![]() ![]() One kind of bat travels 2,400 miles (3,900 kilometers) each year! It is not yet known how bats navigate these long distances to find the same cave they used the year before.īats roost upside down, since the lightweight bones in their hind legs cannot support their body weight in an upright position. Some bats migrate to warmer climates during the winter, while others hibernate. They usually rest in large social groups in caves, trees, and human-made structures such as bridges, but some types shelter in burrows, termite nests, or even in flowers or giant spiderwebs. Each bump has a tiny hair in the center, allowing the bat to collect information about the air flowing over its wings so it can change the wing’s shape to fly more efficiently.Ī large group of bats flying in the sky is called a "cloud."īats can be found almost anywhere, except in polar regions and extreme deserts. The surface of a bat’s wings has small, sensitive bumps called Merkel cells. The thumb clings to surfaces when the bat alights. A thin, strong membrane of soft, velvety skin spreads across these bones, connecting them to the bat's back and legs, like the fabric and ribs of an umbrella. ![]() Bat wings contain the same bones as a four-fingered human hand. There are 47 bat species in the US, and 21 of the 23 in San Diego County are insectivorous the other two eat nectar. San Diego County is home to the largest bat in North America, the Western mastiff bat, which has a wingspan of over 22 inches (56 centimeters). The hoary bat is the most common bat in the US and is even found in Hawaii. The Kitti’s hog-nosed or bumblebee bat of western Thailand and southeast Burma is considered the world’s smallest mammal.īats are the only mammals capable of true flight. Included in this group is the smallest bat, the Kitti’s hog-nosed bat, which weighs less than a penny. They use echolocation, detecting sound waves to navigate and identify the flying insects they eat. The other major group is Microchiroptera or micro bats, which are smaller bats that eat mostly insects. They have big eyes and excellent eyesight. Many eat fruit, pollen, or nectar some eat small land animals, and some eat fish. Megachiroptera or mega bats are medium- to large-size bats. These flying mammals are divided into two major groups. They belong to the taxonomic order Chiroptera, which means “hand wing.” Rodrigues flying foxes belong to the Megachiroptera group of bats. In fact, these flying mammals are extremely useful to humans and are gentle, intelligent creatures. Out of nearly 1,000 bat species, only 3 feed on blood, and it is usually that of cattle. Bats are myth-understood. There may be more myths about bats than any other wildlife. Some people think bats are blind bloodsuckers that fly into your hair and carry rabies. ![]()
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