Bat: The creatures of the Night
Bats are the only mammals capable of true flight. Their forelimbs have evolved into wings with a thin membrane covering and joining their long digits. There are over 1400 species of bats worldwide, ranging in size from tiny pipistrelles that are only a few centimeters in length to giant fruit bats or flying foxes that can have a wingspan of several feet. Bats have evolved a keen sense of echolocation and can fly in the dark without colliding with objects in the way of their flight path and for detecting their prey. They can emit ultrasonic sounds to produce echoes and detect these to create an accurate mental image of the environment around them including the movement of their prey.
Most of the bat species specialize on select diet. A majority of them prey upon insects and help control the population of the nocturnal insects. Fruit Bats feed on fruits and help spread the seed. Bats also feed on nectar and help with pollination. There are species of bats that feed on vertebrates. A few species like vampire bats specialize in feeding on the blood of animals. They are capable of heat sensing the location of blood vessels near the surface of the skin to pierce and suck the blood of their victims.
Bats are threatened by habitat loss, attack by domestic animals like cats while they are roosting or flying low, wind farms, fast moving traffic on highways, high-tension electric wires, and developmental work.
Bats are extremely important organisms that help maintain the balance of the. On International Bat Night, Jim’s Jungle Retreat wishes that these creatures of the night continue to play the role assigned to them by Mother Nature!