Learn About Bats
There are over 1,115 species of bats in the world — thats about a fifth of all the mammal species! It’s no wonder that Dr. Kingston is still studying them after 18 years! Bats are found on all continents except Antarctica, which means that there are scientists on all continents except Antarctica studying them!
Not only are bats very diverse in terms of numbers of species, but they are very diverse morphologically, meaning in their physical shapes and sizes, and ecologically, meaning in the ways they interact with their environment.
Bat Biology – The Only Flying Mammals!
But let’s start with the basics, just what is a bat? Watch the video and the slideshow below to learn a little more about the basic biology of bats.
Bat Anatomy – The Weird and the Wonderful
Now that you know the essentials, go to the Bat Anatomy page to learn in a bit more detail about the different body parts of bats. It’s quite surprising how many differences you find as you go from one family to another, and one species to another. Although it can be a little confusing at first, it turns out these differences can be very helpful for telling species apart and for understanding the relationships between different species. Watch the “Identifying Bats” video on the Studying Bats page.
Bat Ecology — What To Eat? Where To Sleep?
With over 1,115 species, perhaps it’s not suprising that bats vary so much in their ecology. While most bats eat insects, there are many that visit plants to take fruit, pollen and nectar (and a few even chew on leaves). There are several carnivorous bats that take smaller vertebrates like mice, small birds and even small bats. A few very specialized species take fish right from streams and rivers, and three species in Central and South America take blood. Watch the slide show below to learn more.
Bats need a safe place to rest during the day away from predators (bats can be a tasty snack!) and that protects them from the environment. The only problem is, how do you make a safe home when you haven’t got free hands? Remember bat hands are adapted into wings, so it would be pretty hard to dig a burrow! The majority of species have to find a safe place that already exists, but that leaves them with quite a few options; bats roost in caves, tree hollows, leaves and many species are quite happy to use buildings. Watch the slideshow below to learn more.
