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Bats - Murciélagos

Bats are mammals that belong to the order Chiroptera (ky-rop-tera), which means, "winged hand". The wings or hands of a bat have very long finger bones covered by a strong skin. Bats are the only mammals that can fly. Like all mammals, they are "warm-blooded", have bodies covered with fur, and nurse their young (pups) with milk. There are two main groups of bats - the large "flying foxes" that eat fruit, and the smaller insect-eating bats. There are also bats that feed on the nectar of flowers, and those that eat small animals, like fish and frogs.

Nearly all bats are helpful animals. In fact, tropical rainforests could not survive without bats. Bats are responsible for controlling pest insect populations, pollinating flowers, and dispersing seeds. One insect-eating bat can catch 500-1000 insects in one hour! Many plants must be pollinated by bats to produce fruit (see side bar). The only way some plants have of dispersing seeds is through bats.

Bats have excellent night vision. Fruit bats use their eyesight and sense of smell to find fruits and flowers. Bats that hunt insects, fish, or frogs can also "see" with sound. This is called echolocation. Bats that use echolocation usually have large ears and leaf-shaped flaps of skin on their noses. This helps them direct the high frequency sounds they make.

Bats all over the world are at risk because people do not understand how valuable they are. Conservationists are working to protect bat habitats and to teach people how necessary these animals are for a healthy ecosystem.

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c/o Wildlife Trust
61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964-8000
Tel: 845.365.8337 Fax: 845.365.8177