2. Where do they live?
Bats can be found in all parts of the world but not inccj very,
very hot places or really cold areas and on some remote
islands.
They live on all continents except Antarctica.
You can find more species of bats where the weather is nice
and warm.
On islands that are far from continents, there are only a few
species of bats. That's because it's too far for most bats to fly
this great distance to reach those islands.
3. What Kind Of Food Do
They Eat?
Fruit-eating bats prefer ripe fruit. As they fly they drop
seeds which can grow into new trees.
Bats that like to eat nectar pick up pollen. By going from
flower to flower, bats help make new plants.
Meat eating bats use vision, echolocation and sounds
from their prey to help locate their food.
Fishing bats grab little fish out of the water with their
claws. Echolocation is used to find this food.
4. What Kind Of Habitat Do
They Have?
Many bats find trees to be the perfect place to roost and spend time taking
care of their babies. Some bats actually live under big leaves and by using
camouflage they can hide from harm and danger. There are other bats that
roost under the bark of trees, while still others just hang from the branches.
Perhaps the place where most people think bats live is in caves. And a lot of
bats do find these big underground caverns a perfect place in which to
raise their babies and to sleep during the day. Bracken Cave in Texas has
close to 20 million Mexican Free Tail bats living there.
At times bats may use houses or buildings as a roosting site. Even
though these places are not as good as their natural habitats, these man-
made structures do offer them protection and are much like their preferred
roosts.
5. What Do Bats Really Look Like?
EARS: Bats have very good hearing. They use it for finding food and locating their babies. For
insect and fish eaters, the big ears help with echolocation. Usually, echoes are received by funnel-
shaped ears that face forward.
NOSE: The sense of smell is well developed in most bats. It is used to find and identify certain
foods and to recognize roost mates and young. Fruit eating bats can find their food by the smell of the
ripening fruit. Nectar seeking bats gather pollen on their snout, and by going from flower to flower
help create new plants.
EYES: Bats are not blind! For example, flying fox bats have very good eyesight and they use their eyes
along with their excellent sense of smell to help find food in the dark. Bats' eyes are better at seeing in
the dark. Most see objects only in black and white, but color vision is known to exist in some old
world fruit bats.
FEET: With their strong claws, bats are able to hang upside down in their roosts. Fishing bats also use
their claws to scoop up the fish they will eat.
HANDS AND WINGS: Bats fly by using their hands and wings. While the wings are flapping, bats can
go up or down by moving the membrane between the body and fifth finger. This is called "lift." Bats
move forward (called "thrust") by changing the shape of the membrane between the second and fifth
fingers.
