Interesting Bats Facts - Eating, Breeding And Seasonal Habits
Bats are dangerous to have in the house, however, they can be quite
beneficial outside the home - and that's a fact.
Bats are a great source for affordable mosquito control, as a matter of fact,
just one bat will
consume thousands of mosquitoes every night. Further, only .05% of
bats carry rabies, whereas mosquitoes carry many more possibilities for disease and infection.
The bats diet is mostly insects and fruits. Many bats hunt insects by
chasing them down while in flight. The Mexican free-tailed bat is known to be
the farmers friend, as they eat moths that otherwise might destroy their crops.
There a few types of bats that eat a more unusual diet, the Pallid bat diet
includes scorpions and they are immune to the scorpion's venom. And, there's
the vampire, famous for its blood diet.
Bats are live bearing mammals, in fact, they are the only mammals capable of true flight.
Bats breed in the fall and have babies, called pups, in the spring.
Mother bats typically roost together with their pups, separate from the males.
Mothers sometimes carry pups on their backs. New pups start
to grow hair at several weeks, but will not be able to fly for at least four months. Babies must be able to fly before
bat exclusion can work, seasonally restricting
when attic bat removal can be done.
Regarding seasonal activity, some
bats hibernate during winter months, some utilize a
semi-hibernative state called torpor, and others migrate to another location. Brown
bats often "wake up" and move about in the middle of winter when warm spells occur.
The Skunk Whisperer gets a lot of calls during these times.
Bat Anatomy Illustrations And Wing Comparisons
Bats have a physiology and appearance all their own designed to allow them to fly and hang upside down.
Pictures from left to right:
1. Vampire profile artist's rendering
2. Vampire skull drawing
3. Sample illustration of hanging state
4. A bat wing skeleton compared to a bird's wing and a human hand and arm
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