Going Batty Over Bats!

Bats are among the most misunderstood creatures on Earth. Here are just a few fun facts about these fascinating little mammals that should make you go batty for bats!

With over 1,000 species, bats comprise one fifth of all the mammals in existence.
A bat species is the world’s smallest mammal – the tiny bumblebee bat that weighs less than a penny.
On the other hand, the Malayan fruit bat has a wing span of up to five feet!
Except for the most extreme desert and polar regions, bats have lived in almost every habitat on Earth since the age of the dinosaurs.
Bats are the only mammals that fly.
Only three species, all in Latin America, are vampires. They really do feed on blood, often from cattle, by pricking a small wound in the animal and lapping up the blood with their tongues. An enzyme found in the saliva of the vampire bats is among the most potent blood-clot dissolvers known and is used to treat human stroke victims.

At least a few tropical bat species are monogamous, sharing hunting and family duties. Vampire bats even adopt orphans, unusual for any wild animal.
Tiny baby bats are called “pups.”
Using sound alone through their ability to echolocate and in total darkness, many bats can detect obstacles as fine as a human hair.
Contrary to old saying, “blind as a bat,” bats are not blind and most have excellent vision as well as great hearing. Large bats with large eyes hunt by sight and smell rather than echolocation.
A bat that swoops low over your head is not interested in nesting in your hair. It’s probably in hot pursuit of an insect.
When exposed to the hot sun during the day, bats cool themselves by flapping their wings, licking their chest and wings, and panting. In cool weather or during heavy rain, they almost completely wrap themselves with their wings.
When at rest, bats normally hang head downward. It is easier for the bat to take flight from the head-down position; it just drops and spreads it wings.
Although they may look exotic, the bones in the bat’s wings are actually similar to the ones found in human arms and hands.

Photo Courtesy Lubee Bat Conservancy