Big white bat. How and where do bats hibernate

Bat- this is an animal that is a representative of the class of mammals, the order of bats, the suborder of bats.

There are about 900 species of these winged animals in the world. Bats are very common on our planet and this the only mammals who can fly.

Animals are usually small. Of all the representatives of the suborder, the pig-nosed bat is the smallest. Its total weight 2 grams, the length of her body varies 2.8 to 3.4 cm, the wingspan reaches 16 cm. This animal is considered one of the smallest in the world. There are also quite large representatives of the species, for example, the giant False Vampire, which has a body weight of about 150–200 grams, wingspan up to 73–75 cm and wing width 14-17 cm.

The bodies of all bats covered with short and soft hair. Its color can be different - from white to dark gray, brown and brown. Some animals even have a red or reddish color. And also, in nature, there are individuals who do not have wool at all. There are two known species of such animals that live in Southeast Asia and the Philippines.

The eyesight of these animals is poorly developed, they are completely unable to distinguish colors. But this does not mean that bats are blind, some of them can see quite well. For example, the Californian Leafnoss, in the right light, can track prey with its eyes.

All representatives of this species have a unique hearing; in them it is the leading sense organ. Some animals are very big ears almost the same size as the body. Many bats have a skin-cartilaginous outgrowth at the base of their ears, it is rather narrow and small, and is designed to amplify and better perceive sound. Thanks to such ears, animals have such a well-developed hearing that they are able to hear the sounds of insects against the backdrop of strong water noise.

The structure of the skull and the number of teeth different types suborder may vary depending on the nutrition of animals. They, like all mammals, have a dental system that includes: incisors, canines and molars. For example, if an animal feeds on the nectar of flowers, then its front part of the skull will have an elongated shape to accommodate a long tongue with which it gets food.

Individuals that eat large insects have longer fangs and larger teeth than those that eat small, soft-shelled insects. Usually such bats can have 38 small teeth, and vampires have only 20, because in most cases they need only sharp fangs to make a wound on the victim's body. The teeth of animals that prefer to eat fruits are specially adapted for thorough crushing of fruits.

Bat wings are very unique in their design. The forelimbs of the animals function perfectly, thanks to the peculiar structure of the carpal bones. Their thumbs have turned into bones, and the bones of the other four fingers have lengthened, which is very convenient for changing the shape of the wing.

The bones in the wings are connected to each other using a thin and light membrane. It can be easily damaged, but it is the fastest healing tissue that a mammal can have. It recovers 10 times faster than in humans. The membrane is covered with many small hairs, at the base of which there are sensory cells that communicate bat during flight about air currents, thanks to which the animal can calculate when to speed up or slow down the flight.

The body of the animal consists of a dense layer of muscles that allow them to sharply change direction during the flight, soar into the air or rush down. All this bats can do absolutely without looking. For orientation during night flights, animals emit a high-frequency squeak that echoes back to them. Such echolocation allows bats to fly around any obstacles, not collide with them, as well as find prey and fly after it at speeds up to 60 km per hour.

The way of life of bats

Various species of these animals are widely distributed throughout the world, with the exception of Antarctica, the Arctic and some oceanic islands.

A large number of bats inhabit tropical and subtropical countries.

Members of the order Chiroptera are nocturnal animals. During the day, they hide in their shelters, these can be caves, crevices in the rocks, various buildings, cozy places underground, where they hang upside down, gathering in huge flocks. At night, for them, the day is just beginning and they fly out of their homes in search of food.

Bats living in countries with a temperate and cool climate during the cold season hibernate, which lasts up to 8 months. Some individuals, when winter sets in, can migrate to a distance of about 2 thousand km, flying up to 35 km in one night.

The basis of the diet of representatives of the order of bats is usually insects. Some can catch bugs and butterflies in the air, while others pick up insects sitting on the leaves of plants. Among the animals living in the tropics, there are those who feed only on fruits, nectar and pollen of plants. But there are varieties of bats that eat both fruit and insects.

Some bats prefer to feed on fish and other aquatic inhabitants, and there are also individuals that eat small birds and mammals.

