The black bat has long been one of the most mystical animals on our planet, and for many millennia it has instilled incredible horror in the hearts of people, being almost the main hero of stories about vampires and all evil spirits.

In fact, these are rather harmless small animals (only three species drink blood, and then mostly animals), which themselves often become victims of birds of prey, martens, snakes. Yes, and people often eat them.

Bats are mammals that belong to the order Chiroptera, whose representatives are able to fly. At the same time, the flight of a bat is so specific that it is impossible to confuse its movement with the flight of other representatives of the animal world: with their thin and large wings resembling parachutes, they seem to constantly repel themselves from air masses(The name of this type of movement is “propulsion”).

The order Chiroptera includes 1200 species (forty of them live on the territory of Russia) and it includes two suborders: one family - fruit bats, seventeen - bats. Their number is so great that it makes up 20% of the total number of all species of mammals on the planet.

Bats live on all continents the globe except for Antarctica. Also, you will not see them in the tundra zone and the polar regions. Most species prefer to live in the tropics, although you can meet representatives of the detachment in the middle lane. For example, if in temperate latitudes the population density of animals ranges from 50 to 100 per km2, in Central Asia these figures reach a thousand. On many islands in the ocean, bats are the only land mammals, since only they are able to easily overcome long distances over the sea.

Description

Depending on the species, the body length ranges from 35 mm to 14 cm, the head has a wide mouth slit, small eyes and large ears, each species has a different description, which, like wings, are covered with big amount vibrissae.

The eyesight and sense of smell in bats is extremely weak, so they are guided exclusively by sound, and hearing in most species is excellent: the audibility range is up to 190 thousand Hz. They also successfully use echolocation, capturing ultrasonic signals reflected from certain objects.

The main feature of bats is their limbs turned into wings, the thin bones of which are ideal for flight.

The animals have strongly elongated toes of the front paws (except for the first), which, together with the legs and long forearm, are the frame for the elastic, covered with a few hairs, membrane that forms the wing (it is interesting that it is completely penetrated by blood vessels, nerves and muscle fibers). On the heel of the animal there is a bone, a spur, which supports the rear edge of the membrane.

Whereas the muscles in birds that are responsible for the movement of the wings are connected to the sternum, in bats muscles work differently. The wing is raised by several small muscles, and lowered by three muscles, with only one of them attached to the sternum.

Thus, with the movements of the fingers, arms, legs, forearm, bats can perfectly maneuver, so the flight of a bat, according to the description, is distinguished by a variety of styles. They can take off not only from high points (for example, from the ceiling of a cave), but also from the earth and even the water surface.

An interesting fact is that during the flight, bats constantly scream, emitting ultrasonic signals through their mouth or nose. This helps them catch the echo that bounces off various objects and makes it possible, if necessary, to correct the flight (bypass the obstacle, find food).

Differences between bats and fruit bats

Bats differ from fruit bats primarily in a different structure. aircraft: in fruit bats, it is less developed - with wide wings, a single shoulder joint. They differ in external description:

  • They have a shorter muzzle;
  • The outer ears of fruit bats form a closed ring around the ear opening;
  • Bats do not have a claw on the second toe of their front paws;
  • Bats do not have down: they are either completely bald or covered only with rod hair;
  • The length of bats generally does not exceed 14 cm (bats have species that reach 55 cm). The largest bat in the world, the South American large false vampire (large leaf bat), has a length of 13.5 cm, and the size of the wings is 91 cm. Interestingly, the size of one of the smallest representatives of the species (white bat) ranges from 37 to 47 mm.


Way of life

Despite the fact that the order Chiroptera consists of a huge number of species that live in different natural conditions, their way of life differs little from each other.

Bats live in flocks: in places where they settled on one square kilometer, accounts for from fifty to a hundred flying animals. They lead a nocturnal lifestyle, because it is during this period that it is easier for them to get their own food and hide from enemies, they sleep during the day, hanging upside down. Relatives communicate with each other using both ultrasonic and ordinary sounds.

In addition, if bats live in temperate latitudes, in cold period years, some species fall into long hibernation (for example, the bat). Before falling into a stupor, the animals, hanging upside down, wrap themselves in their wings, as if in a cloak, and closely press against each other to reduce heat loss.

As a result, the metabolic rate and breathing intensity decrease, the heart begins to beat less often, and the body temperature drops to zero degrees. The animals wake up no earlier than the heat comes (in some cases they are able to sleep for up to seven months).

True, not all inhabitants of cold latitudes fall into hibernation: some of them migrate far to the south, while an interesting fact is that winged animals, like birds, fly in constant routes, fly away at the same time, and always arrive to breed home.

reproduction

Despite the fact that bats do not live long, on average about five years, the ability to reproduce offspring comes late, at the age of two years, the pregnancy lasts 16 weeks, and the female gives birth to only one baby.

It has to do with the way they live. A pregnant female needs to continue active flights in search of food, and the baby is born rather big: its size is 25% of the mother's body. Having been born, at first, until he learns to fly, he stays on his mother's back, and she has to carry her baby during the flight.

Another interesting fact is that chiropterans of temperate latitudes give birth once a year, mainly in late spring/early summer: at this time, their food, insects, appear in plentiful quantities. At the same time in tropical latitudes where food is constantly available, bats breed two, and some species even three times a year.

During childbirth, females bend the interfemoral membrane in such a way that a kind of cradle is obtained into which the baby that has been born rolls out (this is especially true for species that give birth upside down, for example, earflaps).

Despite the large size, the cub is born naked, blind, without hair, the mouth resembles a narrow slit, the ears look like a crumpled piece of paper. At the same time, his paws and thumbs are very large and are already equipped with claws, with which he clings to his mother's hair with a death grip. The remaining fingers, between which the membrane is located, are still undeveloped. But, such a disproportion does not last long: the baby grows up quickly, and his body soon acquires the desired shape, and the wings grow (young animals begin their first flights at the age of 3 to 6 weeks).

Nutrition

The question of what bats eat has been worrying the minds of a huge number of people for more than one millennium, and many are convinced that bats feed only on human blood.

