Bat Trivia Facts
There are two types of bats, megabats and microbats. Microbats make up the majority of bat species. They eat insects such as moths that emerge at night. Vampire bats are a few microbat species that eat blood rather than insects. They prefer to drink from horses and cattle, but not humans.
Bats have been described as scary, creepy, and spooky. But they are an important species that profoundly impact our daily lives. Bats are heroes in the night, from pollinating our favorite fruits to eating pesky bugs to inspiring medical miracles.
Bat Facts
Bats can be divided into two different suborders.
Megachiroptera is large Old World fruit bats, while Microchiroptera is small bats found worldwide. The size ranges from giant flying foxes with wingspans of up to 5 feet (1.25 meters) to the tiny bumblebee bat with a 6-inch (15 cm) wingspan. Three species of blood-drinking vampire bats exist.
Some bats are not upside down.
Most bat species are upside-down. They have evolved to keep their feet relaxed, which is difficult for humans to visualize. They can let go when they are ready to fly because their tiny legs and wings cannot give them the birds’ lift. Six species of bats don’t hang upside-down. These bats are equipped with suction pads to stick to leaves and other surfaces.
Bats have been described as scary, creepy, and spooky. But they are an important species that profoundly impact our daily lives. Bats are heroes in the night, from pollinating our favorite fruits to eating pesky bugs to inspiring medical miracles.
Bat Week was held every October last week to celebrate the importance of bats and all they do for us. Below are some cool bat facts and photos.
Worldwide, there are more than 1,400 species.
You can find bats in almost every part of the globe, except in extreme deserts or polar regions. It is equally amazing to see the differences in size and shape. The size of bats can vary from Kitti’s hog-nosed bat, also known as the Bumblebee bat, which weighs less than a penny and is the world’s most diminutive mammal, to the flying Foxes with a wingspan up to 6 feet. There are approximately 45 species of bats in the United States and Canada. Additional species can be found in U.S. territories throughout the Pacific and Caribbean.
All bats hibernate. Although bats and bears are two of the most famous hibernators, many bat species spend their winters in caves. Some bat species, such as the spotted bat, survive by migrating to warmer regions, searching for food when it gets cold.
Bats can find food even in complete darkness.
Some bats are not nocturnal, meaning they stay awake at night. However, nocturnal bats can find insects to eat by making inaudible high-pitched noises (between 10-20 beeps per minute) and listening for echoes. Echolocation is a method of finding insects to eat.
Bats can consume up to 1200 mosquitoes per hour.
Bats often eat their entire body weight in insects each night, which helps to keep the bug population under control.
More than half the bat species in America are seriously declining or have been listed as endangered.
White-nose syndrome is a deadly disease that has decimated bat populations in Canada and the U.S. and habitat loss. In 2015, the Nature Conservancy and the Nature Conservancy worked together to create a breakthrough in white-nose syndrome. The Nature Conservancy collaborated on a white-nose syndrome breakthrough in 2015. Bats were treated using a common bacteria that seems to have stopped the growth of the white nasal fungus. They were then released into the wild.
Some bats hibernate inside caves during the winter months.
Even if they are encased in ice, bats can still survive freezing temperatures.
Babies bats are called “pups!” Bats usually have one pup per year.
Bat mothers can easily find their babies among millions or even billions of bats simply by listening to their distinctive voices and smells. Bats are extremely vulnerable to extinction if they have only one pup per year.
Bats are not preyed upon by any natural predators.
One of the greatest threats to bats is a disease. White-nose syndrome is the biggest threat to bats. This disease, named after a white fungus that appears on the muzzles and wings of bats, has been found in 37 states and seven Canadian provinces. Certain species are more affected by this deadly syndrome than others. In less than 10 years, it has decimated more than 90% of the northern long-eared and little brown bat populations. Scientists are trying to find out the cause of this disease. Avoid areas where bats hibernate. To prevent spreading the disease to other parts of the world, make sure you wash your clothes, shoes, and gear if you go underground.
Bananas, avocados, and mangoes are out of reach without bats.
More than 300 fruit species depend on bats to pollinate them. The main ingredient in chocolate is spread by bats, which help spread seeds for nuts and figs. We wouldn’t be able to grow plants such as agave and the iconic saguaro desert cactus without bats.
Bats are most afraid of night insects.
Bats can consume their entire body weight in insects every night. This is a huge number that can easily reach thousands. This high-insect diet helps farmers and foresters protect their crops against pests.
