Happy Spooky Season! Being the month of scares and screams, here at Sawgrass Nature Center we decided to highlight some of this season’s most notorious nighttime visitors as seen on millions of decorations around the country- BATS. For centuries bats have been associated with adjectives such as spooky and eerie due to the way they look and where they live, but I am here to tell you that bats are instead wonderful animals that require our attention because they are threaten due to various practices that humans have implemented throughout the years. There are more than 1,300 species of bats around the world which makes them the second-most common mammal species after rodents with a huge diversity among them. These animals play vital roles in the ecosystem as scientists have discovered and need to be protected.
Bat species in general are primarily threatened by habitat loss due to deforestation that is happening around the world. Bats primarily live in and around forests and rely upon trees as shelter and protection. Bats serve a vital function in the ecosystem in more ways than one, which is why it is important to protect them. Insect-eating bats are reported to eat millions of insects a night and act as a natural insect control both humans and for plants as well. Nectar drinking and fruit eating bats help various types of plants and fruit species. By visiting the plants for food, they help to pollinate that in turn leads to increased production of fruit. This largely impacts the food chain for both humans and animals and can affect the overall health of ecosystems around the world. Pollinators in general are key to food supplies around the world.
The Order name for bats is Chiroptera, which is Greek for “hand wing.” This is because, like humans, bats have four long fingers and a thumb, each connected to the next by a thin layer of membrane which is a commonality shared amongst mammals. Bats are also the only mammals in the world that have sustained flight (unlike flying squirrels who glide through the air), and they are remarkably good at it having evolved into these efficient predators. Their flexible skin membrane and movable joints allow them to change direction quickly and catch mosquitoes in midair. This flexible skin is very helpful for hunting purposes and allows them to be effective predators. They are also effective hunters because they utilize echolocation to hunt in the dark since they are nocturnal. They emit sound which bounces off objects and helps them identify what is around them.
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