In fact, everything is not so scary: only three species of mammals feed on blood, and even those are found in southern Africa and the South American continent. Vampire bats feed mainly on the blood of animals and rarely attack people: having made sharp teeth there is a cut on the skin, they eagerly drink blood (do not suck), which flows without stopping, because their saliva contains a component that does not allow blood to clot. Despite the fact that the bites are painless, they are dangerous because the animals are carriers of rabies.


The rest of the bats are safe for humans and even beneficial, since most of them are insectivorous. For an hour of hunting, one animal is able to eat about two hundred mosquitoes. More large species, for example, the largest bat in the world, a false vampire, hunts for frogs, small birds, lizards. Some species eat fish, and among them there are those that prey on relatives that belong to other species.

An equally interesting fact is that among bats there are also vegetarians who feed exclusively on flower nectar, berries, fruits, pollen, and nuts. Animals that prefer the nectar of flowers not only feed on them, but also pollinate them (the length of the tongue of these creatures is ¼ of the body length).

Relationships with people

Many people have a negative attitude towards bats: not really knowing what bats eat, and having heard a variety of stories about their bloodthirstiness, they are afraid of them and kill them at every opportunity, not even knowing that the benefits of bats both for nature and for human is incredibly high.

For example, in countries that are located in temperate latitudes, only species that feed exclusively on insects live, bringing considerable benefits. According to scientists, the growth of forests in Russia due to the destruction of harmful insects by bats is accelerated by ten percent. Since insects are often carriers of various diseases dangerous to humans, due to the active hunting of bats, the risk of picking up dangerous disease is significantly reduced.

A bat is a mammal animal that belongs to placental mammals, a species of bats, is considered to be the most mysterious animal. On the one hand, the bat is the only mammal that can move through the air; on the basis of this ability, they claimed that it was a bird. But, on the other hand, they are viviparous, they feed their young with milk, which birds do not do.

The nocturnal lifestyle of these animals and frightening appearance has created many legends around them, and some are absolutely convinced that the little animals sleeping upside down in secluded places are real vampires who prey on people and animals to drink their blood. Not everything in these legends is fiction.

The very name "bat" appeared in Russian only at the beginning of the 17th century, thanks to the translation german book. This literary variant took root, and that is how the animals of the bat order began to be called.

In Russia, there were other names: bat, kozhan, evening, nocturnal, horseshoe, long-eared, arrow-eared, pipe-nosed and others. All are reflected outward sign these mammals or features of their way of life.

The same is observed in modern name. Animals that have no kinship with the order of rodents are very reminiscent of them in appearance. Yes, and the sound of a bat is similar to the squeak of rodents, and the ability to fly adds a definition that has become the name of the order of bats.

What do bats look like?

It is believed that every fourth mammal on earth belongs to the chiroptera order. Despite the species differences, they all have common external features.

Wings

chief hallmark these animals are wings. It was because of the presence that the disputes continued for a long time: the bat is still a bird or an animal.

The wings are thin membranes that are stretched between the front and rear limbs. Unlike birds, bats do not have feathers, and the membranes are attached to the very long fingers of the forelimbs.

The wingspan, depending on the species, can vary from 16 cm to 1.5 m. Despite the apparent fragility, they are able to withstand significant loads and reach a flight speed of up to 20 km / h.

Flight is not the only purpose of wings. During sleep, bats wrap themselves in them, and thus their warmth is preserved.

Bat Skeleton

The body of animals is relatively small: the spine is much shorter than the modified forelimbs with five fingers with sharp claws. The animal does not have strong limbs, the humerus is shortened, so its movement on the ground is minimal, the main thing for them is flight.

The skull is rounded, with a short anterior part in some species and an elongated one in others. If you look at bats, then the calf is practically invisible. It seems that they consist of a head and wings.

Animals have a tail that is not covered with hair. For most, it serves as a device for maneuvering during flight.

Ears

Ears play an important role in the life of an animal that does not have sharp eyesight. In almost all species, they are huge.

Numerous networks of blood vessels feed the ears, since their participation in the life of bats provides them with the ability to move and hunt.

Animals make subtle sounds, which, starting from objects, return. This method of orientation in the world is called echolocation. The ability to catch even the quietest sounds with lightning speed helps bats fly at night, hear the movement of potential prey.

Violations in the work of the hearing organs most often leads to the death of the animal.

Eyes

Bats are nocturnal, which in the process of evolution has affected their vision. Small eyes in almost all species are located in front of the muzzle.

The animals of this detachment see everything in black and white. Since the bat sleeps during the day in shelters, its eyes react very poorly to sunlight.

But even for these animals there are exceptions. Thus, the California leaf-bearer sometimes relies more on sight than on hearing during hunting.

If a bat lives like a pet, then you have noticed that it rarely flies into a room in which the light is on, and to catch it, it is enough to turn on the light bulb, and the animal immediately stops flying.

Teeth

Absolutely all chiropterans have teeth: incisors, molars and premolars, canines can be observed in the jaw. But their number, size and structure depend solely on what bats eat in natural environment.

Those bats whose diet consists of insects have up to 38 teeth, and the length of their fangs can also be different. Bloodsucking mice typically have 20 teeth in their jaws and are not as large or as developed as their insectivorous cousins.

The shape of the teeth is adapted to what bats eat in nature. So in insectivorous animals, the teeth resemble mortars that grind coarse food. But only those who feed on blood have long fangs.

Wool

Most species of bats have a soft color: brown, gray, dark gray. This is due to the need to remain unnoticed during night hunting. But even among these animals there are real fashionistas: the Mexican fish-eating species has bright orange or yellow fur. There are bats in shades of which there are light colors: fawn, light yellow.

The Honduran white bat boasts a white coat and bright yellow ears and nose.

The quality of the coating may also vary. There are animals with thick and sparse fur, long and short pile.

Bat species (insectivorous and herbivorous)

The study of the life of bats is complicated by their secrecy, but scientists were able to establish that on this moment About 700 species of these animals have been recorded. We will talk about some of them in more detail.

The habitat of representatives of this species is almost all countries of Eurasia. You can meet her on the territory of Russia, from Southern Siberia to the western borders. They live in mountain ranges, and in forests, and in the steppes. Some animals of this species easily inhabit even the attics of houses in large cities.

The body length of these bats is up to 6.5 cm, and the wingspan is 33 cm. At the same time, they weigh up to 23 grams. Such dimensions allow us to say that the two-color leather is a fairly large bat.

