Bat. What does a bat eat? Types and diet of bats Who flies higher than a bat

Nature knows how to surprise. Some of her creations are so unique and mysterious that you are simply amazed. For example, bats. Who doesn't remember the chilling story or movie about Count Dracula? Who in childhood did not hear horror stories about vampire mice that would fly in at night and drink your blood? Why children, many adults are full of fears and superstitions when it comes to these twilight-night hunters. Of course, all this is nonsense. Bat will not drink human blood (although there are indeed vampires among them). On the contrary, for farmers and gardeners who are not burdened by groundless fears, this animal is a welcome guest, because the benefits of its activities on agricultural land are simply enormous.

Bat habitat

The creature with webbed wings is the only flying mammal on the planet. This fact alone makes it unique and inimitable. It’s easy to meet him in ordinary life, like a dove or sparrow, it’s unlikely to work. Although it is believed that the bat is distributed almost throughout the entire globe, with the exception of the Arctic Circle, the tundra and very distant islands in the Pacific Ocean. But on some other islands it is the only representative of the order of mammals. And all because others simply cannot reach such long distances, and mice can cover vast spaces above the water surface without landing.

Most Populations bats lives in the tropics, in the Amazon and Congo basins. There the number of their varieties reaches several hundred, and total the most numerous on the planet. But in the taiga northern zones species diversity represented by only two or three families. In the vast Russian territories there are about 40 species of bats. The middle zone is inhabited by approximately 50-100 individuals per 1 km2, but in Central Asia this figure has already increased to 1000.

The House of the Bat - what is it like?

Considering that the bat animal leads active life at dusk or night darkness, it is logical to assume that during the day he needs to hide from prying eyes and sunlight. The home that a winged creature chooses for itself depends on the structure of its limbs and overall size animal For the secluded have a relaxing holiday the mouse looks for natural shelters: the depths of caves, rock crevices, depressions in the sandy slopes of dunes or cliff walls, tree hollows, holes abandoned by previous inhabitants.

Some tropical representatives they build something like umbrella-shaped huts from the large foliage of jungle plants, gnaw through cozy niche houses in the fruits of palm trees, and use the voids formed between bamboo stem nodes.

Human activity is constantly destroying natural conditions, and the natural habitats of the flying beauty are becoming less and less. Some animal species are already on the verge of extinction. It’s good at least that the adaptability of bats is at a fairly high level, and they learn to adapt to a new habitat, close to a human neighbor, to look for suitable shelters, at least somehow reminiscent of their favorite caves, burrows, crevices.

For example, in Egypt, bats have become perfectly at home in the labyrinths inside great buildings, in abandoned mines they have taken a liking to waste adits, and even within the boundaries of cities and villages they inhabit cellars, attics, woodpiles, spaces behind shutters and platbands, and haystacks. Many farmers themselves, in order to attract pest hunters, hang houses made from planks on trees. Such a dwelling should be at a height of no lower than 3 m from the ground and with a narrow lower entrance-slot (a sort of prototype of a mailbox).

Photos

Unique adaptability to the external environment

Nature has given the bat truly amazing opportunities for survival. Thus, the animal is able to withstand temperature without loss of health environment, equal to both +40C and 0C.

The diet of mice is also adapted to the conditions in which the animal lives. Greatest variety taste preferences accounts for tropical inhabitants. There are also absolute “vegetarians”, whose menu consists of flower nectar, fruit pulp, and there are also outright predators who prefer the blood of other mammals for dinner. And yet, the overwhelming majority of winged mice are insectivores, in extreme cases allowing themselves small frogs or birds.

IN middle lane Colonies of bats hunt flying pests on a large scale. The animal destroys about 1000 mosquitoes alone per night. Plus an innumerable number of field, garden, and garden harmful insects.

Was held in the United States interesting experiment: One part of the corn field was covered with netting, and the other was left free for bats to access. So, it turned out that the place where the animals did not have the opportunity to hunt insects suffered from pests half as much as the open part of the field.

This clearly proves that the benefits of winged animals are very significant, given that they do not harm the crops in any way.

As soon as the warm season ends and the amount of food decreases sharply, flying families begin to prepare for hibernation. It is important for them that the temperature in the shelter does not fall below 0C while they are in suspended animation for several long months. With the appearance of the first spring insects, the winged watch is back in action.

