, and warm-blooded animals can freeze to the point of icicles.

13. It is difficult for bats to take off from the ground, so they choose places to rest from where they can rush down. That is why these animals spend most of their leisure time hanging upside down.

Photo: www.globallookpress.com

14. Australian Aborigines and Buddhists consider the bat a sacred animal. In China, these mammals represent good luck and happiness. The words "bat" and "happiness" sound the same in Chinese.

15. Scientists from the University of Queensland found poison in the saliva of bats, which turned out to be a powerful thrombolytic. It can be used to create drugs against high pressure and stroke. The poison is absolutely harmless to humans and has a similar effect to cryotherapy.

16. Bats help farmers get rid of harmful insects. Last year, US researchers estimated that these animals save US farmers about $3.7 billion a year. In addition, bats pollinate many plant species. Bats are sometimes even called the "keepers of tequila", because bats distribute agave seeds, on the basis of which the traditional Mexican alcoholic drink is made.

A bat is an animal that belongs to the class of mammals, order bats, suborder bats (lat. Microchiroptera).

Bats got their name not because they are relatives of micebelonging to the order of rodents, but most likely due to their small size and the sounds they make, similar to a mouse squeak.

Bat - description, structure. What does a bat look like?

Bats are the only mammals on Earth that can fly. Often this entire detachment is mistakenly called bats, but in fact it is not. The order of bats includes the family of fruit bats (lat. Pteropodidae), which does not belong to the suborder of bats (lat. Microchiroptera). Fruit bats, often called flying dogs, flying foxes, fruit bats, differ from bats in their structure, habits and abilities.

Bats are small mammals. The smallest representative of the suborder is the pig-nosed bat (lat. Craseonycteris thonglongyai). Its weight is 1.7-2.0 g, body length varies from 2.9 to 3.3 cm, and the wingspan reaches 16 cm. This is one of the smallest animals in the world. One of the largest bats is the giant false vampire (lat. Vampyrum spectrum), which has a wingspan of up to 70-75 cm, a wing width of 15-16 cm and a weight of 150-200 g.

The structure of the skull in different species of bats is different, as well as the structure and number of teeth. Both depend on the nutrition of the species. For example, in a nectar-eating tailless long-tongued leaf-bearer (lat. Glossophaga soricina) the front of the skull is elongated to accommodate its long tongue, with which it gets food. Bats, like other mammals, have a heterodont dentition that includes incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. Individuals that eat insects with thick chitinous coatings have larger teeth and longer fangs than those that eat soft-shelled insects. Small insectivorous bats can have up to 38 small teeth, while vampires have only 20. Vampires do not require many teeth, since they do not need to chew food, but their fangs, designed to make a bleeding wound on the victim's body, are razor-sharp. In fruit-eating bats, the upper and lower cheek teeth resemble mortars and pestles in which fruits are crushed.

Many bats have large ears, such as the brown earflap (lat. Plecotus auritus), and bizarre nasal outgrowths, like those of horseshoe bats. These features affect the echolocation abilities of the bat.

In the course of evolution, the forelimbs of bats were transformed into wings. The humerus shortened, and the fingers lengthened, they serve as the frame of the wing. The first finger with a claw is free. With its help, animals move in a shelter and manipulate food. In some species, for example, in smoky bats (lat. Furipteridae), the first finger is non-functional. The second, third and fourth fingers strengthen the part of the wing between the first and fifth and form the interdigital membrane, or apex of the wing. The fifth finger is extended to the entire width of the wing. The humerus and shorter radius support the trunk membrane, or base of the wing, which acts as a load-bearing surface. The speed of a bat depends on the shape of its wings. They can be highly elongated or slightly elongated. By the shape of the wing, one can judge the lifestyle of a bat. Wings with a small aspect ratio do not allow to develop high speed, but make it possible to maneuver well among tree crowns. Highly elongated wings are designed for high-speed flight in open space.

Bats of small and medium size fly at a speed of 11 to 54 km/h while searching for prey. The fastest flying animal is the Brazilian folded lip (lat. Tadarida brasiliensis) from the genus of bulldog bats, which is capable of speeds up to 160 km / h.

Taken from: www.steveparish-natureconnect.com.au

The hind limbs of bats, unlike other mammals, are turned to the sides with the knee joints back. Animals hang on them in shelters with the help of well-developed claws.

Some species are able to move on all four limbs. For example, an ordinary vampire (lat. Desmodus rotundus) during the hunt, landing on the body of the victim or next to it, he approaches on foot to the place where he bites.

Bats have tails of various lengths:

• partially enclosed in the interfemoral membrane, with a free tip located on top of it, like in sac-wings (lat. Emballonuridae);
• completely enclosed in the interfemoral membrane, like in myotis (lat. Myotis);
• protruding beyond the interfemoral membrane, as in folded lips (lat. Molossidae);
• long free tail, like a mousetail (lat.Rhinopoma).

