![]() They deliver a high-pitched call and wait for an echo. Nocturnal bats rely on a sonar system called echolocation. It is true that bats don’t have strong night vision. ![]() This may be where the misleading expression comes from. Some species of bats fly about rapidly when hunting for insects. The only mammal in the world that can fly is the bat. Studies suggest that bats rely on visual landmarks just like birds do. The expression “blind as a bat” is not an accurate simile. Why are so many people terrified of bats? Identify three myths about bats that are busted in this report.ĭiscussion Questions: Only a small amount of people are bitten by bats each year, while thousands of people are bitten by dogs.Only a few of more than 1000 species of bats feed on. Large fruit bats don’t live in caves and actually like the daylight. This helps bats find their way around at night. The echo tells the bats how far away they are from an object. They deliver a call and wait for an echo. This may be the misleading expression comes from. Some species of bats fly about when hunting for insects. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS | Moreīats Aren’t Blind The “blind as a bat” is not an accurate simile. Who knew bats were good at gardening? Watch a video of the tube-lipped nectar bat.Podcast: Play in new window | Download (0.0KB) This can lead to the creation of seeds, which get dispersed and grow into new blossoms. The bat sprinkles the pollen from the flower on the next plant it visits. This causes pollen from the blossom to fall on the bat’s head. POLLEN POWER As the tube-lipped nectar bat eats from the flower, it brushes against the petals. By chowing down on flower nectar, these animals don't just satisfy their hunger-they also help maintain their habitat. With these bristles extended, the bat can extract more food from the plant. Hairlike bristles on the tongue stretch outward, making it prickly. Once the animal’s tongue reaches the nectar in the blossom, the tip transforms. In fact, if this bat were a person, its tongue would be almost nine feet in length! The bat stores the extra-long licker in its chest until it comes across a flower with yummy nectar inside. It has the longest tongue compared to its body of any mammal in the world. TRANSFORMING TONGUE The tube-lipped nectar bat was first discovered in Ecuador, a country in South America. After licking up the sticky sweet, the bat retracts its jumbo-size tongue and flies off. With the nectar still out of reach, the mammal sticks out its tongue, which is one-and-a-half times the length of its body. ![]() To get to the goody, the bat pokes its snout into the flower. This hungry animal is after nectar at the bottom of the blossom. One researcher reported that he had vampire bats that would come to him when he called their names.Ī two-inch-long tube-lipped nectar bat hovers by a narrow, bell-shaped flower in its forest habitat. However, vampire bats can actually be quite tame, and even friendly to humans. This disease hurts farmers' livestock, especially cattle herds. Are vampire bats really that scary? Even though bat bites themselves aren't harmful, vampire bats can spread a disease called rabies. After a baby is born, other bats have been observed feeding the mother for about two weeks after the birth. ![]() Female bats in captivity seem especially friendly toward new mothers. Well-fed bats will often regurgitate blood to share with others in exchange for grooming. What happens if vampire bats don't get their nightly meal? If they can't find blood for two nights in a row, they will die. Also, heat sensors on their noses help them find a good spot on an animal's body to feed. They have very strong hind legs and a special thumb that helps them take off after feeding. Unlike some other species of bats, vampire bats can walk, run, and jump. Vampire bats have special adaptations to help them with their unique feeding needs. The blood sucking does not hurt the animal. These bats are so light and agile that they are sometimes able to drink blood from an animal for more than 30 minutes without waking it up. Rather than sucking blood, vampire bats make a small cut with their teeth and then lap up the flowing blood with their tongues. Though uncommon, vampire bats occasionally bite humans for blood. They feed on blood from cows, pigs, horses, and birds. Like the legendary monster from which they get their name, these small mammals drink the blood of other animals for survival. They glide stealthily through the night air as they search for food. While much of the world sleeps, vampire bats emerge from dark caves, mines, tree hollows, and abandoned buildings in Mexico and Central and South America. ![]()
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