The original color of the animal determined its name: the ears, muzzle and wings are almost black, the back is dark brown, and the abdomen is light gray or white.

Bicolor leathers feed on nocturnal insects.

These bats live in the European part. The giant evening bat is the largest bat living in Russia. Its body length reaches 11 cm, weight - 70-80 grams, and wingspan - 45-50 cm.

The animal does not have a bright color: usually they are brown or reddish-brown, the abdomen is noticeably lighter than the back. But it is quite difficult not to notice the flight of these creatures, since their size is impressive.

Observing the life of the evening, it was established that these bats eat large insects. In Russia they prefer beetles and butterflies.

They usually nest in hollow trees. Since low temperatures are possible in habitats, during the cold season, the animals migrate, choosing warmer regions.

The white bat got its name for its original appearance: their wool white color with slight gray patches on the abdomen. But the nose and ears of representatives of this species are bright yellow, and their shape resembles leaves. It seems that the animal has stuck autumn leaves to itself.

This is one of the small representatives of bats: the body size is no more than 4-5 cm, and the weight is only 7 grams. It is so small that sometimes it seems that it is a bird.

This white miracle lives in South and Central America, Honduras, Panama. For life, they choose evergreen forests, where they always find food for themselves - ficuses and fruits.

The original appearance of the animal attracts attention, so the bat at home is becoming more common.

Representatives of this species are rightfully considered the smallest: their weight does not exceed 2 grams, the body length is 3-5 cm. Sometimes they are confused with bumblebees.

They got their name for the original nose, reminiscent of a pig's snout. The usual color is dark brown, sometimes grayish brown. The coat on the abdomen has a lighter shade.

Pig-nosed bats live in southwestern Thailand and on some nearby islands. In other places, they are not common, therefore they are rightfully considered endemic to this area.

A feature of these animals is their joint hunting: they usually gather in small flocks and fly out together in search of small insects.

Small bats are difficult to see with the naked eye, so it is very difficult to observe their life.

The limited habitat has made the population of these animals extremely small. Currently, this species is listed in the Red Book.

These animals live in the territory from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, as well as in the Bahamas and Antilles.

The big harelip is a large bat: its weight sometimes reaches 80 grams, the body size is up to 13.5 cm.

The animals have an interesting color feature: males are bright red, sometimes even fiery red, but females are very faded, grayish brown.

These bats got their second name - the fish-eating bat - because of their eating habits. Animals prefer to live near water bodies. Scientists have found that the harelip eats not only insects, like many bats, but also small fish, small crayfish and frogs.

By the way, unlike many members of their detachment, they can fly out to hunt during the day.

The life of representatives of this species was described in detail by the French scientist Dobanton. It was in honor of him that these animals received their second name - Dobanton's bats.

Relatively small animals (weight up to 15 grams, wingspan - no more than 27 cm, and body length - 5.5 cm) prefer to hunt near water bodies, preferring mosquitoes and other blood-sucking insects for food.

Small-sized bats have a fairly wide habitat: in Russia they can be found in the lower reaches of the Volga, in the Ussuri Territory, on Sakhalin, Kamchatka, in the Primorsky Territory; they also live in other countries: in Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Mongolia, Italy.

Inconspicuous in appearance (usually their fur is dark brown), they are excellent hunters, destroying entire hordes of insects.

Reducing the population of water bats contributes to the spread of livestock diseases transmitted through insect bites.

The most noticeable part of these bats are their huge ears. With a weight of no more than 12 grams and a body size of 5 cm, the ears are sometimes larger than the body. But they cannot boast of the original coloring: their gray-brown fur is very plain.

Earflaps are found in almost all countries of Eurasia, in northern Africa, in China.

For their dwellings, they adapt almost any place: caves, buildings, trees. Most often they fly away to warmer regions for the winter, but always return to their old homes.

Huge ears allow her to hunt even in complete darkness.

It is rightfully considered the smallest representative of the order of bats living in Europe. Its body is up to 4 cm long and weighs 6 g. Representatives of this species have a fairly long tail - up to 3.5 cm.

The color of the animal depends on the region of habitat: in animals living in Asia, it is pale, grayish; European brown.

Bats settle near human habitation, often choosing attics of houses and sheds.

Representatives of this species prefer small insects for food, which helps a lot, exterminating thousands of mosquitoes and midges.

Bat species (bloodsucking)

Watching the representatives of the order of bats, they found out what they eat in wild nature The bat is not only insects and plants. Among these animals there are also those that feed on blood.

A very numerous species spread the opinion about bats as vampires capable of drinking all the blood from an animal or a person. Another name is a big bloodsucker. The enzyme contained in the saliva of these animals can be quite dangerous: it affects blood clotting. Even a minor wound can cause major blood loss. And if several dozen bloodsuckers attack during the night, then death is inevitable.

This is not a very large bat (weight no more than 50 grams, and a wingspan of up to 20 cm) spends the whole day sleeping upside down in its shelter in a large company of brothers, and after dark it flies out to hunt. She chooses her victim among sleeping animals, especially prefers cattle- They can't resist. Choosing a place on the body near the vessels, the animal bites and licks the blood, which easily flows out of the wound.

A person can also be attacked by ordinary vampires if they spend the night in places accessible for visiting by these bats.

The habitat of this species is South and Central America.

The representative of this species has average dimensions for bats: body length - up to 11 cm, weight - up to 40 grams, and wingspan - up to 40 cm.

Like an ordinary vampire, the white-winged one lives in South and Central America. Its coat has a reddish-brown hue, somewhat light on the abdomen.

The white-winged vampire attacks birds, it is their blood that is the diet of the animal.

It lives in the same places as its blood-feeding counterparts. But representatives of this species can easily attack both birds and animals.

Unlike other bats, the ruffed vampire does not have a well-developed hearing, so in its flights it relies not so much on the usual echolocation as on vision.

Their grayish-brown coloration and small size allow them to sneak up on their victims unnoticed.

Many researchers have noted that hairy-legged vampires are absolutely not afraid of people: they can fly up very close, practically sit on their hands.

Bats are very often frightened, calling them blood-sucking and dangerous, but of all the variety of species, only three actually drink blood.

Where do bats live?