The body, and sometimes the limbs of mammals are covered with hair. The coat of a bat can be even or shaggy, short or not very, sparse or thick.

The color of bats is dominated by gray, brown, black tones. Some animals are lighter in color - in fawn, whitish, yellowish shades. Occasionally there are also bright specimens. For example, in the Mexican fish-eating bat (lat. Noctilio leporinus) fur is yellow or orange.

Taken from: www.mammalwatching.com

There are bats white color with yellow ears and nose - these are Honduran white bats (lat. Ectophylla alba).

Taken from faculty.washington.edu

In nature, there are bats with a body that is not covered with hair. Two species of naked-skinned bats are known from South-East Asia and the Philippines (lat. Cheiromeles torquatus And Cheiromeles parvidens) they are almost completely devoid of wool, only sparse hairs remain.

Bats have unique hearing. It is the leading sense organ in these animals. For example, false horseshoe bats (lat. Hipposideridae) catch the rustle of insects swarming in the grass or under a layer of leaves. On the ears of many bats there is a tragus - a narrow skin-cartilaginous outgrowth that rises from the base of the ear. It serves to amplify and better perceive the sound.

Taken from: blogs.crikey.com.au

Vision in bats is poorly developed. color vision no at all. But still, bats are not blind, and some even see quite well. For example, the California leaf-bearer (lat. Macrotus californicus) sometimes, with appropriate lighting, looking for prey with the help of the eyes.

Bats have not lost their sense of smell. According to the smell of the female Brazilian folded lip (lat. Tadarida brasiliensis) find their young. Some bats distinguish members of their colony from strangers. Big night bats (lat. Myotis myotis) and New Zealand bats (lat. Mystacina tuberculata) smell prey under a layer of foliage. New World leaf-bearers (lat. Phyllostomidae) find the fruits of nightshade plants by smell.

How do bats navigate in the dark?

The main means of orienting bats in space (for example, in dark caves) is echolocation. Animals emit ultrasonic signals that bounce off objects and echo back. Sounds originating in the throat, the animal makes through the mouth or directs them to the nose, radiating through the nostrils. In such individuals, the nostrils are surrounded by bizarre outgrowths that form and focus sound.

People only hear how bats squeak, because the ultrasonic range in which these animals transmit echolocation signals is inaccessible to the human ear. Unlike humans, a bat analyzes the signal reflected from an object and determines its location and size. The mouse "echo sounder" is so accurate that it captures objects with a diameter of 0.1 mm. In addition, winged mammals clearly distinguish between all kinds of objects: for example, different types of trees. Bats hunt using echolocation. By reflected ultrasonic waves, winged hunters in complete darkness not only find the prey, but also determine its size and speed. During the search for prey, the frequency of sounds reaches 10 oscillations per second, increasing to 200-250 just before the attack. In addition, the bat can squeak when inhaling, exhaling, and even while chewing food. Before the discovery of ultrasound, these mammals were thought to have extrasensory perception.

Representatives of the suborder are able to make both low-frequency and high-frequency sounds, and at the same time. The animal screams and listens at a speed incomprehensible to humans. Some bats, hunting nocturnal insects, emit up to 250 calls per second when approaching them. Some potential prey (butterflies, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets) have developed the ability to hear the bat's squeak in advance and respond to it with a feint or fall to the ground.

By the way, echolocation is developed not only in bats, but also in dolphins, whales, seals, shrews, scoop butterflies, and also in some birds.

Where do bats live?

Bats are widely distributed throughout the world, with the exception of 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 daylight hours, they hide in shelters, which can be located in the most different places underground and above ground. These can be caves, rock crevices, quarries, adits, various buildings built by man. Many varieties of bats live on trees: in hollows, bark crevices, in branches, in foliage. Some mice take refuge in original shelters, such as under bird nests, in bamboo stalks, and even in cobwebs. American suckers (lat. Thyroptera) roost in young rolled banana leaves that unfold after the animals leave their homes. Leaf-bearers-builders (lat. Uroderma Peters), biting the leaves of palm trees and other plants along certain lines, they get a semblance of an awning from them.

Some species of bats prefer to live alone or in small groups, such as the lesser horseshoe bat (lat. Rhinolophus hipposideros), but they mostly stay in colonies. For example, females of the great bat (lat. Myotis myotis) gather in colonies from several tens to several thousand individuals. The record for the number of members is one of the colonies of the Brazilian folded lips (lat. Tadarida brasiliensis), numbering up to 20 million individuals.

How do bats hibernate?

Bats that live in cold and temperate latitudes hibernate during the cold season, which can last up to 8 months. Some species carry out seasonal migrations over distances of up to 1000 km, such as the red hairtail (lat. Lasiurus borealis).

Why do bats sleep upside down?

