Facts about bats
True or False:
1. Bats are warm-blooded and have hair, which they keep clean and tidy, like cats.
2. Bats are mammals.
3. Female bats give live birth, usually to only one young (”pup”) per year.
4. Female bats can identify their pup among hundreds, coming back every night after feeding to nurse and care for.
5. The life expectancy of a single bat exceeds 20 years.
6. Over 450 commercial products that we use every day and over 80 life-saving medicines highly depend on bat activities (such as pollination, seed dispersal, and insect control).
7. Insectivorous bats can consume up to 1000 insects in one hour.
8. Fruit bats are responsible for over 95% of rainforest regrowth.
9. Bats are not blind, and they do not build nests.
10. Bats are in peril! Due to superstition, ignorance and fear, these beautiful and gentle creatures vital to our eco-system are continuously being killed.
All the above is true! Check out this great article for more interesting facts about bats, pictures and a very cute video of Bootsana The Bat.
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[...] Facts about bats [...]
Did you know that bat droppings in caves support whole ecosystems of unique organisms, such as bacteria useful in detoxifying wastes, improving detergents, and producing gasohol and antibiotics? Just another illustration of how integral bats are to our health and everyday lives!
Bats are fascinating animals. Richard Dawkins, in his book the Blind Watchmaker, talks a lot about bats. Really cool.