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 one thing unites them all - night look life.

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, but in their European relatives 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.The animals have an interesting coloring feature: the males are bright red, sometimes even fiery red, but the 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, calling them blood-sucking and dangerous, but out of all the variety of species, as we have seen, only three actually drink blood, and that’s all vampire bats They live only on the American continent.

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.

The intensity of 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 their 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.

Contrary to their name, their bat namesakes are not even related to ordinary mice. While regular mice belong to the order of rodents, bats are representatives of the order Chiroptera, which has little overlap with rodents. But where did the name "bat" come from? The fact is that bats were so named due to their small size and squeak, very similar to the squeak of mouse rodents.

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

The order Chiroptera, to which bats actually belong, is especially notable for the fact that they are, in fact, the only mammals capable of flight. Now, it’s true that the order of bats includes not only flying mice, but also other equally flying brothers: flying dogs, flying mice, as well as fruit flying mice, which differ from their brothers - ordinary bats, both in their habits and in their body structure.

As we already mentioned, bats small size. The weight of the smallest representative of this species, the pig-nosed bat, does not exceed 2 grams, and the body length reaches a maximum of 3.3 cm. In fact, this is one of the smallest representatives of the animal kingdom.

Most big representative bat family - a giant false vampire, has a mass of 150-200 g, and a wingspan of up to 75 cm.

Different species of bats have different skull structures, the number of teeth also varies and largely depends on the diet of a particular species. For example, the tailless long-tongued leaf-nosed insect, which feeds on nectar, has an elongated facial part. Nature wisely made it so that he had somewhere to accommodate his long tongue, which in turn is necessary for getting food.

But predator bats that feed on insects already have a so-called heterodont dental system, which includes incisors, canines and molars. Small bats, which eat even smaller insects, have up to 38 small teeth, while large vampire bats have only up to 20. The fact is that vampires do not need many teeth, since they do not chew their food. But they have sharp fangs that make a bleeding wound on the body of the victim.

Traditionally, bats, almost all species, have large ears, which are responsible, among other things, for their amazing echolocation abilities.

The forelimbs of bats were transformed into wings over a long period of time. The elongated fingers began to serve as the frame of the wing. But the first finger with the claw remains free. With its help, bats can even eat and perform various other actions, although in some of them, such as smoky bats, it is not functional.

The speed of a bat depends on the shape and structure of its wing. They, in turn, can be very long, or vice versa with a slight extension. Wings with less aspect ratio do not allow development higher speed, but they can be easily maneuvered, which is very useful for bats living in the forest, which often have to fly among the treetops. In general, the flight speed of a bat ranges from 11 to 54 km per hour. But the Brazilian folded lip, from the genus of bulldog bats, is the absolute record holder for flight speed - it is capable of reaching speeds of up to 160 km per hour!

The hind limbs of bats have characteristic difference– they are turned to the sides with the knee joints back. With the help of well-developed hind legs, bats hang upside down, and in this seemingly (to us) uncomfortable position they sleep.

Bats, like any decent mammals, have a tail, which also varies in length depending on the species. They also have bodies (and sometimes limbs) covered with fur. The coat can be smooth, shaggy, short or thick, again depending on the species. The color also varies, usually whitish and yellowish shades predominate.

A Honduran white bat with a very unusual coloring - white fur contrasts with yellow ears and nose.

However, there are also representatives of bats with a body completely without hair - these are two naked-skinned bats from Southeast Asia.

The vision of bats leaves much to be desired; the eyes are poorly developed. In addition, they do not distinguish colors at all. But poor eyesight is more than compensated by excellent hearing, which, in fact, is the main sense organ in these animals. For example, some of the bats can detect the rustling of insects swarming in the grass.

Their charm is also well developed. For example, females of the Brazilian folded lip are able to find their cubs by smell. Some bats sense their prey by smell, as well as by hearing, and can also distinguish between “their” and “foreign” bats.

How do bats navigate in the dark?

It's simple, bats “see with their ears.” After all, they have such amazing property like echolocation. How does it work? And so, animals emit ultrasonic waves, which are reflected from objects and return back through an echo. Incoming return signals are carefully recorded by bats, thanks to this they are perfectly oriented in space and even hunt. Moreover, through reflected sound waves they can not only see their potential prey, but even determine its speed and size.