Bats stand out among mammals not only because they can fly, but also because they can rest: during daytime rest or hibernation, bats hang upside down on their hind legs. This position allows the animals to instantly fly straight from their starting position, simply falling down: less energy is spent this way, and time is saved in case of danger. Suspended upside down, bats cling to wall ledges, tree branches, etc. with their claws. Being in this position, the animals do not get tired, because the tendon mechanism of closing the claws of their hind limbs is designed in such a way that it does not require the expenditure of muscle energy. Some species, settling down to rest, are wrapped in wings. Species such as large bats cluster in dense heaps, and small horseshoe bats always hang on the ceiling or vaults of the cave at some distance from each other.

What do bats eat?

Most bats are insectivorous. Some catch insects on the fly, others pick up bugs sitting on the foliage. Among tropical species, there are those that feed exclusively on fruits, pollen and plant nectar. But there are also varieties that eat both fruits and insects. For example, the New Zealand bat (lat. Mystacina tuberculata) feeds on various invertebrates: insects, earthworms, centipedes and spidersbut, at the same time, consumes fruits, nectar and pollen. The diet of fish-eating bats (lat. Noctilio) consists of fish and other aquatic inhabitants. Panamanian large leaf-bearer (lat. Phyllostomus hastatus) eats small birds and mammals. There are also species that feed exclusively on the blood of wild and domestic animals, some birds, and sometimes humans. These are vampire bats, among which 3 species stand out: terry-legged (lat. Diphylla ecaudata), white-winged (lat. Diaemus youngi) and ordinary (lat. Desmodus rotundus) vampires. In other places the globe other types of vampires live, but they don’t drink blood.

Types of bats, photos and names

Below is short description several types of bats.

• White leaf-bearing(lat. Ectophylla alba)

A tailless species that belongs to the genus of white leaf-bearers. These are small animals with a body length of 3.7-4.7 cm and a weight of no more than 7 grams. Leaf-nosed females are smaller than males. The body color of the animal corresponds to its name: the boiling-white back passes into the sacrum of a grayish tint, the lower abdomen also has a gray color. The nose and ears of the animal have a yellow tone, and the eyes are underlined by a gray frame around them. White leaf-bearers live in South and Central America, namely in countries such as Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama. Animals prefer moist evergreen forests, climbing no higher than seven hundred meters above sea level. Usually these white bats live alone or live in small groups of no more than 6 individuals. Animals feed at night. The diet of these bats includes fruits and some types of ficus.

• Giant evening party(lat. Nyctalus lasiopterus)

This is the largest variety of bats in Russia and European countries. The length of the body of the animal varies from 8.4 to 10.4 cm, and the weight of the bat is 41 - 76 g. The wingspan of the animal reaches 41-46 cm. The giant evening has a brownish or fawn-red back color and a lighter abdomen. Darker coloring prevails on the head behind the ears. The bat lives in forests, and its range extends from France to the Volga region and the Caucasus. Probably, the species is also found in the countries of the Middle East. Often the animal inhabits the hollows of trees together with other representatives of the suborder, less often forms its own colonies. The wintering places of this species are unknown; apparently, the animals make long-distance seasonal flights. In nature, the bat feeds on fairly large insects (butterflies, beetles), as well as small passerine birds, which it catches in the air for quite a long time. high altitudes. This bat is listed in the Red Book.

• Pig-nosed bat (lat.Craseonycteris thonglongyai)

This is the smallest bat in the world, which, due to its modest size, is called the bumblebee mouse. The body length of the animal is 2.9-3.3 cm, and the weight does not exceed 2 grams. The ears of the mammal are quite large, with a large tragus. The nose looks like a pig's snout. The color of the animal is usually grayish or dark brown with a slight shade of red, the animal's abdomen is lighter. Pig-nosed bats are endemic to southwestern Thailand and nearby Myanmar. Animals hunt in groups of up to five individuals at night. They fly over bamboo and teak trees in search of insects that sit on the leaves of trees, and when they find food, they hover over prey right in the air due to their small size and wing structure. The number of pig-nosed bats in the world is extremely low. These animals are among the ten most rare species on Earth and are listed in the International Red Book.

Taken from: www.thewildlifediaries.com

• Two-color leather (two-color bat) (lat.Vespertilio murinus)

It has a body length of up to 6.4 cm and a wingspan of 27 to 33 cm. A bat weighs from 12 to 23 grams. The animal got its name because of the color of the fur, which combines two colors. The back is colored in shades from red to dark brown, and the belly is white or gray. The ears, wings, and face of the animal are black or dark brown. Brown color. These bats live on the territory of Eurasia - from England and France to the Pacific coast. Northern border of the range: Norway, central Russia, Southern Siberia; southern border: southern Italy, Iran, Himalayas, Northeast China. The habitat of the two-colored kozhan is mountains, steppes and woodlands. In Western European countries, these bats are often found in major cities. Two-color leathers do not mind being close to other types of bats, with which they share common shelters: attics, cornices, tree hollows, rock cracks. Animals prey on mosquitoes, caddisflies, moths and other small insects throughout the night. The species is endangered and protected in many countries.