There are other, not quite ordinary types of bats - these are vampires that feed exclusively on the blood of animals, birds, and sometimes humans. Other representatives of the suborder - pseudo-vampires, are carnivorous predators, their diet includes birds, frogs, lizards and bats of another species.

A very large number of representatives of the order of bats live in nature, here are the most famous of them:

• Giant evening party. This is the largest variety of bats living in Europe and Russia. The length of her body is from 8.5 to 10.4 cm, weight - 41–76 years. The wingspan reaches 42–46 cm. The animal has a brown-red coat on the back and a lighter belly. Darker coloring prevails on the head near the ears.

The habitats of the bat are in the forests, and its range extends from France to the Caucasus. Often this species of animals inhabits the hollows of trees with other representatives of the suborder, less often forms its own colonies. The animal feeds on fairly large insects as well as small passerine birds, which it catches in the air at high altitude. This bat is listed in the Red Book.

• White leaf-bearing. This is a small animal with a body length of 3.6-4.7 cm, weighing no more than 7 grams, without a tail. The females are smaller than the males. Animals have a white coat color on the back, which then turns into a grayish rump. The underside of the abdomen is also grey. Animal nose and ears yellow color and are shaped like leaves.

White leaf-nosed live in South and Central America, preferring to find refuge in evergreen forests, climbing not very high. They feed on fruits and some types of Ficus at night. Usually these animals live alone or settle in small groups, no more than 5-6 individuals.

• Two tone leather. The animal has a body length of up to 6.5 cm, a wingspan of 27 to 33 cm. Its weight is from 12 to 24 grams. This bat got its name due to its color - a combination of two colors in it. The back of the animal is painted in dark brown color with a red tint, and the belly is gray or white. The muzzle, ears and wings are black.

The habitats of these bats are in Eurasia, from England and France to the Pacific coast. In Western Europe, these animals are often found in large cities. They can get along well in the neighborhood in the same shelter with other representatives of the bat species. Animals prey on mosquitoes, midges and other small insects throughout the night. Two-tone leathers are endangered and protected in many countries.

The days when bats were considered vampires and messengers of the devil have not sunk into oblivion. Many are still afraid of winged creatures, firmly believing that a creature the size of a kitten is able to attack and drink all the blood. Reasonable people, who are not afraid of the animal, actively argue whether this miracle of nature is useful or harmful.

There is no doubt that this is a miracle. The only flying mammal on earth, this fact already makes the animal special. Yes, and the evolutionary stage of a bat is much higher than other winged creatures (feathered, insects).

General concepts and appearance

In addition to the name "mouse", the air and ground representatives of the family no longer have anything in common.. They have a completely different origin, structure, lifestyle. Winged beauties come from the order of bats, and they were named mice for some external resemblance to a rodent and the ability to make sounds similar to a mouse squeak.

The main part of the body is occupied by wings. Without them, the animal will be a miniature, short-necked creature with a slightly elongated muzzle, very similar to a land mouse. To some, the appearance of a bat seems cute, someone is driven to tremble by the nose oddly shaped, large ears, large mouth with pronounced sharp teeth and incomprehensible head growths.

Of all the varieties of the flying family, the fruit dog of the fruit bat genus is perhaps the cutest.. She has large, expressive eyes and a "fox" muzzle. white look flyers are equipped with a growth on the nose in the form of a horn, which makes the olfactory organ look like a petal. This structure is not accidental: the nostrils, set forward, subtly and quickly capture the slightest smells.

The bulldog mouse also has an unusual appearance. The muzzle is provided with a transverse fold of cartilaginous tissue, through the nose from ear to ear. This "roller" connects the ends of the auricles, thereby making them larger and hearing more perfect. The ushan mouse has simply huge ears compared to the body, which makes its echolocation capabilities perfect. By the way, it is this mouse that belongs to the vampire order and really feeds on blood.. But not human and not in frightening volumes, so it’s still not worth making a deadly monster out of it.

External features do not just create the appearance of the animal, they speak of its food preferences. Fruit flyers do not need powerful locating devices, but they do have prominent nostrils. After all, they get food exclusively by smell.