To publish ultrasonic signals Nature has provided bats with a specially designed mouth and nose. First, the sound originates in the throat, then is produced by the mouth and goes to the nose, radiating through the nostrils. The nostrils themselves have various bizarre projections that serve to shape and focus sound.

People can only hear how bats squeak, because the ultrasonic waves emitted by them are not perceived by the human ear. Interesting fact: earlier, when humanity did not know about the existence of ultrasound, the amazing orientation of bats in pitch darkness was explained by the presence of extrasensory abilities.

Where do bats live?

They live practically all over the world, of course, with the exception of the cold Arctic regions. But most of them live in the tropics and subtropics.

Bats are nocturnal or crepuscular. During the day, they usually hide in various shelters, both underground and above ground. They especially love caves, quarries, mines, and can hide in tree hollows or under branches. Some bats even take shelter under bird nests during the day.

Bats, as a rule, live in small colonies - up to several dozen individuals. But there are colonies of bats that are much more populous; the colony of Brazilian folded lips is considered a record, boasting the presence of 20 million individuals. On the other hand, there are bats that prefer to lead a solitary lifestyle.

Where do bats hibernate?

Some of the bats living in our temperate latitudes, with the onset of winter cold, they similarly fall into hibernation. Some, like birds, migrate to warmer places.

Why do bats sleep upside down?

The seemingly strange habit of bats sleeping upside down, hanging on their hind legs, also has very practical reasons. The fact is that this position allows them to instantly take flight. To do this, you just need to unclench your paws. Thus, less energy is wasted and time is saved, which can be very important in case of danger. The hind legs of bats are designed in such a way that hanging on them does not require the expenditure of muscle energy.

What do bats eat?

Most bats feed on insects, but there are also absolute vegetarians among them, preferring pollen and plant nectar, as well as various fruits. There are also omnivorous bats that love plant foods, and small insects, and some large species they even hunt fish and small birds. Bats are excellent hunters, largely due to their wonderful echolocation property, which we described above. Vampire bats stand apart in terms of nutrition, feeding exclusively on the blood of wild and domestic animals (however, they can also feast on human blood), hence the name.

Types of bats, photos and names

Here is a description of the most interesting bats in our opinion.

Particularly interesting for its appearance, yellow ears and nose on a background of white fur. It also differs from other bats in the absence of a tail. The white leaf-nosed plant is very small in size, its body length does not exceed 4.7 cm, and its weight is 7 grams. Leaf-noses live in South and Central America, preferring as a home rain forests. They are herbivores and feed exclusively on fruits. They live in small colonies of up to ten individuals.

The giant noctule is the largest bat found in Europe. The body length of the noctule reaches 10 cm, and the weight is 76 grams. Has brown fur. The noctule usually lives in forests, inhabiting tree hollows. You can also find it on the territory of our Ukraine. It feeds on large insects, beetles,... Also listed in .

It is notable for the fact that it is the smallest representative of the bat family. Its length is only 2.9-3.3 cm, and everything is no more than 2 grams. However, it has quite large ears. The nose is very similar to the snout of a pig, hence the name of this species. The pig-nosed bat's color is often gray or dark brown. Live in South-East Asia, especially many of them live in Thailand and its neighboring countries. Interesting feature The habit of pig-nosed mice is their collective hunting. They hunt in groups of up to five individuals at night. Due to their small numbers, pig-nosed bats are currently listed in the Red Book.

This species got its name due to the color of its fur, which has two colors - its back is red or dark brown, and its belly is white or gray. The two-colored kazan lives across a wide range: from England and France to Pacific Ocean. These bats are found not only in natural conditions, but also in human cities, they may well live in the attics and eaves of houses. Night for them is the time to hunt for various small animals - flies, moths. Also endangered.

She is also Daubanton's bat, named after the French naturalist Louis Jean Marie Daubanton. It is small in size, its length is no more than 5.5 cm, and its weight is up to 15 grams. The fur color is usually dark or brown. The habitat is the same as that of the kazhan, almost throughout the entire territory of Eurasia. The life of the water bat is closely connected with bodies of water (hence the first name), it is near them that they like to hunt, especially mosquitoes, which are also found in abundance near ponds and lakes.

