Bats belong to the order Chiroptera. It means that both forelimbs transformed into large wings, and the highly elongated fingers serve as a frame for them.

This structure does not allow them to soar like birds, forcing them to constantly flap their wings.

Flight speed bats can vary from 15 km/h with simple movement, up to 60 km/h while catching insects.

Another distinctive feature of these animals is landing method. In a short period of time, bats need to slow down and sit head down on a horizontal surface. They don't create nests.

REFERENCE! They feed on the fly, catching various insects right in the air. Typically, one animal can catch up to 200 mosquitoes in an hour.

Photo

You can take a closer look at the bats in the photo with the names of the species.

White bat in the photo:

Bulldog Bat:

Bat fruit dog:

Smooth-nosed bat:

Night bat:

Horseshoe bat:

Pig-nosed bat in the photo:

Long-eared bat:

Vampire bat in the photo:

Evening bat:

Varieties

White

Tailless or Honduran white bat - one of the little representatives families. In addition to Honduras, he also lives in Central America - Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama.

Body - up to 4.5 cm long, small ears, nose unusual shape. Through it, animals produce echolocation - this structure makes it possible to focus and amplify the signals sent.

They live under large sheets heliconia, gnawing holes in them so that the ends, hanging down, form a tent. They eat fruits.

Usually a family of 5-6 bats lives under one leaf, but sometimes several families unite into a large clan. Females give birth one cub per year.

Pig Nose

Hog-nosed bat or bumblebee mouse was discovered in 1973. The bat received its second name due to its size - body no more than 3.3 cm, and weight - up to 2 grams. This is the smallest bat.

In addition, on the muzzle there is a characteristic a nose that resembles a pig's snout. The ears are large, but, unlike other animals of the family, the pig-nosed mouse does not have a tail.

Basic habitat - Thailand and some neighboring lands. Lives in limestone caves and flies out to hunt in groups of 4-5 animals.

Do not move more than 1 km from the place of residence. Looking for insects in bamboo thickets or teak wood. There is no exact data on reproduction; most likely the female gives birth to one cub per year.

Vechernitsa

Evening bats are one of the large genera of bats, which includes 8 species and 13 subspecies. They live in Europe and North Africa, where are the largest bats of their own kind.

Body length - from 10 to 50 cm. It lives mainly in deciduous forests; it does not settle in treeless areas.

Hunts at dusk and dawn, preferring beetles and butterflies. The largest noctules are gigantic, may eat small songbirds.

REFERENCE! They are the fastest flyers - they can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h, rising to a height of up to 100 meters.

They are sensitive to frost, therefore, with the onset of cold weather, they migrate over distances of up to 1000 km. Females give birth to one or two, rarely three cubs.

Flying dog and fox

Flying dogs or flying foxes, the fruit bat is the common name for a whole species of animal, the fruit bat.

In fact, they are not bats, which are insectivorous, but are closer in structure and development to herbivorous primates.

The main differences from each other are - food consumed, wing structure, the use of echolocation in mice and vision in fruit bats.

These animals not found in Russia, their main place of residence is Asian rainforests Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Laos and other countries.

They received the nickname "flying dogs" because characteristic elongated muzzle. Adult fruit bats are large in size - body up to 42 cm, wings up to 1.7 meters. Weight up to 900 grams.

They live in large colonies, settling in trees. Eat tropical fruits, especially love bananas, papaya, coconuts, grapes and others.

Due to their gastronomic preferences, fruit bats are called “fruit mice.” The fruits are not eaten, but only suck the juice and pulp out of them.

IMPORTANT! A flock of fruit bats can cause significant harm farming, “eating” fruits on all the trees in the garden.

Animals sleep upside down. You can often observe a picture when on cold nights one wing is used as a blanket, wrapping the entire body, and on hot nights - instead of a fan.

The female gives birth to one cub per year.

Smooth-nosed

Smooth-nosed bats are a large family with more than 318 species.

They got their name due to the fact that they do not have any characteristic distinctive features, the muzzle is smooth without cartilaginous outgrowths.

The smooth-nosed family includes bats, bats, noctules, long-eared bats and many others.

Live all over the world where there is woody vegetation. There are 37 species of such mice found in Russia.

They are active at dusk or at night, when hunt for various insects. Certain types of bats eat fish.