The ability to move through the air in winged animals is fundamentally different from the bird's aircraft. Birds have a light cellular bone structure, lung air sacs and a special feather structure with different functions. The family of bats does not have such complex structures.. Their wings are leathery membranous formations that open like a cloak, catch the air flow and this helps the animal to “push off” it and soar.

Such a device for the summer and the structure is special. So, the limbs of the mouse are not just paws, but the backbone for the wing: the shoulder is short, the forearm and four fingers are long so that the span area is larger. From the very base of the neck to the fingertips, except for the thumb, a skin-fibrous "mantle" is stretched. The big one has a function. It is equipped with a tenacious claw and serves to capture.

Bat sense organs

During the day, the animal almost does not see, so at this time he sleeps. In the structure of his eyes, there are no cone receptors responsible for daytime vision.. But there are rod receptors, which makes the animal vigilant at dusk and at night. But many species have skin folds in front of their eyes. This is another fact in favor of the assertion that the mouse moves in space, after all, not thanks to vision, but with the help of echolocation. Fruit bats have day vision, so it is quite possible to meet them during daylight hours.

It is difficult for a person to imagine how one can fly, catch prey and find their way to a nest without eyes, but for mice this is a common thing. The animal emits an ultrasound that humans cannot perceive. It is reflected from objects around and returns to the owner. The radius of the wave is 15 m. Returning, the information passes into the ear and is processed inside the hearing organ. This is the basic concept of echolocation.. which, by the way, people used to create scanner devices sea ​​depths. The same way of interacting with the environment from the whole world of mammals is still only among dolphins.

Russian residents of the flying family are small, up to 5 cm in the body and up to 20 cm in the wingspan. Their weight is only 2-5 g. Ushans, pig-noses and white species also do not differ in size. The pig-nosed mouse is generally considered the smallest mammal in the world.

planet. There are giants. They can weigh up to 1 kg, and a wingspan of up to 150 cm with a body of 40 cm. Such giants are found in the bat family of fruit bats, subspecies South American false vampire.

The flight of a bat is not too fast, up to 20 km/h. Although there is a record holder - the Brazilian folded lip. It develops 100 km/h. Mice flying away to spend the winter (there are such species) are able to fly more than 300 km.

It is inconvenient for winged creatures to walk on the ground. Their native element is air. True, the vampire subspecies has femur stronger and, if necessary, able to move on the surface, relying on the pads of the paws. But the bats can't do that. Their ground movements are clumsy and awkward.

Diet and sleep patterns of winged animals

Food habits depend on the species, which is why mice are divided into categories:

Insectivores.

Vegetarians (fruit eaters).

Carnivores.

Fish-eating.

Vampires.

Bats sleep upside down. Claws caught on a suitable crossbar, they cover themselves with a cloak of wings and hang in clusters. As soon as the animal senses danger, it spreads its wings and flies away without delay by getting up and taking a vertical position..

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Bat breeding

Before winter sleep, the mating season begins for the animals. It takes several months to bear offspring.. The female feeds the baby with milk for 2 weeks, but surrounds with care and care for longer, up to a month. There are 1-2 cubs in the litter. According to some reports, a bat can live for three decades.

Until now, this animal remains an unusual creature for human understanding, mysterious and interesting. It will be studied for a long time, most likely, there are many surprising things that we do not know about these nocturnal beauties.

Life under the cover of night, the habit of hiding in secret corners during the day and sleeping hanging upside down, as well as other oddities in the behavior of these animals, caused many myths and superstitions to arise around their personas.

In the past, they were considered vampires, and the inhabitants of past centuries were sure that they, as befits creatures of this kind, feed on the blood of people and other living organisms. And such conjectures were invented not without reason.

Undoubtedly, these are very unusual creations of nature, and their features, without exaggeration, are unique. These creatures were called bats for their small size and the sounds they make, similar to squeaking.

However, what they were not only awarded with nicknames. For example, in Russia they were called earflaps, bats, night bats, and much more.

Bats move by echolocation

Bat- not related to rodents animal and attributed by zoologists to the order of bats. The uniqueness of these representatives terrestrial fauna, which also include fruit bats, is that these are the only mammals capable of moving through the air, since they have wings.