Taken from: www.aku-bochum.de

• Greater harelip (fish-eating bat)(lat.Noctilio leporinus )

It has a body length of 6.5-13.2 cm and a weight of 60 to 78 g. The coloration of males and females varies: the former have a reddish or bright red body, the latter are painted in dull grayish-brownish shades. A light stripe runs from the back of the head to the end of the back of the animal. These bats are found from the south of Mexico to the northern part of Argentina, they are found in the Antilles, the southern Bahamas and the island of Trinidad. Chiroptera settle near the water in caves, rock crevices, and also climb into hollows and tree crowns. Large harelips feed on large insects and aquatic inhabitants of fresh water bodies: fish, frogs and crustaceans. Sometimes they hunt during the day.

Taken from: reddit.com

Taken from: mammalart.wordpress.com

• Water bat (Dobanton's bat)(lat.Myotis daubentonii)

It got its name in honor of the French naturalist Louis Jean-Marie Daubanton. This small animal has a body length of no more than 4.5 - 5.5 cm and weighs from 7 to 15 g. The wingspan is 24 - 27.5 cm. The color of the fur is inconspicuous: dark, brownish. The top is darker than the bottom. The habitat of the animal extends from Great Britain and France to Sakhalin, Kamchatka and the Ussuri Territory. The northern border runs near 60°N, the southern border runs from southern Italy, along the south of Ukraine, the lower Volga, through northern Kazakhstan, Altai, northern Mongolia, to Primorsky Krai. The life of a bat is connected with water bodies, although animals are found far from them. During the day, they can climb into a hollow or attic, and with the onset of night they begin to hunt. These bats fly slowly, often fluttering over the surface of water bodies, and catch medium-sized insects, mainly mosquitoes. If there is no reservoir nearby, then the water bats hunt among the trees. By destroying blood-sucking insects, water bats contribute to the fight against malaria and tularemia.

• Brown earflap ( he is ordinary earflap)(lat. Plecotus auritus)

It has a body length of 4-5 cm and a weight of 6-12 g. The most characteristic feature of the earflap is its huge ears. The body is covered with uneven dull fur. Ushan habitats cover almost all of Eurasia, including Portugal in the western part of the range and up to the Kamchatka Peninsula in the eastern part. Also, brown earflaps are found in northern Africa, in Iran and central China. The lifestyle of bats is sedentary. These winged animals overwinter not far from their places of stay in the summer, inhabiting caves, various cellars, well log cabins and hollows of powerful trees, sometimes meeting in the attics of houses that were insulated for the winter. The big-eared bat flies out to hunt in complete darkness and hunts until the moment the sun rises.

• Bat-dwarf ( he is small or small-headed bat) (lat. Pipistrelluspipistrellus)

Quite a numerous species belonging to the genus of the inexperienced, the family of smooth-nosed bats. This is the smallest species of bats in Europe. The body of the dwarf bat resembles the body of a mouse, its length is 38-45 mm, and the length of the tail is 28-33 mm. The mass of a dwarf bat is usually 3-6 g. The wingspan of this small bat reaches 19-22 cm. The body is covered with short, even hair, which is brown in the European form of the animal, and pale grayish-yellow in the Asian. The lower part of the body has a lighter color. The dwarf bat is widespread in Eurasia: from west to east from Spain to Western China, and from north to south from southern Norway to Asia Minor and Iran. This species of bats, in addition to Eurasia, is found in North Africa. Settles in places associated with human habitation, does not occur in the depths of forests and steppes, avoids caves, sometimes settles in hollows of trees. In winter, bats make seasonal migrations. Adult males in spring-summer period are extremely rare, as they keep alone or gather in small groups separately from females and juveniles. Bats hunt after sunset. They fly low, in the lower part of tree crowns. The food of this tiny mouse is made up of small insects. The dwarf bat is one of the most useful bats in the Eurasian fauna.

• Great horseshoe (lat. Rhinolophus ferrumequinum)

The dimensions of the animal are 5.2-7.1 cm, the wingspan reaches 35-40 cm, and the mass of the bat is 13-34 g. The color of the back varies depending on the habitat from dark chocolate to pale smoky fawn. The belly of the animal is whitish with a gray tint, lighter than the color of the back. Young animals have a monochromatic grayish color. The species is distributed in northern Africa (Morocco, Algeria), in Eurasia, the habitat of the horseshoe bat extends from Great Britain and Portugal through the mountainous regions of Central Europe, covers the Balkans, the countries of Asia Minor and Western Asia, the Caucasus, the Himalayas, Tibet, and ends in the south of China, Korean peninsula and Japan. On the territory of Russia, this bat is found in the Crimea and the North Caucasus, covering the range from Krasnodar Territory to Dagestan. The habitual places of settlement of the horseshoe bat are mountain crevices, grottoes, cellars and ruins, as well as caves. IN Central Asia these animals live under the domes of tombs and mosques. Bats live relatively sedentary, making local seasonal migrations. They hibernate in damp caves and dungeons. They hunt low above the ground for moths and small beetles. The large horseshoe bat is listed in the Red Book of Russia.

