There are more than 1300 species of bats distributed in six continents. About 50 species of bats live in national parks in the United States, and there are 265,438+09 species of bats in Indonesia-more than any other country. According to the data of Bat Protection International, bats account for one fifth of the total number of mammals on earth.
Giant bats and miniature bats are divided into two categories: giant bats and miniature bats. Giant bats (officially, bats in the suborder Megabats) include the old world fox bats and fruit bats. They tend to be bigger than miniature bats (miniature bats), although some miniature bats are actually bigger than small giant bats.
Flying fox (pterosaur) is the largest bat. According to the Auckland Zoo, some species have wingspans of 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 meters) and weigh as much as 2.2 pounds (998 grams). According to the Smithsonian Institution, one of the smallest giant bats is the cute mini giant-tongued bat, which has a wingspan of only 65,438+00 inches (25.4 cm) and weighs about half an ounce (65,438+04 g).
The flying fox is hanging upside down. Among micro-animals, the largest species is actually quite large: pseudo-vampire or spectral bat (vampire spectrum), weighing 5 to 6.7 ounces (145 to 1 90g) and having a wingspan of 40 inches (1m). According to the data of the University of Michigan Animal Museum, the smallest bat is the bumblebee bat (Craseonycteridae thonglongyai). This little hairy ball with wings is only 1.25 inches long (3 cm) and weighs about 2 grams (0.07 oz).
Bats live almost anywhere except some islands, the North Pole and Antarctica. They prefer warm areas near the equator. They can be found in rainforests, mountains, farmland, forests and cities.
These furry mammals don't have much fat to keep warm, but they have two strategies to resist the cold. Some bats migrate to warm areas, while others enter a short-term form called hibernation. During numbness, bats will reduce their metabolic rate, lower their body temperature, and slow down their breathing and heart rate.
Bats live in trees, caves, mines and barns. Anywhere can provide a safe shelter against predators and a hidden environment for their cubs. They usually live in a group called a colony, which can contain 65,438+10,000 to thousands of individuals.
As Nocturnal Animals, bats sleep during the day and move at night. Some people may fly 3 1 mile (50 km) at night in search of food. During the day, they sleep upside down and grab their nests with sharp claws. [Flying Mammals: Ghost Bat Gallery]
Diet Most bats eat flowers, insects, fruits, nectar, pollen and leaves, although it depends on the species of bats. Giant bats usually eat fruits, while microorganisms usually eat insects.
Some bats eat a relatively large amount of food. For example, the Malay flying fox eats about half of its weight every day. But vampire bats are even more than that, eating twice as much food every day. Bats can also eat quickly-according to defenders of wildlife organizations, brown bats can eat 1000 small insects in an hour.
Bats use echolocation to "see" insects and other objects in the dark. They emit high-frequency sound, and then analyze the position of the surrounding objects by sensing how the sound bounces off the objects. Echo location can let bats know their age and age. They live close to each other. Their habitats and food sources often overlap with humans, making contact more possible.
But killing bats is not the way to avoid disease. In fact, research shows that killing bats can not reduce the spread of diseases, but will increase the number of susceptible bats and enhance the spread of diseases.
Bat flight is so skillful and complicated that it inspired the design of flying robots. In 20 17, a robot engineer told field science that bat flight is "the holy grail of aerial robots".
Nitrogen-rich bat manure is a nutritional therapy for Nepenthes. These plants provide bats with a parasite-free shelter, and in return, bats use pitcher plants as living toilets.
Bats may be the only mammals that can fly, but did you know that they can run and swim? Vampire bats fly on all fours, adding a little extra jump to let them fly in the air for a while. The Smithsonian Institution reports that bats can also paddle in the water with their wings, hands and feet.
This article was updated on 20 18124 October by Mindy Wei *** erger and Kimberly Hickok, editor of reference materials. "