The only mammal that can fly is the bat.
The flying squirrel can only glide short distances. Bats can fly for miles. The bat’s wings look like a modified human hand. Imagine the skin between your fingers getting thinner, longer, and more flexible. Bats are agile flyers because of their flexible skin membrane, extending between long fingers, bones, and many movable joints.
Although bats are small, they can fly very fast. According to research, bats can fly over 100 miles an hour. However, it all depends on their species.
Bat species are being saved through conservation efforts. Twelve types of U.S. bats have been declared endangered, and many more are under threat. We are working to improve the lives of these amazing animals, which face many threats such as habitat loss and disease. One bat species has been the focus of a unique international conservation partnership between Mexico and the U.S. Southwest. It is the lesser long-nosed bat. This partnership saves it from being removed from the Endangered Species List. There were less than 1000 bats in the 14 roosts. An estimated 200,000 bats are found at 75 roosts.
The longest-living bat in the world is 41 years.
Scientists often cite the rule that a smaller animal has a shorter lifespan. But bats can break this rule. Scientists have found six bat species that live longer than 30 years, even though most bats live less than 20 years in nature. A tiny Siberian bat set the world record for life at 41 years in 2006.
Bats are clean like cats.
Bats are not dirty. They spend a lot of time grooming themselves. Some bats, such as the Colonial bat, even groom one another. Cleaning is a good way to control parasites, besides having smooth fur.
Pups can also be found in dogs. A colony is a group of bats that includes baby bats. Mother bats give their pups breastmilk. The majority of bats only give birth to one pup. The eastern red bat is one species with more than one twin. In spring, momma bats create nursery colonies in caves, dead trees, and rock crevices.
The medical wonders of bats are amazing. Around 80 medicines are made from plants that depend on bats to survive. Scientists have developed navigational aids for blind people by studying the use of echolocation in bats. The research on bats also has led to improvements in vaccines.
Bats live up to 30 years, and they can fly at 60 miles an hour.
A 2016 paper by University of Tennessee researchers revealed that the Mexican free-tailed bat could travel speeds of up to 100 mph. This makes it the fastest mammal in the world.
Guano (bat droppings) is one of the most valuable fertilizers.
Bat guano used to be a huge business. Guano was Texas’s biggest mineral export before oil. Austin is the home of North America’s largest urban population, including Mexican free-tailed bats. They live under the Congress Avenue Bridge. There are approximately 1.5 million bats there.
The “flying fox,” the world’s largest bat, lives on South Pacific islands.
Flying fox bats can reach up to 6 feet in length. However, the smallest bat in the world is the bumblebee bat of Thailand. It is smaller than a thumbnail and weighs less than a penny.
Pallid bats eat scorpions!
Even the Arizona bark scorpion, the most dangerous scorpion in North America to bite, scorpion stings seem to be non-existent for pallid bats. At certain times of the year, scorpions can make up as much as 70% of a pallid’s diet.
Texas’ Bracken Bat Cave is home to the largest bat colony in the world.
Millions upon millions of Mexican free-tailed bats nest in the Bracken Cave every year between March and Oct… Find out more about The Nature Conservancy’s efforts to preserve this important species on 1,521 acres.
You can find bats almost everywhere except in the polar regions, deserts, and isolated islands. Bats spend their day hiding in roosts located around the tropics and dense forests. Roosts are places bats rest in, often in cracks or crevices that protect their eyes and ears. Most common roosts include old buildings, caves, hollows in trees, and old buildings.
The only mammal that can fly is the bat.
Baby bats, like all mammals, are fed milk from their mothers. Bats are born young and usually only have one child. However, some species may have more than one. A bat is the only mammal that can fly. Squirrels and other “flying” mammals can only glide at best. Bats can fly because they can digest food very quickly. They often excrete within 30-60 minutes. This helps bats to keep their weight down.
Bats aren’t blind.
The smaller bat species only use echolocation. Larger bats can see better than humans. However, sight is both a blessing as well as a curse. Echolocation signals can be overridden by sight. A bat might fly in a window if it sees the light outside even though echolocation says it is on solid ground.
You can use bat droppings to make gunpowder.
Bat droppings are also known as “guano” and are rich in potassium nitrate (saltpeter). They are commonly used as fertilizer. Saltpeter can also be extracted from bat guano used in explosives and gunpowder. It has been proven that bat guano can preserve fossils.