• Ordinary Vampire ( he is big bloodsucker, or desmode) (lat.Desmodus rotundus )

most numerous and known species real vampires. Largely due to this genus, bats have their bad reputation. An ordinary vampire really feeds on blood, including drinking human blood. This is a small animal: the length of the bat is 8 cm, the weight is 50 g, the wingspan is 20 cm. Bloodsucking vampires live in large colonies. During the day they sleep in the hollows of old trees and caves. An ordinary vampire flies out to hunt late at night, when his future victims are immersed in a deep sleep. He attacks large ungulates such as cows, horses, pigs. It can also bite a person sleeping on open area or in a house with open and unscreened windows. With the help of hearing and smell, vampire bats find a sleeping victim, sit on it or next to it, crawl to the place where the vessels come close to the surface of the skin, bite through it and lick the blood flowing from the wound. A special secret contained in the saliva, which the vampire wets the victim's skin, makes the bite painless and affects blood clotting. As a result, the victim may die from blood loss, as the blood flows out for a long time without clotting. But not only this dangerous ordinary vampire. With its bite, the virus of rabies, plague and other diseases can be transmitted. Vampires also suffer from rabies. The spread of disease within the species is due, among other things, to the propensity of vampires to share regurgitated blood with hungry kin, a habit extremely rare among animals. Vampire bats live only in the tropics and subtropics of Central and South America. There are other kinds of vampires in other parts of the world, but they don't feed on blood. Thanks to these three types of bats, a negative attitude towards bats, which are not only harmless, but also useful animals, has taken root.

How do bats reproduce?

Most bats, common in tropical latitudes, breed 2 times a year. Inhabitants of temperate latitudes - 1 time per year. The mating season in bats of temperate latitudes begins in autumn. Spermatozoa in the genital tract of mated females persist throughout the winter, and fertilization occurs in the spring. Bat Pregnancy Can Last different time and depends on the ambient temperature: in heat, the embryo develops faster. Some species, such as the common earflap (lat. Plecotus auritus), most often give birth to 1 cub each, shirokoushki (lat. Barbastella), leather (lat. Eptesicus), bats (lat. Myotis), etc. - 2 cubs each, and hairy tails (lat. Lasiurus) have 3 newborns in the litter .

The development of the young is very fast. By the end of the first week, the bat cub doubles in size, and the body, naked at birth, is covered with short hairs. Newborns first feed on their mother's milk, and after about a month they already hunt near their homes.

How long do bats live?

The life expectancy of bats in nature, according to various sources, varies from 4 to 20 years. The maximum fixed term is 33 years.

Bat enemies.

Among animals and birds, bats do not have very many enemies, besides, bats become their victims infrequently and rather by accident. Early departing species of bats, such as evening bats (lat. Nyctalus) and bats (lat. Pipistrellus), are attacked by diurnal birds of prey: peregrine falcons, hobby birds, hawks. Night owls, owls, snakes also will not refuse to grab a bat. Random enemies also include animals such as weasel, polecat, marten.

And yet the main enemy of bats is man and his activities. The populations of various bat species are declining significantly due to the use of chemicals in livestock and crop production. Flying animals that live in forests are deprived of shelter and food as a result of cutting down trees. Currently, many species of bats are protected and listed in the international Red Book.

Bat bite

Bats, excluding vampires, are not aggressive animals and will not attack a person themselves and will not bite. If the animal is taken in hand, it can only bite out of fear, defending itself. In this case, the wound must be treated with an antiseptic and consult a doctor, as with any bite of a wild animal.

Why are bats dangerous?

People have long had a negative attitude towards bats. Regarding them, there is a large number of myths and prejudices. In particular, numerous stories about bats that get tangled in their hair are unrealistic, because the most advanced animal echolocation system excludes this. In fact, several species of bats are dangerous to humans, as they can carry the rabies virus and other dangerous diseases. These are blood-sucking bats that live in South and Central America. It is believed that some species living in Africa also carry viruses and even the deadly Ebola virus. But this has not been proven by science.

The benefits of bats

Bats are useful animals. They in huge quantities destroy various insects - carriers of diseases and agricultural pests:

• Bats exterminate not only mosquitoes that spread malaria, but also their wintering grounds, which is especially important, since the destruction of a dozen wintering mosquitoes has a greater effect than the destruction of thousands of flying ones.
• These animals eat mosquitoes, carriers of leishmaniasis, a disease common in tropical and subtropical countries.
• Flocks of bats sometimes accompany nomadic domestic animals, relieving them of blood-sucking insects.
• Mosquitoes and mosquitoes are preyed upon by small bats. Larger animals eat butterflies and beetles, pests of crops and plantings: the cotton bollworm, the most dangerous crop pest in the United States; odoriferous woodworm - a pest of orchards; military silkworm and other silkworms, cleanly nibbling trees; silver holes, whose caterpillars destroy the leaves of barren trees; brushes and many others.