Amateurs believe that only birds can have such a useful decoration. But this is a big mistake, because it turns out that animals can also soar in the sky. And the bat is a vivid confirmation of this.

But it should be noted that the wings of mammals are not at all similar to similar parts of the body of birds. In a bat, these are just wide membranes connecting the limbs of the animal, being stretched between them, that is, as it were, between the arms and their incredibly long fingers in front, and also the legs and tail at the back.

Such wings, which make up a significant part of the size of the entire animal, can have a span of almost a meter. But this is only in large specimens, because it is possible to cite as an example representatives of this tribe the size of an insect.

It is also curious that the wings of such animals are used not only for their intended purpose. They also play the role of a kind of cloak in which these creatures wrap themselves, keeping their warmth in bad weather.

The head of flying animals has a small rounded shape. Their body is covered with dim, dark gray or brownish, in some cases other shades, wool. It can be different: thick and shaggy or short, even and rare.

These animals practically exist in flight, so their limbs are bizarrely modified and underdeveloped, but end in strong claws. The hairy tail helps bats perform complex maneuvers in flight.

The vision of such creatures is weak, and they do not feel a special need for it, because the animals spend most of their lives in the dark. On the other hand, the ears are of considerable size, and these organs perfectly capture the most diverse, even completely indistinguishable noises.

Moreover, it is hearing that helps bats to navigate in space. The squeaks they emit are reflected by sound waves from surrounding objects and help bats create a picture of the existing reality in their brain.

For the nest, bats choose dark, quiet places where they can hide from the sun.

This way of perceiving objects is called echolocation.

Bat species

What class does the bat belong to? we have already found out. Despite their strange appearance and unique features, such creatures are still mammals. Their suborder bears the same name as the animals themselves, that is: bats.

A detailed study of them species affiliation complicated due to the hidden lifestyle that these creatures are accustomed to lead. But at present, about seven hundred varieties of such flying animals stand out.

Is it true that they are vampires? If we divide bats according to the type of food, then there are such species on Earth, but there are only three of them. However, they are extremely interesting, and therefore deserve a special description.

• The common vampire is a very famous species that has become the hero of many stories, and also numerous. Its representatives are also called large bloodsuckers and live on the American continent in countries such as Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico.

These creatures justify their name, giving the impression of a very sinister. Often they unite in huge colonies in terms of the number of individuals and settle in secluded caves. There they hide in the daytime in the company of their brethren, falling asleep in a pose upside down. And they go out to hunt exclusively at night, they attack cattle, sometimes even a person.

Also, small groups of these creatures can choose abandoned mines, hollows big trees and even the attics of dilapidated buildings. But for all their sinister manners, the size of these animals is very small, and they only weigh no more than 50 g.

• The white-winged vampire, like the previous variety, is found on the American continent, in its central and southern regions. But these creatures are slightly smaller than ordinary vampires and attack only birds.

They are distinguished by a brownish-red shade of wool, their abdomen is slightly lighter.

• The furry-legged vampire is a resident of all the same regions. These representatives of the fauna are interesting in that they are not afraid of people at all, they can let them close to them and allow themselves to be picked up.

But they have a habit of approaching their victims completely unnoticed. And both animals and birds can become victims. The wool of such animals is brown-gray.

Their features should also include the absence of too sharp, inherent in other relatives, hearing. These animals have more developed vision.

A furry-legged vampire can fly up close to people without fear.

Unlike fellow vampires, other varieties of bats are completely harmless creatures. They do not feed on blood, but exclusively on plants or insects.

Although there are those who are often confused with blood-sucking tribesmen, and therefore treat them with caution. But the appearance of herbivorous and insectivorous specimens also has interesting features, as well as their behavior is distinguished by bright individual characteristics. Therefore, some of them are also worthy of a detailed description.

• The false vampire is the largest representative of this type of mammal. It should be noted that real vampires are much smaller in size. The wingspan of such a creature averages about 70 cm.

These individuals feed exclusively on amphibians, lizards, various insects and vegetable fruits. By appearance this species differs from its relatives in a more pointed shape of the ears.