During the cold period, hibernation occurs, but some (such as noctules) fly away to more warm places. Females give birth once per season, 1-2, less often 3-4 individuals.

Ushan

Long-eared bats are a type of bat that has large ears, used for echolocation. In sleeping animals they hide under folded wings.

Thanks to its short but wide wings, this animal can flutter and even hover briefly in the air to hunt insects. Body length - 5-6 cm.

Distributed throughout the continent from the Atlantic to Pacific Ocean, in northern Asia, North Africa.

They feed on mosquitoes, moths, beetles, and other similar things. insects. The female gives birth to one, less often two, cubs during the year.

Nocturnal

Noctules or short-eared bats are a species of smooth-nosed bat.

REFERENCE! The main difference from all similar animals is that they fly out to hunt very late, after complete darkness. At the same time, the flight itself is slow and calm.

Body length - 3.5-8.5 cm. Distributed Worldwide, except for the Arctic zones.

In general, they are the only species that has adapted to life in absolutely any natural conditions, even fatal to other bats. There are about 19 species in Russia.

They feed on nocturnal insects. The female brings one, or less often two, cubs during the year.

Horseshoe bats

Horseshoe bats are a species of bat that was so named because cartilaginous growth around the nose, looking like a horseshoe.

This structure is necessary for echolocation, the signals of which are emitted through the nostrils. Distributed in the eastern hemisphere, in Russia they live only in the Caucasus.

They eat insects, which are hunted on the fly. They may freeze in place for a short time.

They fly out to hunt about half an hour after sunset, and show activity first half of the night. Females give birth to only one cub during the year.

Bulldogs

Bulldog bats are a family that is different from all other bats more developed wings- they are narrow, long and pointed.

Because of this, the flapping frequency is slightly higher than that of other mice. Average body length - 4-14.5 cm. Live in tropical areas both hemispheres.

They can form groups of several tens to millions of individuals. The flight is rapid, the echoes are very high intensity.

Some species can produce 3 litters per year, consisting of one young each time.

Vampire

IMPORTANT! They are dangerous for people and domestic animals, since during a bite they can transmit rabies and various infectious diseases.

They only eat fresh blood other animals or birds, may occasionally attack and on sleeping people.

Echolocation is poorly developed; when hunting, they rely more on excellent hearing and infrared receptors. With the help of the latter, the least protected area of ​​the skin is determined.

They live in Central and South America.

Conclusion

The world of bats is very diverse. Here you can find both animals of very tiny sizes and individuals with wings over 1.5 meters.

Most bats eat insects, which benefits people and agriculture.

However, there are species that can eat fruit, or even attack sleeping animals and birds for the purpose of extracting blood.

Video

A short film about the species of bats and their life characteristics:

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Bats are small, furry animals that expertly dart through the sky as dusk sets in.
Almost all species of bats are nocturnal, resting during the day, hanging upside down, or huddled in some kind of hole.

The bats belong to the order Chiroptera, and make up its main part. It is worth noting that bats live on all continents of our planet, except Antarctica.

It is not realistic to see a mouse in flight; their flapping flight is very different from the flight of birds and insects, surpassing them in maneuverability and aerodynamics.

The average speed of bats in flight is from 20-50 km/h. Their wings have brushes with long fingers connected by a thin but strong leathery membrane. This membrane stretches 4 times without rupture or damage. During flight, the mouse performs symmetrical flapping of its wings, pressing them tightly towards itself, much more tightly than other flying animals, thus improving the aerodynamics of its flight.

The flexibility of the wing allows the Bat to instantly turn 180 degrees, practically without making a turn. Bats are also capable of hover in the air like insects, making rapid flapping of their wings.

Echolocation of Bats

For orientation Bats use echolocation, and not by sight. During flight, they send ultrasonic pulses, which are reflected from various items, including living ones (insects, birds), are caught by the auricles.

The intensity of ultrasonic signals sent by a mouse is very high, and in many species reaches up to 110-120 decibels (a passing train, a jackhammer). However, the human ear cannot hear them.

Echolocation helps the mouse not only navigate in flight, maneuvering in a dense forest, but also control the flight altitude, hunt, pursue prey, and look for a place to sleep during the day.

The bats often sleep in groups, despite small size, they have high level socialization.