In addition, bats contribute to the pollination of plants. Taking out insects that have clogged in flowers, animals carry adhering pollen. They also distribute the seeds of many economically important plants and fruit trees.

Bat droppings (which is called guano), the deposits of which are formed in the places of their settlements, are used as fertilizer. It contains a lot of nitrogen and phosphorus and gives a significant effect on the cultivation of valuable crops.

Bats have great importance for science. They are the subject of a number of important experimental studies.

How to get rid of bats?

Sometimes bats settle next to a person: they can be found in the country house, under the roof of the house or in the garage. They seem to have identified themselves as pets. Bringing undoubted benefits in the fight against insects and protecting crops and plantings from pests, bats can cause some disturbance to their owners. For example, the noise they make at night can interfere with sleep. Vapors from their waste can harm human health. If it becomes necessary to get rid of bats, this must be done carefully so as not to harm unexpected neighbors.

• You need to find a place where bats rest during the day, and after waiting for them to fly out to hunt, close the entrance mounting foam or boards.
• You can try to literally "smoke" them with smoke or pouring water.
• There are also various sprays or naphthalene that can be used to treat the shelter of bats in their absence.
• Ultrasonic repellers are also effective remedy in the fight against bats.
• Summer residents can make special buildings for flying animals to move them there.
• Finally, you can turn to the help of special teams that know exactly how to evict unwanted guests.

• Bats always fly out of cover to the left.
• One small bat can eat up to 600 mosquitoes in an hour, which is equal to 20 pizzas in terms of the weight of a person.
• During the Second World War, a project was being developed in which Brazilian folded lips were tried to be used as arsonists, attaching firebombs to them and throwing them over enemy territory so that they penetrate houses.
• Substances contained in the saliva of vampire bats have been used to create drugs that prevent the formation of blood clots, that is, to combat stroke.
• In European culture, bats act as representatives dark forces, while in Chinese, on the contrary, they are perceived positively and are a symbol of happiness.

Bats represent the "bats" order, although fruit bats are not included in this order. For many decades it was believed that bats represent a separate suborder, but after conducting a series of studies at the molecular level, it was found that this is a combined group.

These animals appeared on our planet several tens of millions of years ago, while scientists found the skeletons of bats from the Eocene period. Based on the findings, it was established that these ancient relatives of modern bats did not have significant differences. Although scientists still cannot understand why these living creatures learned to fly.

Appearance

Bats, regardless of their variety, are united common features, although there are some differences that are related to sizes and other external data. On the body of bats, wool grows, which is lighter in color in the abdomen. The wingspan, depending on the species, can reach almost 2 meters, while the shape of the wings can be different, but the structure is almost identical. The wings of these animals are formed from leathery membranes and muscles, as well as elastic veins. At rest, the wings of the animal fit snugly to the body.

An interesting moment! The flight of bats is unthinkable without the synchronous work of the hind limbs.

Bats have well-developed forelimbs, which consist of strong, short upper arms and long forearms, which are formed by a single radius. The thumb of the forelimb is armed with a hooked claw, while other rather long fingers serve as support for the wing membranes and are located laterally.

The length of the tail, as well as the shape of the body, depends on the species. Due to the presence of a special bony outgrowth called a "spur", many species turn their wings towards the tail without any problems.

All bats, regardless of variety, prefer to be nocturnal. During the day, they rest, hanging head down in their shelters, in the form of caves or various wooden buildings.

Bats are able to fall into a state of suspended animation, which is characterized by a slowdown in the speed of vital processes. As a result of this, the intensity of breathing slows down in animals, and the heart rate also slows down. This allows the animals to be in a state of torpor for a long period of time. As a rule, this is characteristic of the cold seasons. Being in this state, animals can easily do without food.

Interesting fact! Usually these animals fly at a speed of no more than 15 km / h, but during the hunt, bats are able to accelerate to almost 60 km / h.

Regardless of habitat conditions, bats have a similar lifestyle and habits. Bats do not nest and live in numerous colonies, although there are species that prefer to live apart. When these animals are resting, they take care of their body very carefully, and especially their wings. While at rest, many species become completely helpless, while some species move perfectly with the help of tenacious paws.

Compared to other mammals, bats have an impressive lifespan. For example, the brown bat is known to be able to live for several decades.

Types of bats with a photo

There are many species of "bats", while their differences lie in the different structure of the skeleton and the number of teeth. The main varieties of bats include:

Tailless or Honduran white bat

It is considered the smallest species, with a body length of not more than 5 centimeters. The habitat of this animal extends to Honduras, as well as to the countries of Central America. The basis of the diet is fruits. These animals can be found in groups of 5-6 individuals.

