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  • Writer's pictureLet's Biologue!
    • Oct 31, 2021
    • 3 min read

Discovering the Unknown about Bats!

Updated: May 18, 2023



Hello, community interested in science! My name is Hugo Anselmo and I’m 22 years old. I’m a young biologist, newly graduated at the University of Aveiro, and currently doing a master degree in Ecology and Environment at the University of Porto. I was born in Lisbon (Portugal), but I live in a small city in Alentejo (Portugal): Ponte de Sor.

I define myself as an adaptable, multifaceted, organized, and perfectionist person.


As you might imagine, my areas of interest are the Biology and Ecology of species and Ethology, especially in mammals. And if there are such distinct mammals from the others, they’re the bats.



When we think about bats, especially during Halloween, our mind automatically sends us flashes of vampires, creatures thirsty for blood and capable of shape-shifting between human and bat.


THAT'S A LITTLE UNFAIR!



In the total of about 1400 species worldwide (almost 20 percent of all mammal species), there are just 3 that are hematophagous (feed exclusively on blood) – the common-vampire-bat (Desmodus rotundus), the hairy-legged-vampire-bat (Diphylla ecaudata), and the white-winged-vampire-bat (Diaemus youngi) – and only 1 of them prefers feed on blood that is still warm (Desmodus rotundus).


Although there are carnivorous species (like the spectral-bat (Vampyrum spectrum)), the majority are insectivorous, fruit feeders, or nectar and pollen feeders.


Known for hanging themselves by their feet with their head down, bats act in this strange way because defying gravity and standing upright requires a lot of energy.

It is more efficient to “go with flow” (in that case, go with gravity), because they have special tendons in their feet that remain totally relaxed when they hang, so they aren’t using much energy. Contrary to the humans, when they’re upside down, they don’t get dizzy because “The same valves and muscles that keep blood from pooling to our feet are upside down in bats and keep blood from rushing to their heads”, according to Ann Froschauer.



The largest bat species in the world is the giant-golden-crowned-flying-fox (Acerodon jubatus), endangered from the Philippines, which can reach 1.2 kilograms in weight, 55 centimetres in length, and a wingspan of 1.5 metres.



In contrast, the smallest bat in the world is the critically endangered bumblebee-bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai) of Thailand, with approximately 2 grams in weight, 29-33 millimeters in length, and a wingspan of up to 15 centimeters.




Like any mammals, the babies feed on their mother’s milk and there are some species in which the adult female hunts with the babies gripped. That is only possible because these female bats have 4 nipples, 2 that are functional and 2 non-functional. Their strategy is to expose the non-functional nipples to which the thirsty babies will grip tightly.

In other species, a ‘creche’ is formed and some females are in charge of taking care of all babies while the others are hunting.

The bat moms take this mother-child relationship very seriously! When a mother loses a baby, she gets so traumatized that does not reproduce for the next 1/2 year(s). Therefore, when the entire colony loses all the babies for some reason, its prosperity is very conditioned.



Why are bats important?


Although bats are feared by many people, they do an essential job controlling the populations of many insect pests that threaten the business of various farmers and foresters. If you think that’s not enough to change your opinion about bats, I tell you that “over 300 species of fruit depend on bats for pollination” (bananas, avocados, and mangoes) (according to the U.S. Department of the Interior) and other plants need them to spread seeds (nuts, figs, and cacao).

They have an important impact on nature's delicate web of life. Furthermore, the guano (droppings) bats are used as a fertilizer in agriculture and can preserve many archaeologically interesting artifacts and fossils when is deposited in caves.


Hugo Anselmo


References



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