Jaxxy
Legacy Name: Jaxxy

13 Awesome Facts About Bats

Bats are an important species that impact our daily lives in ways we might not even realize. From pollinating our favorite fruits to eating pesky insects to inspiring medical marvels, bats are heroes of the night.

Bat Week — held the last week in October — celebrates the role of bats in nature and all that these amazing creatures do for us. Check out some interesting bat facts below.

1. There are over 1,400 species of bats worldwide.

Bats can be found on nearly every part of the planet except in extreme deserts and polar regions. The difference in size and shape are equally impressive. Bats range in size from the Kitti’s hog-nosed bat (also called the Bumblebee Bat) that weighs less than a penny — making it the world’s smallest mammal — to the flying foxes, which can have a wingspan of up to 6 feet. The U.S. and Canada are home to 47 species of bats and additional species are found in the U.S. territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.

2. Not all bats hibernate.

Even though bears and bats are the two most well-known hibernators, not all bats spend their winter in caves. Some bat species like the spotted bat survive by migrating in search of food to warmer areas when it gets chilly.

3. Bats have few natural predators — disease is one of the biggest threats.

Owls, hawks and snakes eat bats, but that’s nothing compared to the millions of bats dying from white-nose syndrome. The disease — named for a white fungus on the muzzle and wings of bats — affects hibernating bats and has been detected in 40 states and nine Canadian provinces. This deadly syndrome has decimated certain species more than others. It has killed over 90% of northern long-eared, little brown and tri-colored bat populations in fewer than 10 years. Scientists are developing and testing treatments to stop the disease from decimating bat populations. You can help by avoiding places where bats are hibernating. If you do go underground, decontaminate your clothing, footwear and gear to help with not spreading this disease to other areas.

4. Without bats, say goodbye to bananas, avocados and mangoes.

Over 300 species of fruit depend on bats for pollination. Bats help spread seeds for nuts, figs and cacao — the main ingredient in chocolate. Without bats, we also wouldn’t have plants like agave or the iconic saguaro cactus.

Just like a hummingbird, the lesser long-nosed bat can hover at flowers, using its 3-inch-long tongue — equal to its body length — to feed on nectar in desert environments.

5. Night insects have the most to fear from bats.

Each night, bats can eat their body weight in insects, numbering in the thousands! This insect-heavy diet helps foresters and farmers protect their crops from pests.

6. Bats are the only flying mammal.

While the flying squirrel can only glide for short distances, bats are true fliers. A bat’s wing resembles a modified human hand — imagine the skin between your fingers larger, thinner and stretched. This flexible skin membrane that extends between each long finger bone and many movable joints make bats agile fliers.

7. Bats may be small, but they’re fast little creatures.

How fast a bat flies depends on the species, but they can reach speeds over 100 miles per hour according to new research.

8. Conservation efforts can help bat species recover.

Experts estimate that 52% of North American bat species are at risk of severe population declines in the next 15 years. These amazing animals face a multitude of threats including habitat loss and disease, but collaborative and international conservation efforts can make a difference. In the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, collaborative efforts have helped one species, the lesser long-nosed bat, become the first bat species to be removed from the Endangered Species list due to recovery. In 1988, there were thought to be fewer than 1,000 bats at the 14 known roosts range wide. As of 2018, there were an estimated 200,000 bats at 75 roosts!

9. The longest-living bat is 41 years old.

It’s said that the smaller the animal, the shorter its lifespan, but bats break that rule of longevity. Although most bats live less than 20 years in the wild, scientists have documented six species that live more than 30 years. In 2006, a tiny bat from Siberia set the world record at 41 years.

10. Like cats, bats clean themselves.

Far from being dirty, bats spend a lot of time grooming themselves. Some even groom each other. Besides having sleek fur, cleaning also helps control parasites.

11. Dogs aren’t the only ones with pups. Baby bats are called pups, and a group of bats is a colony.

Like other mammals, mother bats feed their pups breastmilk, not insects. Most bats give birth to a single pup. There is at least one species that commonly has twins and that is the eastern red bat. Momma bats form nursery colonies in spring in caves, dead trees and rock crevices.