Craseonycteris thonglongyai)

The length of this animal without a tail is about 3 and a half cm, with a weight of about 20 grams. The animal got its name due to the peculiarity of the shape of its nose, which resembles a pig's snout. The habitat of such bats extends to the territory of Thailand and neighboring countries. Here they settle in limestone caves, and feed in thickets of bamboo and teak.

Evening bat (Nyctalus noctula)

On the contrary, it is a larger representative of its kind. Includes 13 subspecies. Individuals grow up to half a meter in size. They fly out in search of food at dusk, as well as before dawn. The animal feeds on butterflies, beetles, and some birds. This species is found in North America and also in some European countries. The main habitats are associated with dense green spaces.

The variety differs in that they have an elongated muzzle. The animals grow up to almost 0.4 meters with a wingspan of almost 0.7 meters and a weight of almost 1 kilogram. Found in the tropics. The basis of the diet is fruits, as well as flower nectar.

Smooth-nosed bat (Vespertilionidae)

This variety includes up to 3 hundred subspecies. The family differs in that it has a smooth muzzle, without the presence of growths in the form of cartilage. About 40 subspecies inhabit the territory of our country. With the onset of winter cold, they fall into a state of suspended animation.

Earflaps (Plecotus)

characteristic feature species, the presence of large locator ears, as well as the shape of the wings, is considered. These animals have short, but wide wings, and their body length is within 6 centimeters. Earflaps feed on various nocturnal insects, in the form of butterflies, mosquitoes, beetles, etc.

Bulldog bat (Molossidae)

This variety is distinguished by the presence of relatively long, but narrow and pointed wings. This allows the animal to move its wings more frequently in flight. Grow in length no more than 15 centimeters. The habitat is associated with the tropics, where they sometimes form numerous colonies.

Vampire bats may be of particular interest because they are not so harmless animals. These bats are dangerous not only for various animals, but also for people. The bite of this animal may not be harmless at all, since they are carriers of dangerous, and sometimes fatal diseases.

natural habitats

The habitat of representatives of the order "bats" includes the habitat of various varieties of bats. Many of the species have their own characteristic territories where they nest and forage for themselves, while many members of the order "bats" move along the same path as bats.

Bats have a relatively high rate of vital processes, which is impossible without an appropriate amount of food. Adults in one night eat so many food objects that their weight is 1/3 of the weight of the animal itself. If we take into account the size of the colony, then during the summer period several hundred bats destroy more than half a million different insects, including pests of agriculture and forestry. Especially numerous colonies destroy more than tens of millions of pests during the summer period.

Important point! Since bats have thin but wide wings, they quickly lose moisture. If they do not have free access to water, then this sometimes causes the death of these useful animals.

Species that prefer to live in the tropics have a long enough tongue, which makes it possible for animals to feed on pollen, as well as nectar. This, in turn, ensures the distribution of most of the wild plants of the tropics. At the same time, there are also predatory varieties of such animals. characteristic feature similar types is the presence of large and sufficiently sharp teeth. Their diet consists of rodents and small birds.

Bats have a lot natural enemies, in the form of birds of prey, predatory animals and reptiles. And yet, it is believed that their main enemy is a person who uses toxic drugs in crop production, which leads to a noticeable reduction in the number of these useful living creatures.

Reproduction and offspring

Features of the process of reproduction of these mammals depends on the species, as well as natural places a habitat.

For example:

• In smooth-nosed bats, no more than 4 cubs are born every year.
• Ushans reproduce no more than 2 cubs.
• "Flying Fox" reproduces offspring in the amount of 1 cub.

Important point! Only the bulldog bat brings offspring about three times every year, while only 1 baby is born at a time.

Most of the species, as well as subspecies, do not differ in high rates of reproduction, since the female gives birth to only one cub in one year.

Population and species status

Some of the species of bats in modern times are classified as rare animals, and some of them are already considered extinct, such as the common long-winged. Species such as the pointed-eared night lamp and the two-color cauldron are listed in the Red Book.

At the same time, it should be noted that in recent years the trend has changed in better side. Bat populations, although slowly, are increasing. This is due to the fact that recently they began to use chemicals more reasonably, including for the purpose of saving.

Finally

Nevertheless, it should be noted that bats have a characteristic, unpleasant, repulsive appearance, which gave rise to many legends and tales about these animals. There is an opinion that they have no vision, and why should they, if they use echolocation. As for vision, this is a complete misconception, since many species have better vision than humans. It would seem, why does a bat need vision? Yes, at least in order to distinguish what time of day to fly out to hunt. In addition, their sonar operates no more than 50 meters. Therefore, in certain conditions, it is better for them to navigate with the help of their eyes, since they are much "long-range". Recently, scientists have discovered that some species respond to the polarization of sunlight. This factor allows animals to easily navigate in space, as a result of calculating the angles of incidence and angles of reflection. It turns out that they have their own kind of compass: not magnetic, but light.