The Ushan is so named due to its amazing, by no means small, ears. The long-eared bat also lives in Eurasia, but is also found in North Africa. They like to live in mountain caves, where they lead a sedentary lifestyle.

He is also the small-headed bat - the smallest representative of bats in Europe, his body length is no more than 45 mm, and his weight is up to 6 grams. His body really is very similar to that of an ordinary mouse, only with wings. This species also loves to settle in places close to humans.

This species is mountainous, as it loves to settle in mountain caves, canyons, and crevices. Lives over a wide geographical range - Eurasia and North Africa, wherever there is mountainous terrain you can find great horseshoe bat. They hunt moths and beetles.

It is thanks to this species that bats, which are generally very useful in the ecosystem (at least by killing mosquitoes), have their bad reputation. But an ordinary vampire, in fact, like the famous Count Dracula, feeds on blood, including possibly human blood. But as a rule, various domestic animals become their victims and food supply: pigs. Vampires, as expected, go about their dark business at night, when their victims are in deep sleep. They sit on them unnoticed, biting through the skin of the victim, from which they then drink blood. However, a vampire’s bite is invisible and painless due to the special secret that they possess. But this is where the danger lies, since the victim may die from blood loss. A vampire bite can also transmit the rabies or plague virus. Fortunately, vampire bats live only in the subtropics of Central and South America; in our latitudes, bats are absolutely harmless.

How do bats reproduce?

Bats usually breed twice a year: in spring and autumn. Also different time The duration of pregnancy in bats depends on the habitat and species. Females give birth to one to three babies at a time.

The development of small bats occurs very quickly; after just a week, the cub doubles in size. At first, the babies feed on their mother's milk, and after a month of life they begin to hunt on their own.

How long do bats live?

The lifespan of bats ranges from 4 to 30 years, again depending on the species and habitat.

Enemies of bats

Bats also have their own enemies, who in turn can hunt them. Usually this predator birds: peregrine falcons, hobby hawks, and also owls. A snake, marten and weasel will not mind grabbing a bat.

But the main enemy of bats (as well as many other animals) is, of course, humans. The use of chemicals in crop production has significantly reduced the number of bats; many of the species are already listed in the Red Book, as they are on the verge of extinction.

Bat bite

All bats, with the exception of the common vampire, do not pose any danger to humans, and they can bite only for the purpose of self-defense.

Why are bats dangerous?

Again, with the exception of blood-sucking vampire bats, other representatives of this order are completely harmless.

Benefits of bats

But the benefits of bats are much greater:

• Firstly, they are exterminators of many harmful and unpleasant insects (especially mosquitoes), which are carriers of possible diseases. They also eat butterflies and caterpillars - pests of fruit forests.
• Secondly, herbivorous bats that feed on nectar simultaneously contribute to plant pollination by transporting pollen over long distances.
• Thirdly, the droppings of some bats are very useful as fertilizers.
• And fourthly, bats are very important for science, especially when it comes to the study of ultrasound and echolocation.

How to get rid of bats

But still, if bats have settled near the house, for example, under the roof, despite all their benefits, they can be annoying, especially because of their squeaking. To get rid of bats under your roof, cottage or attic, you need to follow these instructions:

• First you will need to find a place where bats rest during the day. Then, after waiting for them to fly away for the night hunt, simply cover this place with a crowbar or something else.
• You can try to smoke them out.
• You can spray their habitats with special sprays whose odors will repel mice.

• Bats always fly into left side from shelters.
• Substances contained in the saliva of vampires are now used as medicines to prevent the formation of blood clots.
• If in our culture bats are associated with vampires and other evil spirits, then in Chinese culture they are, on the contrary, symbols of harmony and happiness.
• The bat is very voracious, so in an hour it can eat up to 100 mosquitoes, in human terms, this is about the same as eating a hundred pizzas in an hour.

Bats video

And in conclusion interesting video about bats.

When writing the article, I tried to make it as interesting, useful and high-quality as possible. I will be grateful for any feedback and constructive criticism in the form of comments on the article. You can also write your wish/question/suggestion to my email. [email protected] or on Facebook, sincerely the author.

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.