The body of such animals is covered with brown or gray fur. The paws have soft pads and hook-shaped claws.

False vampire large representative of bats

• Giant Vespers are common in Europe. These bats also live on Russian expanses, where they are considered the largest among their tribe. Their wingspan in some cases reaches half a meter, their weight averages 75 g.

These representatives of the fauna are very remarkable not only for their impressive size, but also for their bright color, it can be brown or red. Their tummy, as usual in most bats, is noticeably lighter.

For life, animals choose hollow trees, feed on insects. In cold weather, they migrate to warmer climes.

• The pig-nosed bat is so small that it is easy to confuse it with a bumblebee. And such creatures weigh only 2 g. They are inhabitants of some islands of Asia and Thailand, being considered endemic to these parts.

They hunt small insects, gathering in flocks. The color is dark brown, in some cases with a grayish tint. Their nose has the appearance of a pig's snout, for which these creatures have earned their name.

• Big rabbit. This species of bats is interesting for its special diet and taste preferences. And they feed on small fish, frogs and crayfish, settling near water bodies.

Moreover, unlike relatives, they can hunt in the daytime. The animals also have a remarkable appearance, resembling the structure of the muzzle and ears. Their coat is red, very bright.

The weight is rather big - about 80 g. They live in northern regions Argentina and in the south of Mexico, as well as on some islands similar in climate.

Bat big harelip

• Brown earflaps are found in Eurasia and the northern regions of Africa. In winter, it flies from cold places to warmer regions. It has a not very bright color, usually brown-gray, and a body weight of only 12 g, but very large ears.

It should be noted that they sometimes exceed the size of the body in length. And it is these organs that provide the animal with the opportunity to perfectly hear all sounds. And this allows the animal to accurately navigate in pitch darkness during night hunting.

The presence of large ears gave the name of the bat - brown earflaps

Lifestyle and habitat

In the culture and myths of many peoples, such animals usually appear as sinister negative characters. The ancients associated them not only with vampires, but also with other evil spirits: werewolves, sorcerers, witches.

These creatures personified darkness and death, but that is why totem animal bat serves as a completely opposite symbol - rebirth: the rejection of everything that has become obsolete, the death of old habits and concepts, and hence entry into new life.

If we list the areas of the planet where such representatives of the fauna settled, we should mention almost all of them, skipping only the edges of eternal snow and ice, as well as some islands surrounded by the ocean, since these flyers simply could not get there.

Zoologists believe that the bat can take root almost everywhere, in any climate and in a wide variety of conditions. The only thing she really needs is a quiet hiding place where she can hide during the day from the hated sunlight.

Such creatures also do not tolerate noise and fuss, but even in large cities they can choose some little-visited attic, even in a residential building. Therefore, they can rightly be imagined as pets. Bat not afraid of humans.

But some of the people are afraid of such guests, prejudice simply affects. However, this does not prevent exotic lovers from keeping these interesting creatures as pets.

In the wild, for example, in some spacious mysterious cave, colonies of these animals can number in tens of thousands of members, and even millions of individuals. In such a shelter, they rest during the day, attaching their tenacious claws to the ledges, hanging upside down like ripe fruits.

But despite numerous accumulations and associations in communities, bats cannot be called social animals. Their public urges are not manifested in any way. They have little contact with their relatives. They just sleep together during the day, that's all. Yes, they hunt alone at night.

If bats live in unfavorable climate regions, in winter period they often recover in search of places more pleasant and warm. And such trips are sometimes made for thousands of kilometers. But sometimes these creatures prefer to simply fall into a normal hibernation.

Bats can gather in millions of columns

Food

The structure of the teeth of each of the representatives of this suborder is different and directly depends on the method of feeding a particular variety. Blood-sucking species have few teeth, only 20 pieces, but they are famous for their long fangs. Other bats have 38.

However, their teeth are blunter and serve rather to grind coarse food that enters the mouth. Some blood-sucking species are able to cause significant harm to their victims, because the enzymes that enter the blood of victims along with the saliva of attacking animals can cause significant blood loss when bitten.

And if an attack is made whole group, for example, ordinary vampires, but fatal outcome more than likely.

