Bats - Basic Body Plan, Diet, Sensory Systems And Echolocation, Roosting, Reproduction And Social Organization
Bats are one of the most diverse and widely distributed groups of mammals on Earth, second only to rodents in the number of species. More than 900 species of bats have been described. They occur in most terrestrial biomes, except for the high Arctic and all of Antarctica. Bats are the only truly flying mammals, and are distinct from the flying lemurs and flying squirrels, which actually glide. Bats make up the order Chiroptera, named from the Greek words cheir (hand) and pteron (wing); this is an appropriate name, since the wing is formed by modified bones of the hand.
The bat order Chiroptera is divided into two suborders. The Megachiroptera is composed of a single family that is restricted to the tropics, and includes the largest species of bats, such as fruit bats and flying foxes. The megachiropterans are characterized by large eyes, simple ears, and a dog-like face. The Microchiroptera are made up of 17 families, and feature small eyes, complex ears, and an ability to find their prey and navigate by echolocation. Certain differences between the two suborders in flight and sensory capabilities have led some biologists to propose that they evolved from separate ancestral lineages, and that the megachiropteran bats are more closely related to primates. This idea is highly controversial, however, and other morphological data and DNA evidence support the hypothesis that all of the bats evolved from a common ancestor. Most bat scientists believe that bats evolved from tree-dwelling, shrew-like ancestors that scampered along branches and fed on insects. The proto-bat likely had long fingers supporting webs of skin attached to the body, which it used to glide while in pursuit of its insect prey.
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The body of bats is well designed for flight. However, they achieve flight differently from birds. Like birds, the bones of bats are light-weight and delicate. However, bats have a short neck compared to birds, and they lack a deeply keeled sternum, or breastbone, where the flight muscles attach in birds. Instead, three shallow pairs of muscles on the breast power the downstroke of the wing during…
The dietary diversity of bats is unmatched among living mammals. Most bats living in temperate areas, about 265 species, eat insects. Fruit bats, restricted to tropical areas, eat fruit and leaves, which they chew, swallowing the juice and spitting out the pulp. The long-tongued fruit bats (Macroglossus species) specialize in a diet of pollen and nectar, which they acquire using their elongated sn…
Contrary to popular myth, bats are not blind. In fact, the large eyes of many species suggest that they have well-developed vision. Like most mammals, they have keen senses of taste and smell, the latter being useful in locating food items, and in identifying roost sites and other bats, including family members. Bats also have excellent hearing. Many species use a wide range of vocalizations to co…
Most bats rest during the day and disperse around dusk to feed. Bats typically spend more than half of their lives in their roost environment, which may be in a cave, mine, crevice in rocks, cavity in a tree, in dense foliage (sometimes rolled up into a tent), or in a human structure. Many bats roost communally, often for brooding of young or for hibernation; such colonies range in size from a few…
Most bats have a breeding season, which is in the spring for species living in a temperate climate. Bats may have one to three litters in a season, depending on the species and on environmental conditions such as the availability of food and roost sites. Females generally have one offspring at a time; this is probably a result of the mother's need to fly to feed while pregnant. Female bats …
To many people, bats conjure up images of vampires, evil spirits, or creepy castles. Many people also feel that bats are dirty, dangerous, ugly creatures that can get tangled in their hair. These misguided images are not, however, promoted in all societies. In some cultures bats are symbols of long life, good luck, and fertility. It is true that some species of bats can carry rabies and histoplasm…
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