12. Bats are inspiring medical marvels.

About 80 medicines come from plants that rely on bats for their survival. While bats are not blind, studying how bats use echolocation has helped scientists develop navigational aids for the blind. Research on bats has also led to advances in vaccines.

13. Innies or Outies? Humans aren’t the only ones with belly buttons.

With a few exceptions, nearly all mammals have navels because of mom’s umbilical cord, and bats are no different. Now the real question is: Innies or outies? The answer is: most bats form outies.
by: U.S. Department of the Interior

About Bats

Bats, our winged friends so often associated with all things creepy and spooky, are some of the most misunderstood and underappreciated members of the animal kingdom. Bats come in all shapes and sizes — some as small as an inch, and some with wingspans larger than five feet — they dine on an array of bugs and fruits, and are key pollinators for a number of our favorite foods and spices. But, in spite of this, bats still can’t seem to shake the notoriety that comes with being a creature of the night.Hotel Transylvania (2012)

Vampires, Bats and Vampire Bats

When it comes to things that go bump in the night, one legend is found in almost every culture since the beginning of recorded history: vampires. These diabolical creatures of the night, with their fearsome fangs and bat-like personas, provide the perfect inspiration for campfire stories and costumes.

Vampires seem to be one of humanity’s universal myths, dating all the way back to Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and appearing as the Préta or BrahmarākŞhasa in India, Mandurugo in the Philippines, Adze or Sasabonsam in West Africa, Camazotz in Ancient Maya, Guajona in Spain and the legendary Nosferatu in Ancient Romania, precursor to the Prince of Vampires himself, Count Dracula.

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

One common thread that connects almost all vampire legends is the age-old scapegoat: the unlucky bats that somehow keep getting associated with their beastly brethren. Bats have an impressive range of fascinating abilities and habits that border on the supernatural, making it all too easy to use them as inspiration for dark and devilish fiends. But bats are one of nature’s most misunderstood creatures — and they are also critical members of our planet’s ecosystem and our food chain (and, they can be downright adorable).

Among the 1,300+ species of bats worldwide, only three claim the title of vampire bat: the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus), the white-winged vampire bat (Diaemus youngi) and the hairy-legged vampire bat (Diphylla ecaudata).

These bats are named after the Transylvanian legend because they feed entirely on blood. They even have heat sensors on their noses that help them find warm blood in their victim’s skin. Although the common vampire bat feeds on mammals (yes, sometimes humans), the hairy-legged and white-winged vampire bats prefer bird blood. Scientists have also found that vampire bats can recognize their prey by the sound of their breathing, allowing them to return for second helpings (Dracula would be so proud).

Here is where it gets interesting for conspiracy theorists: Vampires have existed in folklore for thousands of years in cultures around the world, but vampire bats were only known to the people of Central and South America. After Europeans arrived on the shores of the New World, the stories about winged, blood-sucking bats spread around the world — long after the legend of the undead was born. So, the vampire bats were actually named after their human doppelgangers, not the other way around.

Most bats don’t feed on blood — they eat fruit or insects — but they are nocturnal, sleep upside down, and many can see in total darkness using echolocation, which isn’t a far stretch from many vampire legends.

In fact, some bats are so good at “seeing” with their ears that scientists are studying their echolocation abilities to develop a new class of assistive devices for people with vision impairments.

How We Benefit From Bats

Although they might be cast in the role of creepy creatures of the night, bats are actually unsung superheroes vital to the health of our environment and our economy. By providing a number of services from pollination to seed dispersal (through their poop!), many ecosystems and agricultural systems wouldn’t survive without bats.

There’s no denying that tequila would be sorely missed by many if there were no bats to pollinate agave plants. Without bats, you could also say goodbye to your morning smoothies and fruit salads because bats are key pollinators for mangoes, peaches, guava and bananas. Cloves, a popular spice around the world, used in savory and sweet dishes alike — including the ever-popular pumpkin spice — are also pollinated by bats, so next time you find yourself sipping on a PSL or crafting a killer cocktail, be sure to toast the bats that made it happen.