As already mentioned, it is the night for such creatures that is the time of hunting, and their active life begins with the last ray of the setting sun. These flying mammals do not see their victims, but hear them, catching their slightest movement.

Insectivorous species, in addition to winged little things and crawling insects, are able to eat rain, small fish, and frogs. There are also enough species that eat exclusively fruits and drink the nectar of flowers.

Reproduction and lifespan

It is difficult for scientists to find out exactly how love courtship and the subsequent mating of these creatures take place in detail, too hidden image they prefer to lead a life.

Some bats can feed on the nectar of flowers.

But in certain periods, very interesting sounds can be heard near the habitats of bats. These are the courtship of gentlemen for their ladies and their love calls.

Bats inhabiting regions with favorable conditions and a warm climate are ready for mating rituals at any time and are able to produce offspring twice a year. In regions with harsh weather conditions mating of these winged mammals occurs just before hibernation.

And this is another feature of these animals. Bat, more precisely, a female of such a suborder, is not able to become pregnant immediately, but some time after contact with a partner.

After all, according to the idea of ​​​​nature, her eggs will be fertilized only after the spring awakening. And until the specified moment, the male's sperm, as it were, remains in reserve in her body.

The duration of gestation is also impossible to name with accuracy, because the terms turn out to be too different. And they depend not only on the species, but also on environmental conditions, in particular, temperature.

But when the time comes, two or three cubs are born. At first they live in a tail pouch. And a week later they are already getting out of there, but continue to live, eating mother's milk.

Thus, the babies gradually gain strength, and after a month they are already able to feed. on your own.

It is unequivocally difficult to answer the question: what is the life span of these creatures, because it depends on the species to which these bats belong. On average, it is 5 years, but it can be 20 years or more.

Interestingly, when kept at home, such animals do not live longer, as is observed in most living beings, but vice versa - less. This is due to the inability to behave with the desired activity and in accordance with natural cycles. And this is extremely detrimental to their bodies.

This animal is the only mammal that nature has awarded with the ability to move through the air. Its presence can be found everywhere on the planet, except for the Arctic and highlands. These amazing creatures appeared 50 million years ago, and today more than seven hundred varieties of flying animals are known.

General information about bats

The animal belongs to the chiroptera. This is a detachment of mammals in which wings and forelimbs form a single whole. Mice have very long fingers, which serve as a framework for membranous wings. This feature distinguishes them from birds. Whereas birds can hover without moving their outstretched wings, bats are forced to constantly flap them. The average speed of movement is about 15 km/h, and during the hunt, all 60 km / h.

The manner of landing in mice is also completely different than in birds. Per a short time they extinguish the speed and immediately take up a vertical position, catching their tenacious paws on the surface, and upside down.

Bats do not build nests, they feed mainly in flight. It will take a mouse no more than an hour to catch a couple of hundred mosquitoes.

white bat

The tailless or Honduran white mouse has one of the smallest dimensions of the entire flying family, only up to 4.5 cm.in the hull. The ears of the animal are also small, the nose has unusual shape and important functions: it is an echolocator, that is, it focuses and amplifies the supplied signals.

The habitat of the white mouse is not limited to Honduras. She lives in countries Central America(Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama). For living, a heliconia plant is used, gnawing holes in it so that the hanging ends form a kind of umbrella. Diet - fruits.

They form families of 5-6 heads, but they can also create numerous clans. They breed once a year. One female gives birth to only one cub.

Pig-nosed bat

This specimen is also called a bumblebee mouse. It was discovered in 1973, and the dimensions are even smaller than the Honduran white (body - 3.3 cm, weight - 2 gr) . This representative of the mouse flying family bears the title of the smallest.

In addition to the sizes characteristic feature the animal is a spout, surprisingly similar to a pig's snout. The ears are large, but there is no tail at all (in the only species of all bats).

Living area - Thailand and a few neighboring territories. Settles in limestone caves, has the skills of group hunting. From the place of residence does not fly further than 1000 m.They look for food in bamboo and teak thickets. It is not known exactly how this species reproduces, but it is assumed that the pregnancy is singleton and no more than once a year.