Bats (lat. Microshirortera) - a name that generalizes all representatives of the order of bats, except for fruit bats. For a long time, bats were considered only as a suborder, but karyological and molecular genetic data have proven that the group is a team.

Description of the bat

Bats live on our planet for several tens of millions of years, and the finds of the skeleton of such an animal date back to the Eocene period. According to scientists, the most ancient creatures practically did not differ from modern individuals, but the appearance of their ability to fly has not yet found a scientific explanation.

Appearance

Despite the obvious differences between representatives of different types of bats in size and external characteristics, there are a lot of features that unite them. The body of bats is covered with fur, which has lighter shades in the abdomen. The wingspan of such an animal varies between 15-200 cm. The shape of the wings can be very different, including fluctuations in length and width, but their structure is always of the same type. The wings of an animal with leathery membranes are equipped with muscles and elastic veins, due to which, at rest, they are tightly pressed against the body.

This is interesting! Bats fly using membranous wings that move in sync with their hind limbs.

The forelimbs of bats are fairly well developed, including strong, short upper arms and very long forearms formed by a single radius. On thumb a hooked claw is located on the forelimb, and the membranes of the wings, which are located on the sides, are supported by other rather long fingers.

The average length of the tail, and the shape of the body directly depend on the species of the individual. The presence of a so-called bony outgrowth called a "spur" allows many species to unfold their wings quite easily all the way to the tail.

Lifestyle and behavior

Almost all bats, along with other bats, prefer a nocturnal lifestyle, so during the daytime they sleep, hanging head down or hiding in cracks in rocks, trees and buildings. Sufficient cavities inside trees, caves and grottoes, as well as various artificial aboveground and underground structures can be considered as a refuge for representatives of the class Mammals and the order Chiroptera.

The bat is able to fall into a state of torpor, which is accompanied by a decrease in the rate of metabolic processes, a slowdown in the intensity of breathing and a decrease in heart rate. Very many representatives of the species fall into a long period of seasonal hibernation, sometimes lasting eight months. The ability to easily carry out independent regulation of the metabolic rate in the body allows insectivorous bats to go without food for a long time.

This is interesting! In the process of normal movement, adult bats can easily reach speeds of 15 km / h, but in the process of hunting, the animal accelerates to 60 km / h.

Representatives of many species live in various natural conditions, but the habits of bats are remarkably similar. Such animals do not build nests, but a solitary lifestyle is characteristic of only a few species. In the process of rest, bats try to carefully care for their appearance, therefore, carefully clean out the wings, abdomen and chest. Indicators of mobility outside the summer period depend on species characteristics, therefore, some representatives are characterized by some helplessness, and many bats can climb well and move quite actively with the help of tenacious paws.

How long do bats live

Bats of any kind are able to live long enough compared to many other mammals. For example, the average officially recorded lifespan of a brown bat today is thirty years or more.

Varieties of bats

There are a great many species of bats, and varieties of bats are characterized by a different structure of the skull and the number of teeth:

• tailless or- one of the smallest animals in size up to 45 mm long. The sonar animal lives in Honduras and countries in Central America. Eats fruits. Individuals are combined into families, most often consisting of five and six heads;
• Pig-nosed bats- animals with a tailless body length of up to 33 mm and a mass of 2.0 g. The nose resembles a pig's stigma in appearance. They live mainly in Thailand and neighboring countries where they settle in limestone caves. Animals feed in bamboo and teak thickets;
• Party Bat- a representative of one of the largest families in the form of thirteen subspecies. The animal has become widespread in North Africa and in European countries, where it settles in deciduous dense plantings. The length of a large bat is half a meter. Hunts at dusk and before dawn for butterflies, beetles and some birds;
• Bat dog and fox or "fruit mouse"- a whole species of bat mice with an elongated muzzle. The length of a large adult animal is 40-42 cm with a weight of up to a kilogram and a wingspan of up to 70 cm. A harmless animal feeds on fruit pulp and flower nectar. Inhabits the countries of tropical Asia;
• smooth-nosed bats- a family represented by three hundred varieties that are distinguished by a smooth muzzle without cartilaginous growths. A little less than forty varieties live in our country, which hibernate with the onset of winter;
• Ushany- bats with large locator ears, short and wide wings. Body length does not exceed 50-60 mm. The diet is represented by butterflies, mosquitoes, beetles and other nocturnal insects;
• bulldog bat- the animal has special narrow, rather long and pointed wings, which allows it to perform high swings during the flight. The length of the body is only 4-14 cm. They live in tropical zones, where they unite in colonies with a different number of individuals.

Range, habitats

The range and habitats of bats almost completely coincide with the distribution range of all representatives of the bat order. Most bats have their own special territories used for hunting and foraging, so representatives of the order of bats very often fly along the same route.