If we talk about the territories where bats live, then we must list the entire planet. The only exceptions are tundra regions and lands covered with ice. In these natural conditions, the life of bats is impossible. There are no these animals on some remote islands, because they simply could not get there.

The bat is rare mammal, which can exist in almost any place where there is at least some opportunity to hide during the daytime.

In all other corners of the globe you can meet representatives of this detachment. Even in major cities, in the attics of high-rise buildings, bats find shelter.

The bat in nature prefers to settle in caves, where, clinging to ledges, they sleep during the daytime, and at dusk they fly out to hunt. There are caves in which thousands of colonies of bats live. Sometimes the height of the excrement layer in them reaches a meter, which indicates the number of animals and the length of stay in this place.

Where there is no natural shelter, these animals are placed on the trees, hiding between the branches. Sometimes they occupy abandoned hollows, can build themselves shelters from large leaves, gnaw through bamboo trunks, and even settle down between the fruits of plants. The main requirements for their house, where the bat sleeps all day, are safety and the absence of direct sunlight.

These animals are not afraid of people at all, therefore they are quietly placed in the attics of houses, sheds, in livestock rooms.

Sometimes people, not knowing what bats eat in nature, believe that they can be dangerous to humans and domestic animals. Therefore, having found these animals in their attic or in the barn, they try to exterminate them. Most bats eat insects and are therefore completely harmless.

Bats most often live in colonies, which can number several tens of thousands of individuals. Some species huddle together during daytime rest, others prefer to hang upside down in splendid isolation.

A record number of individuals in one colony was counted in Brazil. In one place there was a refuge for 20 million individuals.

Living together does not make these animals flocking, since they do not produce any joint actions: they hunt exclusively alone.

Do not create bats and families. Uniting only at the moment of mating, they immediately forget about each other.

In regions where there are cold seasons, animals can hibernate, which lasts up to 8 months. At this time, bats wrap themselves in their wings, attach themselves upside down in some secluded place and sleep without eating.

Some species are capable of seasonal migrations. With the onset of cold weather, they fly to warmer regions. Sometimes during this period, bats cover distances of up to 1000 kilometers.

If natural conditions allow the animals to remain active all year round.

How long do bats live?

An interesting question remains: how many years do bats live in nature. Average duration life 5 years. How long bats live depends on the species. Among these animals there are also centenarians, whose age can reach up to 20 years.

The age of the longest-lived record holder among bats is 33 years.

A bat at home usually lives less than the time allotted to it by nature, since it does not have the opportunity to be fully active.


How do bats reproduce?

Reproduction of bats has its own characteristics. Some species that live in warm climatic zones give birth to cubs twice a year. The mating period does not matter to them. The secret way of life of bats does not allow us to accurately imagine how the process of courtship of a male for a female goes.

Males of some species make a variety of sounds before mating. Perhaps with this song they attract the female or tell her about their intentions.

Those animals that live in temperate latitudes bring offspring only once. Mating usually occurs in the fall, before the moment when the animals go into hibernation. But the spermatozoa that have entered the body of the female do not immediately fertilize the egg, but may be in some reservation until the moment of awakening.

After hibernation, pregnancy occurs, the duration of which depends on both the species and temperature. environment: at low - the baby develops longer.

Usually females give birth to one cub, less often two or three. During childbirth, the mouse turns upside down. The calf is born feet first, which is extremely rare in mammals, and immediately enters the tail bag, where it spends a week. After the babies, they hide in shelters and feed with milk. It was this ability of bats that decided the dispute: is a bat a mammal or not, in favor of classifying them as mammals.

In the first week, the female takes her cub with her for night hunting. He clings tightly to his mother during the flight. But after a while, she is forced to leave him in a shelter, because the baby becomes heavy, and it is not possible to fly with him for a long time.

The unique sense of smell allows these animals to find their cubs after night flights. They smell the baby at a distance of several kilometers.

Within a week, and sometimes two, the babies remain completely helpless, and only after a month they begin to independently hunt near their shelter, without moving far from it.

What does a bat eat and how does it hunt in the wild?

Almost all bats fly out to hunt at dusk or after sunset. The thing is that their vision is developed much worse than their hearing. Most bats feed on flying insects. They hear their movements and pick up prey on the fly or find it among the foliage.

There are animals that feast exclusively on the nectar of flowers and the fruits of fruit trees.

Some large species also eat earthworms, as well as large insects.

Among the bats there is a bat, whose diet includes frogs and small fish, in addition to insects. The animals fly above the surface of the water and determine by the splash where potential prey is located.

But there are only three blood-sucking species, and they live in South and Central America. They fly out to hunt at night, find animals, bite and lick the blood.

Enemies of bats

Bats do not have many enemies in nature, although the animals are very small. This is most likely due to the fact that the nocturnal lifestyle does not give them the opportunity to intersect in nature with many animals that are active during the day. They camouflage their shelters well or live in large colonies, where it can be quite scary for many animals and birds to penetrate.

Those bats that fly out to hunt at dusk (for example, evenings) more often become the prey of daytime birds of prey (hawks, hobby falcons, peregrine falcons), who happily feed on these bats.

But also night predator birds(owls and owls) quite often attack bats, although it is very difficult to hunt them: advanced echolocation allows you to notice danger and dodge deadly claws and beaks.

Scientists from one of the American institutes noticed an interesting fact: bats living in the caves of one of the mountain ranges of Hungary are attacked by ordinary tits. Brave birds fly into caves, grab a sleeping animal and take it to their nest. Birds rarely fly up to colonies, since the number of bats can be a mortal danger for them.

In those latitudes where many tree snakes live, bats hiding in the branches have a hard time. During the day, the animals, as a rule, sleep in shelters and are far from always able to react to an approaching creeping enemy. Yes and fly at sunlight they practically cannot, so they fall prey to those snakes that can eat small bats.

Bats, especially small individuals and species, often fall into the paws of spiders. They cannot see the stretched web in the dark; in this case, echolocation does not always help either. But bats get to hear the insect beating in the web. Sometimes large spiders that feed on small animals do not specifically kill insect prey in order to catch a larger one on it - a bat.

Sometimes bats become food for more large predators- weasels, polecats and martens that sneak up on sleeping animals and kill them.