Songs of the Bats

Among mammals (other than humans), bats are the only ones that use very complex vocal sequences to communicate. This sounds like bird songs, but much more complicated.

Mice sing songs during the courtship of a male with a female, to protect his territory, to recognize each other and indicate his status, when raising cubs. Songs are published in the ultrasonic range; a person can only hear what is “sung” at low frequencies.

In winter, some bats migrate to warmer regions, while others spend the winter by hibernating.

Conservation status of the Bat

All European bat species are protected by many international conventions, including the Berne Convention (conservation of European animals) and the Bonn Convention (conservation of migratory animals). In addition, all of them are listed in the IUCN International Red Book. Some species are considered endangered, and some are considered vulnerable, requiring constant monitoring. Russia has signed all international agreements on the protection of these animals. All species of bats are also protected by domestic legislation. Some of them are included in the Red Book. According to the law, not only the bats themselves, but also their habitats, primarily shelters, are subject to protection. That is why neither the sanitary inspection nor the veterinary authorities simply have the right to take any measures regarding the found settlements of chiropterans in the city, and also, by law, a person does not have the right to destroy the habitats of mouse colonies and the mice themselves.

Interesting facts about Bats

1. Exists international night bats. This holiday is celebrated on September 21 in order to draw attention to the problems of the survival of these animals. In Russia, this environmental holiday has been celebrated since 2003.

2. In one hour, a bat can eat up to 600 mosquitoes, which, based on the weight of a person, would be equal to about 20 pizzas.

3. Bats are not obese.

4. Bats sing songs at high frequencies.

Living 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, have caused many myths and superstitions to arise around their persons.

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 speculations were not invented without reason.

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

However, they were given all sorts of nicknames. For example, in Rus' they were called eared ears, bats, bats and much more.

Bats move by echolocation

Bat– not related to rodents animal and attributed by zoologists to the order Chiroptera. The uniqueness of these representatives of the earth's fauna, which also includes fruit bats, lies in the fact that they 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 even animals can soar in the sky. And the bat is a clear 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 that connect the limbs of the animal, being stretched between them, that is, between the arms and their incredibly long fingers in front, as well as the legs and tail in the back.

Such wings, which make up a significant portion of the size of the entire animal, can have a span of almost a meter. But that's only large specimens, because it is possible to give an example of 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, maintaining their warmth in bad weather.

The head of flying animals is small and round in shape. Their body is covered with dull, dark gray or brownish, in some cases other shades, fur. It can be different: thick and shaggy or short, even and sparse.

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

The vision of such creatures is weak, and they do not feel any particular need for it, because the animals spend most of their lives in the dark. But the ears are of considerable size, and these organs perfectly capture a wide variety of, even completely indistinguishable noises.

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

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

This method of perceiving objects is called echolocation.

Types of bats

What class does a 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 their species is complicated due to the hidden lifestyle that these creatures are accustomed to leading. But currently there are about seven hundred varieties of such flying animals.

Is it true that they are vampires? If we divide bats by 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 special description.

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

These creatures live up to their name by appearing quite sinister. They often unite into large colonies of individuals and settle in secluded caves. There they hide in daytime in the company of his brothers, falling asleep in a head-down position. And they go out to hunt exclusively at night, attacking cattle, sometimes even per 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 ways, the size of these animals is very small, and they weigh only 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 only attack birds.

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

• The furry-legged vampire is a resident of the same region. These representatives of the fauna are interesting because they are not afraid of people at all, they can let you get close to them and allow them to pick you up.

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

Their characteristics also include the absence of too acute hearing, inherent in other relatives. Such animals have more developed vision.

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

Unlike fellow vampires, other species 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 fellow tribesmen, and therefore treat them with caution. But the appearance of herbivorous and insectivorous specimens also has interesting features, just as their behavior stands out brightly individual characteristics. And therefore some of them are also worthy 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 plant fruits. In appearance, this species differs from its relatives in the more pointed shape of its ears.

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

False vampire major representative bats

• The giant noctule is common in Europe. These chiropteran creatures also live in the Russian expanses, where they are considered the largest among their tribe. Their wingspan in some cases reaches half a meter, and their weight averages 75 g.

What makes these representatives of the fauna very remarkable is not only their impressive size, but also their bright color; it can be brown or red. Their bellies, as is usual with most bats, are noticeably lighter.

