Hobbies And Interests
Scientifically Speaking
Scientifically speaking, bats are mammals of the Chiroptera order. Chiroptera comprises nothing but species of bats. This order belongs to the mammal class of organisms and the theria subclass. Animals belonging to the theria subclass give birth to live offspring, rather than birthing eggs. Nearly all mammals in the world belong to this subclass. Two suborders of bats exist, Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera. The former constitutes species of Old World, or European, Africa and Asian, fruit bats. All other bats belong to the latter suborder
Flying Mammals
Bats constitute the only type of flying mammal. While other mammals, such as flying squirrels, can glide through the air, these mammals prove incapable of protracted flight. Bats, on the other hand, possess wings and fly in much the same manner as birds do. As nocturnal animals with little or no eyesight, bats prefer living in dark environments like attics and caves, which they access by flight. Unlike birds, bats rarely touch the ground. When sleeping or at rest, they hang upside down from cave walls and other surfaces. When searching for food, bats fly or stay in the branches of trees.
Bats -- Beneficial Animals
Bats are largely categorized as animals beneficial to both human society and ecosystems in general. The majority of bats consume insects that carry diseases harmful to humans and other animals. These insects also damage crops and garden plants. A single insectivorous bat can consume as many as 1,000 mosquitoes in one hour. A colony of bats can eat as many as 200 tons of insects in one night. Bats also pollinate numerous species of plants, including cacti and, as is the case with fruit bats, a number of fruit trees. Despite popular belief, bats do not spread rabies. Approximately 0.5 percent of bats have the disease, and only 40 humans have contracted rabies from bats since 1960 in the United States.
More on Bats
Most bats are predators. Bats exhibit unique behavior in their hunting habits. Because bats possess little or no sight, they hunt using sound. The flying mammals emit noises at varying sonic frequencies. The sound waves come into contact and reverberate back to the bats, giving them an idea of what the terrain around them looks like. Live animals such as insects reverberate sound waves in a certain way that helps bats locate them.
Bats possess similar social tendencies to the animals humans commonly exhibit sympathy and empathy towards, such as primates and dogs. They live in familial colonies and carefully raise their young. Female vampire bats exhibit especially warm social tendencies by adopting orphaned young of the species. Despite being considered aggressive, bats avoid contact with humans at all costs.