But the main enemy is man. Sometimes people destroy entire colonies of bats just because they mistakenly consider them dangerous. Although the animals bring many benefits, destroying insects that carry the infection.

It happens that a person does not have as his goal to kill bats. Some fertilizers or pesticides are harmful to flying animals.

It seems incredible that people also eat bats for food. In many Asian countries, the meat of these animals is considered a delicacy.

What are the benefits of bats

In nature, bats do more good than harm. There are only a few blood-sucking species, so it is impossible to say that it is bats that carry diseases.

But they destroy insects that, flying from one animal to another, are capable of spreading infections. During the season, the animals eat great amount mosquitoes, beetles and butterflies, many of which, for example, in tropical countries do carry deadly diseases.

They protect chiropteran orchards and agricultural land from pests that can destroy crops or damage trees and shrubs.

Flying from plant to plant, they help pollinate them.

Bat droppings are an excellent fertilizer. In some caves where colonies of animals live, up to a meter of excrement can accumulate.

Bat saliva enzymes are used in medicine.

IN Lately people are increasingly adopting as pets not only dogs and cats, but also some exotic animals, among which there is also a bat. At home, these animals take root, but they do not feel as comfortable as in vivo. If you still want to keep a bat at home, then try to provide her with a life as close to nature as possible.

First of all, keep in mind that bats are exclusively nocturnal. If you plan to watch her during the day, then you will have to admire the sleeping animal. But at night, your pet will want to fly, which can cause a lot of inconvenience.

pet house

Despite his small size, a bat at home needs a very spacious enclosure where the pet will be able to fly. It is necessary to equip the house with branches, shelters, so that the animal has the opportunity to hide during the daytime rest.

The vital functions of bats directly depend on the ambient temperature, therefore, in the room where the pet lives, it should be approximately 30 degrees, which is quite a lot for a comfortable stay of a person.

A bird cage is not always suitable for keeping bats, since the distance between the twigs is sufficient so that one fine night you can find that the animal flies over your heads and enjoys feasting on insects.

In the natural environment, most bats prefer insects, which they themselves perfectly catch by making night flights. By the way, at home they should be fed in evening time, once a day.

A bat at home does not have the opportunity to feed itself, so the pet's diet should be as close to natural as possible. But this does not mean at all that the owners of unusual pets should catch mosquitoes all evenings and bring them to their pet in a jar. What should you feed a small bat if it lives at home?

The following diet is suitable for bats:

  • flour worms;
  • insect pupae;
  • adult cockroaches;
  • raw egg yolk;
  • natural honey;
  • milk formulas for feeding children up to a month.

Feeding a pet is not so easy: you can add raw yolk, a little honey and vitamin E to the milk mixture. You need to take the animal in your hands and offer it the mixture through a pipette. Keeping the leftover mixture in the refrigerator is not recommended.

Insects suitable for food are usually stored in jars, but for a short time. A tame bat will gladly accept food, but it is not very easy to train it to eat from your hands. It is possible that at first she will refuse food.

Knowing what voracious bats actually eat at home, remember that animals can eat up to half their weight at a time, which, with little activity, can be dangerous to their health. Don't overfeed them.

Interesting facts about bats

  • The opinion is firmly entrenched that bats are vampires that fly out to hunt at night and drink the blood of their victims. This judgment greatly exaggerates the idea of ​​an animal, but not unreasonably. There were practically no cases of bat attacks on people, but in Central and South America there are species that cling to large animals that are unable to resist and drink their blood.
  • Despite what bats eat in the wild and at home, there are no fat animals among them. It's all about good metabolism. They are able to digest all the food they eat in half an hour, although some species are able to catch and eat up to 60 insects in an hour of their hunting.
  • Scientists have found that an enzyme contained in the saliva of bats can help people suffering from heart disease. Once in the human blood, this enzyme prevents seizures, and with prolonged use completely cure the heart. Serious research is currently underway in this area.
  • Remembering interesting facts about bats, many will note the ability to sleep upside down. None of the representatives of the animal world rests like that. The fact is that this position allows bats to rest and relax the muscles involved in the flight. It also allows you to save energy during takeoff: the animal simply releases the claws with which it was held, falls down and takes off in a maneuver. The lower limbs are completely unsuitable for running and pushing.
  • Made amazing discovery: on the island of Borneo exists carnivorous plant, which lures bats with special sounds. But he does not eat them at all, but provides his inflorescences as a refuge. In return, bats leave their excrement to the hospitable host, which is very necessary fertilizer for the plant. Such a symbiosis in nature is unique.
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Chiroptera (lat. Chiroptera) is a detachment of mammals, which, in turn, is divided into two suborders: bats and fruit bats. Fruit bats differ from bats in larger sizes, most of them do not have a tail, but there is always a claw on the second finger of the wing - in bats it disappeared a long time ago. The order includes a huge number of species - about 1200, which is about a quarter of all mammals. In terms of its abundance, it is second only to the detachment of rodents. The body weight of different members of the order varies from 2 g to 1.5 kg, the wingspan is from 18 to 170 cm. There is a whole science of chiropterology that studies bats.

Bats are one of the most common orders. They are absent only in the polar regions and on oceanic islands that are very remote from the continents. Some bats even go beyond the Northern arctic circle. Fruit bats live exclusively in the tropics and subtropics of the Old World.

Bats are active mainly at dusk and at night. The day is spent in hollows, behind lagging bark and in the crowns of trees, in non-residential premises and attics, under bridges, in rock cracks, caves, taluses of stones and even in earthen burrows. Tiny bats on the island of Kalimantan often rest in pitchers of predatory insectivorous Nepenthes plants and also use them as a latrine. Nepenthes slowly digests the faeces of bats, while receiving a third of the required amount of nitrogen. So the cooperation is mutually beneficial. In addition to numerous users of finished housing, there are also architects-builders: gnawing at the veins of palm leaves in a surprisingly right order, the team is building something similar to an awning.

Wings and flight are the first feature that distinguishes bats from other animals. They fly thanks to the constant movement of their wings, but they cannot soar for a long time, like birds. The flight speed of bats ranges from 15 (during normal movements) to 50–60 km/h (during hunting).