To live, the animals choose tree hollows and feed on insects. In cold weather they fly to warmer regions.

• The hog-nosed bat is so small that it can easily be confused with a bumblebee. And such creatures weigh only 2 g. They are inhabitants of some islands of Asia and Thailand, considered endemic to these regions.

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

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

Moreover, unlike their relatives, they can hunt during the daytime. The appearance of the animals is also remarkable, resembling the structure of the muzzle and ears. Their fur is red and very bright.

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

Great harelip bat

• The brown long-eared bat is found in Eurasia and northern Africa. From cold places it flies in winter to warmer regions. It has a not very striking color, usually brown-gray, and a body weight of only 12 g, but it has very large ears.

It should be noted that their length sometimes exceeds the size of the body. And it is these organs that provide the animal with the ability to hear all sounds perfectly. And this allows the animal to accurately navigate in pitch darkness during a night hunt.

The presence of large ears gave the bat its name - brown long-eared bat

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 therefore the 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 a bat can take root almost anywhere, in any climate and in a wide variety of conditions. The only thing she really needs is a quiet shelter where she can hide from the hated sunlight during the day.

Such creatures also do not tolerate noise and fuss, but even in major cities they may choose some little-frequented attic, even in residential building. Therefore, they can rightfully be presented like pets. Bat has no fear of humans.

But some of the people are afraid of such guests, it’s just prejudice. 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 the 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 fruit.

But despite numerous aggregations and associations into communities, bats cannot be called social animals. Their social urges do not manifest themselves in any way. They communicate little with their relatives. They just sleep together during the day, that's all. And they hunt alone at night.

If bats live in regions with unfavorable climate, in winter they often go in search of nicer and warmer places. And such journeys sometimes take place thousands of kilometers away. But sometimes these creatures prefer to simply go into normal hibernation.

Bats can gather in columns of millions

Nutrition

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

However, their teeth are blunter and serve more likely to grind rough food that enters the mouth. Some blood-sucking species are able to cause significant harm to their victims, because the enzymes that enter the victim’s blood along with the saliva of attacking animals during a bite can provoke significant blood loss.

And if the attack is carried out by a whole group, for example, ordinary vampires, a fatal outcome is more than likely.

As already mentioned, night for such creatures 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 capable of eating rain fish, small fish, and frogs. There are also enough species that eat exclusively fruits and drink flower nectar.

Reproduction and lifespan

It is difficult for scientists to find out in detail how exactly the courtship and subsequent mating of these creatures occurs; they prefer to lead a very secretive lifestyle.

Some bats can feed on flower nectar

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

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

And this reveals another feature of these animals. Bat, or rather a female individual of this suborder, is not able to become pregnant immediately, but some time after contact with a partner.

After all, according to nature’s plan, her eggs will be fertilized only after spring awakening. Until this moment, the male’s sperm remains, as it were, in her body in reserve.

The duration of gestation is also impossible to say with precision, because the timing turns 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 the tail pouch. And a week later they get out of there, but continue to live, feeding on mother’s milk.

In this way, the babies gradually gain strength, and after a month they are already able to feed. on our own.

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

It is interesting that when kept at home, such animals do not live longer, as is observed in most living creatures, but, on the contrary, shorter. This is due to the inability to behave with the desired activity and in accordance with natural cycles. And this has an extremely detrimental effect on their bodies.

A bat is a mammal that belongs to placental mammals, a species of bats, is rightfully considered the most mysterious animal. On the one hand, the bat is the only mammal that can move through the air; Based on this ability, they claimed that it was a bird. But, on the other hand, they are viviparous; they feed their young with milk, which birds do not do.

The nocturnal lifestyle of these animals and frightening appearance created many legends around them, and some are absolutely convinced that small animals sleeping in secluded places upside down are real vampires who hunt people and animals to drink their blood. Not everything in these legends is fiction.

The name “bat” itself appeared in Russian only at the beginning of the 17th century, thanks to the translation of a German book. This literary variant caught on, and this is how the animals of the order Chiroptera began to be called.

In Russia, other names were also found: pipistrelle, kozhan, noctule, nocturnal bat, horseshoe bat, long eared bat, arrow-eared bat, tubebill and others. Reflected in everyone external sign these mammals or the features of their way of life.