Vechernitsa

One of the largest families of night shadows. It has 8 species with 13 subspecies. It lives on the lands of North Africa, European countries. The largest of the bats. Can grow up to 50 cm.The animal settles in dense deciduous plantings, ignoring open space.

Vespers fly out to hunt with the onset of twilight and in the wee hours. They eat beetles and butterflies, but especially large individuals attack small birds. In addition to the largest sizes, they also have the fastest flight. Speed ​​– 60km/h at an altitude of 100 m.This species does not like frost, therefore it migrates for wintering in warm lands, covering about 1000 km.There may be two, rarely three cubs in a litter.

flying fox and dog

So, and also a fruit mouse, they call a whole species of bats - fruit bats. In truth, the structure and development of fruit bats fit the description of herbivorous primates more than insectivorous flying creatures.

Families differ from each other in diet, wing structure, and sensory organs. Mice have echolocation, fruit bats have vision. The nickname "flying dog" or "flying fox" was assigned to mice because of the muzzle, which, with its elongated shape, resembles the muzzle of a dog or a red cunning.

These are large animals: up to 40-42 cm in size,and weighing almost a kilogram. Wingspan up to 1.7 m.Despite their size, the animals are completely harmless, they only eat fruit pulp and flower nectar. For which they received the nickname "fruit". They sleep with their heads down. Moreover, on cold nights they use the wing as a blanket, and on hot days as a fan. They bring one cub a year.

They settle in large colonies among trees in the countries of tropical Asia (Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Laos, etc.). On the territory of our country are not found. Able to bring great damage to garden fruit plantations on farm lands.

smooth-nosed bat

There are more than 315 species in this mouse family. They do not differ in special characteristics of appearance, they only have a smooth muzzle without cartilage growths. Common wherever there are trees. There are 37 species of smooth-nosed bat in Russia.

Lead twilight or night wakefulness, hunting for insects. Some species catch and eat fish. In winter, they hibernate, only some subspecies fly to warmer climes. For one litter they bring 1-2 babies, rarely when they can bring 3-4.

ushan

The name says it all: these mice have large locator ears. When the animals sleep, they hide them under the wing. The wings are short and wide, thanks to which the animal flutters and can even hang for a while. Small sizes - 5-6 cm.

The habitat is extensive: from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific, northern Asian territories, North Africa. The diet consists of butterflies, mosquitoes, beetles and other nocturnal insects. Offspring - 1, less often 2 cubs per year.

Nightlight

The short-eared mouse, as the night bat is also called, is one of the subspecies of the smooth-nosed variety. It differs from other families of bats by its preference for complete darkness. Night bats fly out to hunt late at night when pitch darkness falls.

This species of bat beauties is the most adapted of all to any habitat conditions, except for the Arctic cold. That's why it's spread all over globe except for the Arctic. Eats insects, gives birth to one, maximum two children a year.

Horseshoe bats

These flyers got their name because of the paranasal cartilaginous growth in the shape of a horseshoe. This structure allows them to emit echolocation signals through their nostrils. They live in the Eastern Hemisphere, "Russian" individuals inhabit only the territory of the Caucasus.

They begin to hunt immediately after sunset, they are most active in the first half of the night. Insectivorous. The annual offspring is only one cub.

bulldog bats

This mouse tribe has special wings: narrow, long and pointed. This allows them to make higher swings in flight. Body length from 4 to 14 cm.They inhabit the tropics on both hemispheres of the globe.

They live in groups. Colonies can be several dozen, and maybe up to a million heads. They have very intense echolocation and rapid movement in flight. The only one of all types of bats that breed 2-3 times a year. There is one baby per litter.

Vampires - bats

They feed on the fresh blood of livestock and birds. To attack a person can cause a very strong hunger. Echolocation is poorly developed, but excellent receptors with infrared radiation (helps to determine the most defenseless area on the skin) and a hearing aid. They inhabit the territories of South and Central America.