The wing membrane is stretched between the elongated fingers of the forelimb from the 2nd to the 5th and is attached to the sides of the body and the hind limb near the base of the foot. The first finger is small, free, always equipped with a claw. Bats cling to the surface with it, hold pieces of food and use it as a weapon of defense and attack in showdowns with relatives. There is also an interfemoral, or tail, membrane. Its edge is supported by cartilaginous spurs extending from the calcaneus (in bats) or from the Achilles tendon (in fruit bats). In addition, the shoulder membrane extends from the base of the neck to the first finger. The membrane consists of two layers of thin skin, penetrated by blood vessels and strengthening connective tissue veins. It is extremely flexible and soft to the touch. The animals spend a lot of time caring for her, licking her and smearing her with the secret of the paranasal glands. After all, the ability to fly, and hence life, depends on the state of the membrane. During rest, the animals fold their wings. The fingers of the hind limbs with claws are small, free from membranes. With their hind legs, bats hold onto branches, ledges, and arches of caves in order to hang upside down. They can walk in such a suspended state, deftly move along vertical surfaces, but they are reluctant to walk on a horizontal plane (although some bats, such as vampires, literally run on the ground). But all bats are able to take off from a place, pushing off with half-spread wings. If necessary, they soar from the surface of the water or swim breaststroke to the shore.

Another feature of bats is a special landing tactic. After all, the animal needs to slow down and sit on the surface upside down. An additional complication is that bats have the lightest and most fragile bones of any mammal, an adaptation for flight to reduce body weight. In order to land safely on the surface upside down, they perform the most difficult acrobatic stunts, carrying out special maneuvers called "four-touch" and "two-touch" tactics. Different types bats use a variety of tactics.

Their remarkably developed sense of smell, hearing and the unique ability to echolocation, which, in addition to bats and representatives of the same genus of fruit bats, are also only dolphins, help them to hunt and navigate in space. Animals emit ultrasonic impulses that are not perceived by humans, catch the sound (echo) reflected from objects with their auricles, and determine the distance to objects and their dimensions by the time until its return. In this way, they determine the location and size of insects, trees, and in general all sorts of obstacles. The animals constantly scan the space in front of them, sending up to 100 or more signals per minute, and form their own idea of ​​it. They are said to "see with their ears". Moreover, flying in a completely dark room, they do not stumble upon thin wires stretched for the experiment (0.12–0.05 mm in diameter). But in the light, animals prefer to rely on sight. To communicate with each other, bats use sound signals that a person is able to hear. These are squeaks, and chirring, and sharp tsvirks, and clatter, and hiss, and trills.

Echolocation is characteristic of all bats, and of fruit bats, only of flying dogs that spend the day in caves and use sound scanning of space only in complete darkness, when nothing is visible. The difference is that fruit bats emit echolocation signals by clicking their tongues, while bats use their vocal cords.

Most bats are insectivorous. Often during the night, these tireless hunters eat food in a third of their body weight. Others prefer a vegetarian diet of fruits, nectar and pollen (bats and many South American bats). But the diet of bats is not limited to this: someone specializes in fishing, some hunt birds, rodents, frogs, reptiles and small bats. Vampires - there are only three of them, live in Central and South America - attack sleeping birds, cattle, horses, pigs, on occasion even tired shepherds. Extended and razor-sharp incisors cut off a piece of skin and suck in blood. To prevent blood from clotting, an anticoagulant is injected into the wound along with saliva. An ordinary vampire (there is also a terry-legged and white-winged one), who has also been convicted of attacks on a person, drinks about one tablespoon of blood per night. A hungry vampire will certainly die, but lucky brothers come to the rescue, who burp part of the absorbed blood to an unfortunate comrade. All bats drink water in flight.

Most often, bats form colonies, sometimes separating by sex, and some species live in monogamous families. Bats living in Russia usually form groups of up to a hundred individuals. But in the colonies of the inhabitants of American and Mexican caves, there are thousands and, though rarely, millions of bats. There are up to 14 species of bats in multi-species colonies.

In temperate latitudes, where only insectivorous bats live, the animals experience the time of cold and starvation in a state of hibernation. By autumn, they eat off, gain fat and fall asleep in October-November until spring. For wintering, they choose a calm, humid, windless space, the temperature in which does not fall below -2 ° C. In wintering bats, body temperature sometimes drops to zero, and the heart beats only 15 beats per minute. They cling to ledges and hang upside down. Some wrap themselves with their heads in wings. There are also bats that make long-distance flights for wintering, sometimes in common mixed flocks along with insectivorous birds.

Yes and in warm time chiroptera, if there are no small cubs with them, reduce their body temperature to almost external temperature during rest, so as not to give off heat in vain. It is possible that, along with winter torpor, such a mechanism for saving energy costs contributes to the amazing longevity of these small mammals who live up to 30 years and even more advanced age.

Females bring cubs alone (in temperate climate) or twice a year (in warmer weather). It happens more often. Usually only one offspring is born, but there are species in which the birth of twins is the norm. In some species, the mother constantly carries the cub on herself for some time, and when he grows up a little, she leaves him in a safe place, and she flies away to feed. Others keep the cub on themselves only during daytime rest. Females often join groups and give birth in a short time, almost simultaneously. Therefore, when they fly away to feed, a kindergarten is formed from the kids. Returning, the female will always find her offspring by voice and smell. The cubs grow quickly and already at 4-6 weeks they begin to fly - at first not as masterfully as adults. For another week or two, the youngsters learn to hunt, while feeding on milk, and then become completely independent.

Bats are systematically close to insectivores. This is a group of mammals adapted for flight in the air. Wings serve leathery membranes located between the very long fingers of the forelimbs, sides of the body, hind limbs and tail. The first finger of the forelimbs is free and does not participate in the formation of the wing. Like birds, the sternum bears keel, to which the pectoral muscles are attached, setting the wings in motion.

Flight is agile, controlled almost exclusively by wing movement. Bats can take off from high places: the ceiling of a cave, a tree trunk, and from flat ground, and even from the water surface. In this case, the animal first jumps up, as a result of a strong jerky movement of the forelimbs, then proceeds to flight.

Bats are distributed throughout the globe, except for the Arctic and Antarctic. The total number of species is about 1000. The order includes two suborders: fruit bats (Megachiroptera) And the bats (Microchiroptera).

