Bats differ from each other in size, diet and habitat, but almost all species of such mammals are nocturnal. There are many legends, tales and stories about these animals.
In the 600s BC. e. Greek fabulist Aesop told a fable about a bat that borrowed money to start its own business. The bat's plan failed, and she was forced to hide throughout the day in order not to be seen by those from whom she asked for money. According to the legend of Aesop, these mammals became active only at night.
Scientists have discovered that the anticoagulant in the saliva of a vampire bat could be used in the future to treat people with heart disease. Also, scientists from all over the world tried to "copy" the enzymes that were in the saliva of a vampire bat to prevent a heart attack.
1. Bats are among the most ancient inhabitants on the planet. According to the research results, the first fruit bats appeared on Earth more than 50 million years ago. With evolution, these mammals have not changed outwardly.
2. One small bat eats up to 600 mosquitoes per hour. If we approximate this to human weight, then this portion equates to 20 pizzas. Moreover, bats do not have obesity. Their metabolism is so fast that they can completely digest a serving of mangoes, bananas or berries in 20 minutes.
3. Unlike birds, in which the swing is carried out by the entire forelimb, bats wave their own spread fingers.
4. The main sense organ that allows bats to navigate in space is hearing. These mammals also use echolocation. They perceive sounds at frequencies inaccessible to humans, which are then translated into echoes.
5. Bats are not blind. Many of them see perfectly, and some species are even sensitive to ultraviolet light.
6. Bats are nocturnal, and in the daytime they sleep upside down, falling into a daze.
7. Bats have long been considered sinister and mysterious creatures because they inhabit places that people fear. Moreover, they appear only with the onset of darkness and disappear at dawn.
8. In reality, bats of the vampire subfamily that drink blood are not found in Europe. They only live in South and Central America. Such vampire mice drink the blood of large animals and birds, but sometimes they attack sleeping people. They are unable to fast for longer than 2 days. These bats search for their prey using special infrared receptors, and they also hear the breath of their prey.
9. The wings of bats are formed by finger bones, which are covered with a thin skin. The membranes on the wings of such animals occupy about 95% of their body. Thanks to them, the bat regulates body temperature, blood pressure, gas exchange and water balance in its body.
10. In Japan and China, the bat is a symbol of happiness. In Chinese, the words "bat" and "luck" sound the same.
11. Many people assume that such animals live for 10-15 years. But some species of bats in the wild live up to 30 years.
12. Bats can change their body temperature by 50 degrees. During the hunt, their metabolism slows down somewhat, and these warm-blooded animals can freeze to the state of icicles.
13. The smallest swine bat weighed 2 grams, and the largest golden-crowned fox weighed 1600 grams.
14. The wingspan of such mammals reaches from 15 to 170 cm.
15. Despite its small size, the bat has no natural predators in nature. The greatest health hazard for such mammals comes from the "white nose syndrome". The disease kills millions of bats every year. This type of disease is caused by a fungus, which affects the wings and muzzle of bats during their hibernation.
16. Like cats, bats clean themselves. They spend a lot of time maintaining personal hygiene. Some species of bats even groom each other. In addition to cleaning their own bodies from dirt, bats fight parasites in this way.
17. Bats inhabit all continents except Antarctica. They live everywhere from the Arctic Circle to Argentina.
18. The head of bats rotates 180 degrees, and their hind limbs are turned with their knees back.
19. Bracken Cave, located in the United States of America, is home to the largest colony of bats in the world. It is home to about 20 million individuals, which is practically equal to the number of residents of Shanghai.
20. Many adult bats have only 1 calf per year. All newborn babies eat milk from birth to 6 months. It is at this age that they become the size of their parents.
21. Bats are harvest savers. Thanks to them, insects that threaten crops are destroyed. This is how bats save landowners up to $ 4 billion annually.
22. Bats have their own holiday. It is celebrated annually in September. Environmentalists were the initiators of this event. So they tried to prevent people from forgetting to protect these mammals.
23. Some seeds never germinate unless they pass through the digestive system of bats. Bats spread millions of seeds that enter their stomachs from ripening fruits. Approximately 95% of the restored rainforest has grown from these animals.
24. When eared bats start hibernating, they produce 18 heartbeats per minute, compared to 880 beats while awake.
25. Fruit bat meat is considered a traditional food in Guam. The hunt for these creatures has brought their numbers to the point that they are included in the list of endangered species. The habit of eating bats in the kingdom of Guam has remained even now, and therefore the meat of bats is brought there from abroad.
26. Even in the coldest season, bats warm themselves up without anyone. They have large wings, and therefore they can easily surround their entire body with them. As a result of this, complete isolation occurs, which does not allow these animals to freeze even in severe frosts.
27. The squeak emitted by bats does not always come from their mouths. Many of these creatures squeak through their nostrils.
28 Bats always listen to their own leader.
29. Bat excrement is called "guano" and is a popular fertilizer in many tropical regions with high nitrogen and phosphorus content.
30. To date, approximately 1,100 species of bats have been recorded, making them one fourth of the entire mammalian class.