Our winged friends are also the midwatch vanguards of pest control, saving crops from cucumber beetles, stink bugs, leafhoppers and June bugs. In fact, bats eat so many insects that studies estimate their economic impact to be more than $1 billion per year in avoided crop damage and pesticide costs in the U.S. corn industry alone. Across all agricultural production, consumption of insect pests by bats results in a savings of at least $3.7 billion per year. This also means fewer insects that carry diseases like malaria and West Nile virus. And since bats eat so many insects — many of which have shiny exoskeletons — some bats have guano that sparkles. So, maybe your favorite tween vampire movie wasn’t so far off, after all?

Bats are real wing-mates for human health, too. Scientists have been studying bats to understand their exceptional tolerance to DNA damage, parasites and viruses, in the hopes of finding a way to improve human resilience against RNA viruses like Ebola and coronaviruses, parasites like malaria and DNA damage from cancers. Scientists have also been studying the saliva of bats in an effort to develop a medication for stroke patients.

Oh, and you’ll never guess what they named it.

Draculin.

A drug, named after a vampire, derived from a vampire bat, which was named after vampires.

Threats to Bats

As fun as it is to deal in the macabre when it comes to scary stories about bats, these amazing animals need our help. Bats are declining across the globe. Disease, habitat loss and human activity, including disruption during hibernation, all play a major role in the decline of bat populations worldwide.

In North America, a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome has claimed the lives of more than 6 million bats since it was first documented in 2006. White-nose syndrome has since spread at alarming rates, making it one of the deadliest wildlife diseases on the continent.

The tell-tale fungus that causes white-nose syndrome is primarily spread from bat to bat, but it can also be spread from the environment to bats, as the fungus can survive for many years in the soil in caves and mines where bats hibernate. Scientists have demonstrated that it may be possible for humans to inadvertently carry fungal spores on their clothes or equipment, which can facilitate its spread to new areas.

What We’re Doing to Help Bats

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is working with our partners to protect bats, research treatment and management options to halt the spread of white-nose syndrome, and raise awareness about how incredible and vulnerable bats are.

Over the last decade, the Service has awarded more than $35 million in grants to researchers and state wildlife agencies to contain the spread of white-nose syndrome, improve our understanding of this fungus and its impacts, and develop tools to increase the survival of affected bat species. The Service and others are also working to minimize bat mortality from wind turbines and many federal and state natural resource agencies and conservation organizations have protected caves and mines important for cave-dwelling bats. Learn more about what we are doing to prevent and treat white-nose syndrome.

How You Can Help

Talk about bats. Share what you’ve learned about the importance of bats. We can all benefit from a greater understanding of the world around us. While it is always smart to be aware of the risk of rabies infection from bats, understanding bats will go a long way toward protecting these amazing creatures and ourselves.

Do not disturb. Even slight disturbances can cause bats to leave their roosts and force them to use valuable energy reserves needed to survive hibernation. Do your part to protect them by respecting all cave closures and advisories, avoiding caves with hibernating bats and following national decontamination procedures before and after visiting caves and mines.

Don’t touch bats — leave that to the professionals. In addition to protecting bats from people, we should keep our distance for our own safety, and to prevent the spread of diseases from wildlife to people. Bats should never be handled by untrained or unvaccinated persons.

Turn off the lights. Light pollution can disrupt or deter bats. Providing a dark environment can help improve conditions for bats.

Reduce pesticide use. Consider using natural pest control remedies, such as soapy water, beer or garlic. Pesticides can affect the food and water supply for bats.

Plant a garden. Creating a garden will help attract insects that help pollinate plants and feed bats, contributing to the circle of life.

Build a bat house or bat box. These tiny structures are a win-win for bats and humans. They can hold up to 100 bats, providing them with much-needed roosts while the bats keep the pests at bay around your house.

So, the next time you’re in line for your latte or toasting happy hour with friends, send some love to a bat and help us ensure that we can continue to benefit from the services they provide that make our lives better — and a little more delicious.
by Christina Stone
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

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Thanks to Phoenix for letting me adopt him~<3