Suborder Fruit bats (Megachiroptera)

Representatives of this suborder are common in the tropics of Asia, Africa and Australia. They feed on juicy fruits and in some places do great harm to gardening. The eyes are comparatively large; They look for food, guided by sight and a very sharp sense of smell. Few species inhabiting caves are characterized by the ability to echolocation. The day is spent more often on trees, less often in hollows, under the eaves of buildings, in caves, accumulating in many hundreds and even thousands of individuals.

The total number of fruit bat species is about 130. The largest of the true fruit bats kalong (Pteropus vampyrus) lives in the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines. Its body length is up to 40 cm.

Suborder Bats (Microchiroptera)

Includes small species that have sharp teeth and are relatively large auricles. Daytime is spent in shelters, attics, in hollows, in caves. The lifestyle is twilight and nocturnal. Numerous thin tactile hairs are scattered over the body and on the surface of the flying membranes and auricles of bats. Vision is weak and is of little importance for orientation in space.

Hearing in bats exclusively thin. The hearing range is huge - from 0.12 to 190 kHz. (In humans, the range of audibility lies in the range of 0.40 - 20 kHz.) sound echolocation. The bats emit ultrasounds frequency from 30 to 70 kHz is jerky, in the form of pulses with a duration of 0.01 - 0.005 s. The pulse frequency depends on the distance between the animal and the obstacle. In preparation for flight, the animal emits from 5 to 10, and in flight directly in front of an obstacle - up to 60 pulses per second. Ultrasounds reflected from an obstacle are perceived by the animal's hearing organs, which provides orientation in flight at night and the prey of flying insects.

Most bats are found in tropical and subtropical countries. Several dozen species live in countries with a cold and temperate climate. Many species from the northern regions fly south. The length of the flyways is very different - from tens and hundreds to thousands of kilometers.

The number of species is about 800. Most bats are insectivorous. They feed on Diptera, Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. During the waking period, the metabolism is very intense, and often in a day bats eat an amount of food equal to approximately the mass own body. Catching nocturnal insects, bats are very useful in biocenoses.

Some South American species feed on the blood of mammals, sometimes humans; are, for example, South American vampires family Desmodusontidae. Blood-eating bats bite through the skin of the victim, but do not suck the blood, but lick it off the surface of the body with their tongue. The saliva of such bats has analgesic properties and prevents blood clotting. This explains the painlessness of the bite and the prolonged flow of blood from the wound.

Among bats there are also carnivores: for example, those living in South America common spear-nosed (Phyllostomus hastatatuus).

They breed slowly, give birth to 1 - 2 cubs. Mating occurs in autumn and spring. During autumn mating, spermatozoa linger in the female genital tract, and fertilization occurs only in spring, when females ovulate. During spring mating, ovulation and fertilization occur simultaneously.

About 40 species are known in the fauna of Russia. Typical ones are ushan (Piecotus auritus), redhead party (Nyctalus noctula). Some species overwinter in place, hibernating. In places in winter they accumulate in large numbers. So, about 40 thousand bats live in the Bakharden cave (Turkmenistan). There are also many other places of mass accumulation of bats.

ORDER BAT = CHIROPTERA BLUMENBACH, 1779

General characteristics. Known ca. 1000 species of bats. The smallest of these, the pig-nosed bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai), is the smallest living mammal. Its length can reach only 29 mm (no tail) with a mass of 1.7 g and a wingspan of 15 cm. .5 m

As experiments have shown, bats do not distinguish colors, and since the night or twilight nature of activity is typical for them, a brightly colored skin is useless for them. The color of most of these animals is brownish or grayish, although some of them are red, white, black or even piebald. Usually their fur is formed by longer guard hairs and a thick undercoat, but two Yes, naked-skinned bats (Cheiromeles) are almost completely hairless. The tail of bats may be long, short, or completely absent; it is partially or entirely enclosed in a skin tail membrane extending from the hind limbs, or completely free.

Among mammals, only bats are capable of active flapping flight. The flying squirrel rodent, the woolly wing, and some other "flying" animals do not actually fly, but glide with greater height to a smaller one, stretching the folds of skin (patagial membranes) that protrude from the sides of their torso and are attached to the fore and hind limbs (in the coleopter they reach the ends of the fingers and tail).

Most bats cannot match the speed of flight with faster birds, however, in myotis (Myotis) it reaches approximately 30-50 km / h, in the great brown leather (Eptesicus fuscus) 65 km / h, and in the Brazilian folded lip (Tadarida brasiliensis) almost 100 km/h.

Appearance and building. The scientific name of the detachment, Chiroptera, is made up of two Greek words: cheiros - hand and pteron - wing. They have very elongated bones of the forelimb and especially the four fingers of the hand, which support and, with the help of muscles, set in motion an elastic skin membrane that runs from the sides of the body forward to the shoulder, forearm and fingertips, and back to the heel. Sometimes it continues between the hind limbs, forming a tail, or interfemoral, membrane, providing additional support in flight. In the hand, only the first finger, equipped with a claw, is not elongated. The toes of the hind limb are about the same as those of other mammals, but the calcaneus is elongated into a long spur that supports the posterior edge of the tail membrane. The hindquarters are turned outward, probably to facilitate landing upside down and hanging on the toes; as a result, the knees bend backward.

Echolocation. Chiroptera can see well both in low light and in bright sunlight. But they can also navigate in pitch darkness using echolocation. Signals emitted by animals are reflected from nearby objects, the distance to which is determined by the return time of the echo. Chiropterans also use this system to detect and catch flying insects: they “rake” them with their membranes and grab them with their mouths on the fly.

The frequency of echolocation signals is usually 40,000–100,000 Hz, i.e. is beyond the limits of the perception of the human ear (no more than 20,000 Hz) and corresponds to ultrasound. Most bats emit ultrasound through their open mouth, some species through their nostrils. One of the components of the echolocation signal is distinguished by the human ear as quiet clicks. Usually, bats also emit chirps and squeaks that are quite audible to us.

Lifestyle. Although individuals of some species of bats keep alone, for the most part they are social creatures living in colonies, in which there are from several to many thousands of animals. Brazilian folded lip colonies in caves in the southwestern United States number in the millions of animals. Chiroptera usually settle in caves, trees and attics.