Video "8 interesting facts about bats"

Nature knows how to surprise. Some of her creations are so unique and mysterious that you are simply amazed. For example, bats. Who doesn't remember the chilling story or movie about Count Dracula? Who in childhood did not hear horror stories about vampire mice that will fly in at night and drink your blood? Why are there children, many adults are full of fears and superstitions when it comes to these twilight hunters. Of course, all this is nonsense. A bat will not drink human blood (although there are indeed vampires among them). On the contrary, for farmers and gardeners who are not burdened with groundless fears, this animal is a welcome guest, because the benefits of its activities on agricultural land are simply enormous.

Territory of bats settlement

A creature with webbed hands-wings is the only flying mammal on the planet. This fact alone makes it unique and inimitable. To meet him easily, in ordinary life, like a dove or a sparrow is unlikely to succeed. Although it is believed that the bat is distributed almost throughout the globe, except perhaps for the Arctic Circle, the tundra, and the very distant islands in pacific ocean. But on some other islands it is the only representative of the order of mammals. And all because others simply cannot reach such long distances, and mice can overcome huge spaces above the water surface without landing.

Most bat populations live in the tropics, in the Amazon and Congo basins. There, the number of their varieties reaches several hundred, and the total number is the most numerous on the planet.. But in the taiga northern zones species diversity is represented by only two or three families. There are about 40 varieties of bats in the vast Russian territories. The middle lane is inhabited by about 50-100 individuals per 1 km2, but in Central Asia this figure rises to 1000.

The house of the bat - what is it?

Taking into account that the bat animal leads an active life in twilight or night darkness, it is logical to assume that during the day it needs to hide from prying eyes and sun rays. The dwelling that a winged creature chooses for itself depends on the structure of its limbs and the general size of the animal. For a secluded, peaceful rest, the mouse looks for natural shelters: the depths of caves, rock crevices, depressions in the sandy slopes of dunes or cliff walls, tree hollows, burrows abandoned by former inhabitants.

Some tropical representatives build themselves something like an umbrella-shaped hut from large foliage of jungle plants, gnaw through cozy niche houses in the fruits of palm trees, use the voids formed between the bamboo trunk nodes.

Human life is constantly destroying natural conditions, the natural habitats of the flying beauty are becoming less and less. Some animal species are already on the verge of extinction. It’s good that the adaptability of bats is at a fairly high level, and they learn to adapt to a new habitat, close to a human neighbor, to look for suitable shelters, at least somehow reminiscent of their favorite caves, burrows, cracks.

For example, in Egypt, bats are perfectly accustomed to the labyrinths inside the great buildings, in abandoned mines they have chosen worked-out adits, even within the boundaries of cities and villages they inhabit cellars, attics, woodpile, spaces behind shutters and architraves, haystacks. Many farmers themselves, in order to attract a pest hunter, hang houses made of planks on trees.. Such a dwelling should be at a height of at least 3 m from the ground and with a narrow lower entrance-slot (a sort of prototype of a mailbox).

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Unique adaptability to the external environment

Nature has given the bat truly amazing opportunities for survival. So, the animal is able to endure temperature without loss of health. environment equal to both +40С and 0С.

The diet of mice is also adapted to the conditions in which the animal lives. Greatest Variety taste preferences fall on tropical residents. There are also absolute "vegetarians", whose menu is flower nectar, the pulp of fruits and fruits, and there are outright predators who prefer the blood of other mammals for dinner. And yet, the vast majority of winged mice are insectivorous, in extreme cases, allowing themselves small frogs or birds.

AT middle lane bat colonies prey on flying pests on a large scale. Mosquitoes alone, the animal exterminates about 1000 pieces per night. Plus an incalculable number of field, garden, garden harmful insects.

In the United States, an interesting experiment was carried out: one part of the corn field was covered with a net, and the other was left for the free access of bats. So, it turned out that the place where the animals did not have the opportunity to hunt insects suffered from pests half as much as the open part of the field.

This clearly proves that the benefits of winged animals are very significant, given that they do not harm crops in any way.

As soon as the warm season ends, and the amount of food is sharply reduced, flying families begin to prepare for hibernation.. It is important for them that the temperature in the shelter does not fall below 0C while they are in suspended animation for several long months. With the advent of the first spring insects, the winged patrol is back in service.