These amazing animals face a multitude of threats including habitat loss and disease, but we're working to change that. A unique international conservation partnership in the southwestern U.S. bats are endangered, and more are threatened. Conservation efforts are helping bat species recover. At least 12 types of U.S. Over 15 million bats live there, making it the largest known bat colony (and largest concentration of mammals) on Earth. Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from Texas’s Bracken Cave. 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. Photo by Kristen Lalumiere, National Park Service.ħ. You can easily distinguish these bats by their leaf-like noses and large ears.
#Three interesting facts about me skin#
This flexible skin membrane that extends between each long finger bone and many movable joints make bats agile fliers.Ĭalifornia leaf-nosed bats exit a cave at Joshua Tree National Park. A bat’s wing resembles a modified human hand - imagine the skin between your fingers larger, thinner and stretched. While the flying squirrel can only glide for short distances, bats are true fliers. The endangered Indiana bat, which weighs about three pennies, consumes up to half its bulk every evening. 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. Night insects have the most to fear from bats. Tuttle, Bat Conservation International.ĥ. 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. Without bats, we also wouldn’t have plants like agave or the iconic saguaro cactus. Bats help spread seeds for nuts, figs and cacao - the main ingredient in chocolate. Without bats, say goodbye to bananas, avocados and mangoes. Over 300 species of fruit depend on bats for pollination.
If you do go underground, decontaminate your clothing, footwear and gear to help with not spreading this disease to other areas.Ī tri-colored bat shows symptoms of white-nose syndrome. You can help by avoiding places where bats are hibernating. Scientists are working to understand the disease. It has killed over 90% of northern long-eared, little brown and tri-colored bat populations in fewer than 10 years. This deadly syndrome has decimated certain species more than others. The disease - named for a white fungus on the muzzle and wings of bats - affects hibernating bats and has been detected in 37 states and seven Canadian provinces. 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 Northern long-eared bat spends winter hibernating in caves and mines. Some bat species like the spotted bat survive by migrating in search of food to warmer areas when it gets chilly. Not all bats hibernate. Even though bears and bats are the two most well-known hibernators, not all bats spend their winter in caves. It weighs only a 1/4-1/3 of an ounce, is about 2 inches long, has a 6-inch wingspan and you‘ll never guess what color it is. The little brown bat lives up to its name. territories in the Pacific and Caribbean. and Canada are home to about 45 species of bats and additional species are found in the U.S. 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 difference in size and shape are equally impressive. Bats can be found on nearly every part of the planet except in extreme deserts and polar regions. There are over 1,400 species of bats worldwide. Check out some interesting bat facts (and cool photos) below.ġ. From pollinating our favorite fruits to eating pesky insects to inspiring medical marvels, bats are heroes of the night.īat Week - held the last week in October - celebrates the role of bats in nature and all that these amazing creatures do for us. They’ve been called creepy, scary and spooky, but bats are an important species that impact our daily lives in ways we might not even realize.