Summer colonies usually consist of females with cubs. A few adult males may also be present, but usually they are one-year-olds that are not capable of breeding. In some species, males form bachelor colonies, although solitary life is more typical for them. A lone bat outside the window at the beginning of summer is usually a male.

Only a few species, such as the southern sac-winged (Coleura afra), do not hang upside down when resting, preferring instead to crawl into cracks or cling to walls; some bats rest in earthen burrows. However, most bats rest upside down, hanging from the support with the help of the claws of the hind legs and forming dense clusters in the process. This crowding is likely beneficial from a thermoregulatory point of view, as it reduces temperature fluctuations. Supported in nursery colonies high temperatures(up to 55 ° C), accelerating the growth of cubs.

Chiroptera are mostly nocturnal creatures, but one species, the yellow-winged false vampire (Lavia frons), is often active during daylight hours. Common bats (Saccopteryx) from the tropics of America and some other species can fly out to hunt before dusk, and some of the fruit bats (Pteropus, Eidolon) are able to fly from place to place in daylight.

At dusk, insectivorous bats first head to a pond or stream, where they drink on the fly by gliding over the surface of the water. Then each animal feeds for about half an hour, stuffing the stomach with insects and sometimes absorbing up to a quarter of its own weight. After that, the females return to feed the cubs, while the males, and if there are no suckers in the colony, all individuals go to the places of night rest, where they digest and assimilate food. It occurs under bridges, overhangs, and in other relatively sheltered areas too open to provide shelter during the daytime. Before dawn, as a rule, it is time for the second feeding.

In the absence of young, the body of resting bats usually cools down to almost ambient temperature (daytime stupor). This energy-saving mechanism seems to be one of the factors contributing to the amazing longevity of these small mammals, which can live up to 30 years of age.

If the temperature in the habitat of bats drops below zero in winter, they either hibernate in caves or other sheltered places, or migrate to more warm places. Hibernation begins at temperatures below 4 ° C: this state resembles deep dream, in which the heartbeat is barely noticeable, and breathing slows down to one inhalation-exhalation in 5 minutes. In an active animal, the body temperature is 37–40 ° C, and during hibernation it drops to 5 ° C. Migrating bats usually fly distances of more than 300 km. The Brazilian lipfish can cover almost 1600 km, heading from the southwestern United States to "winter quarters" in Mexico.

reproduction. In the northern regions, the breeding season, as a rule, falls on the end of summer - autumn or spring, sometimes both periods. In a number of species, the time of birth of cubs can be greatly delayed so that they are born in best time of the year. For example, bats (Myotis) that mate in autumn retain sperm in the uterus for about five months, until the following spring, when ovulation (egg release) and fertilization occur. In the palm fruit bat (Eidolon helvum), the egg is fertilized immediately after mating, and the zygote develops to the blastocyst stage (a microscopic hollow ball of cells), but then its development stops and it is implanted in the uterine wall only after 3–5 months. In the Jamaican fruit-eating leaf-beetle (Artibeus jamaicensis), development stops for about 2.5 months after implantation of the blastocyst into the uterus.

The period of pregnancy, i.e. the time from fertilization to the birth of the cub, minus the delays described above, lasts from 50 to 60 days. However, it stretches for almost 6 months in flying foxes (Pteropus) and 7 months in the common vampire (Desmodus). The duration of pregnancy may be affected by temperature, since during cold weather development is slowing down.

In northern temperate climates, offspring are usually born between May and July. Most females bring a single cub once a year, but some species, such as the pale smooth-nosed (Antrozous pallidus), usually have twins, and the red hairy-tail (Lasiurus borealis) often has 3 or 4 cubs at the same time.

Usually bats are born naked and blind, but there are exceptions; in particular, in the red fruit-eating leaf-beetle (Stenoderma rufum), newborns are covered with fur. Newly born bats are relatively large, their weight reaches a third of the mother's. Like other mammals, they feed on milk. At the age of two weeks, the cub reaches half the size of the body of an adult, but cannot yet fly; leaving for feeding, the mother leaves him in the colony. If the colony is disturbed, females often carry babies to a new place: in flight, they hold on to their mother's nipples. Some bats, such as false horseshoe bats (family Hipposideridae), have false nipples between their hind limbs - specially developed for clings to cling to. At the age of about three weeks, the animals begin to fly.

Feed. In general, bats eat a variety of foods, but the diet of each family is highly specialized. Most consume insects. However, some feed on flowers, nectar, pollen, fruits. Some bats kill and eat birds, mice, lizards, smaller bats, and frogs. Vampire bats feed exclusively on warm blood. At least 3 species catch small fish, grabbing them with the claws of their hind limbs near the surface of the water; these are the big angler (Noctilio leporinus), the fish-eating bat (Myotis vivesi) and the Indian false vampire (Megaderma lyra).

Enemies. Bats have many enemies. They are often attacked by owls, sometimes falconiformes. They are also eaten by snakes, cats, martens, raccoons and other predators. Sometimes bats are caught by fish. However, the main culprit of the sharp decline in the number of bats in our time has become a man. Several species of bats are now considered endangered.

Economic importance. The main benefit of bats is the destruction of harmful insects by them at night. During the night, the animal eats their number, which is more than half of its own body weight. It is estimated that bats from the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico consume several tons of insects in one summer night. Many plants in the tropics are pollinated by nectarivorous bats, with at least one plant species completely dependent on these pollinators. By eating fruits, bats spread seeds and thus contribute to the restoration of the forest. Bat droppings (guano) serve as a valuable fertilizer; more than 100,000 tons of it have been mined from the Carlsbad caves alone. In some parts of Africa, bats are used for food and sold in bunches in the markets. One such species is the fruit-eating palm fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) in Zaire.

On the other hand, frugivorous bats in tropical countries damage orchards. Vampires attack livestock; however, they tend to infect the same animals and can undermine their health. Sometimes vampires carry rabies; some bats temperate zone also serve as a natural reservoir of this disease.

Spreading. In their distribution, bats are limited only by climatic conditions. They live all over the world, with the exception of the polar regions and spaces above the open sea, occupying all habitats except water ones. Bats are most numerous in warm and tropical countries. http://www.krugosvet.ru/articles/01/1000172/print.htm