The same thing is observed in the modern name. Animals that have no family connection with the order of rodents closely resemble them in appearance. And the sound of a bat is similar to the squeak of rodents, and the ability to fly adds a definition that has become the name of the order Chiroptera.

What do bats look like?

It is believed that every fourth mammal on earth belongs to the order Chiroptera. Despite the species differences, they all have common external features.

Wings

Main hallmark these animals have wings. It was precisely because of its presence that the debate continued for a long time: a bat is still a bird or an animal.

The wings are thin membranes that are stretched between the fore and hind limbs. Unlike birds, bats do not have feathers, and membranes are attached to the very long fingers of the forelimbs.

The wingspan, depending on the type, can vary from 16 cm to 1.5 m. Despite their apparent fragility, they are able to withstand significant loads and reach flight speeds of up to 20 km/h.

Flight is not the only purpose of wings. During sleep, bats wrap themselves in them, and thus retain their warmth.

Bat Skeleton

The animals' body is relatively small: the spine is much shorter than the modified forelimbs with five fingers with sharp claws. The animal does not have strong limbs, the humerus are shortened, so its movement on the ground is minimal, the main thing for them is flight.

The skull is round in shape with a shortened anterior part in some species and an elongated one in others. If you look at bats, the body is practically invisible. They appear to consist of a head and wings.

Animals have a tail that is not covered with hair. For most, it serves as a device for maneuvers during flight.

Ears

Ears play an important role in the life of an animal that does not have acute vision. In almost all species they are of enormous size.

Numerous networks of blood vessels nourish the ears, since their participation in the life of bats provides them with the ability to move and hunt.

Animals make subtle sounds that bounce off objects and return. This method of orientation in the world is called echolocation. The ability to quickly catch even the quietest sounds helps bats fly at night and hear the movement of potential prey.

Disturbances in the functioning of the hearing organs most often lead to the death of the animal.

Eyes

Chiropterans are nocturnal, which in the process of evolution also affected their vision. In almost all species, small eyes are located in the front part of the muzzle.

The animals of this detachment see everything in black and white. Since the bat sleeps in shelters during the day, its eyes react very poorly to sunlight.

But these animals also have their exceptions. Thus, the California leaf-nosed bat sometimes relies more on sight than hearing when hunting.

If a bat lives as a pet, then you have noticed that it rarely flies into a room in which the light is on, and to catch it, it is enough to turn on the light bulb, and the animal immediately stops flying.

Teeth

Absolutely all chiropterans have teeth: in the jaw you can see incisors, molars and premolars, and fangs. But their number, size and structure depend solely on what bats eat in their natural environment.

Those bats whose diet consists of insects have up to 38 teeth, and the length of their fangs can also vary. Blood-sucking mice typically have a jaw of 20 teeth, and they are not as large or developed as those of their insectivorous counterparts.

The shape of the teeth is adapted to what bats eat in the wild. So, in insectivorous animals, the teeth resemble mortars that grind rough food. But only those who feed on blood have long fangs.

Wool

Most species of bats have a dull color: brown, gray, dark gray. This is due to the need to remain unnoticed during night hunting. But even among these animals there are real fashionistas: the species of Mexican piscivores has bright orange or yellow fur. There are bats in shades that include light tones: fawn, light yellow.

The Honduran white bat boasts a white coat and bright yellow ears and nose.

The quality of the coating may also vary. There are animals with thick and sparse fur, long and short hair.

Types of bats (insectivores and herbivores)

Studying the life of bats is complicated by their secrecy, but scientists were able to establish that this moment About 700 species of these animals have been recorded. We will tell you about some of them in more detail.

The habitat of representatives of this species is almost all countries of Eurasia. You can also find it on the territory of Russia, from Southern Siberia to the western borders. They live in mountains, forests, and steppes. Some animals of this species easily inhabit even the attics of houses in large cities.

The body length of these bats is up to 6.5 cm, and the wingspan is 33 cm. Moreover, they weigh up to 23 grams. These dimensions allow us to say that the two-color leather is a fairly large bat.

The original coloring of the animal determined its name: the ears, muzzle and wings are almost black, the back is dark brown, and the belly is light gray or white.

Two-color leatherbacks feed on nocturnal insects.

These bats live in the European part. The giant noctule is the largest bat living in Russia. Its body length reaches 11 cm, weight – 70-80 grams, and wingspan – 45-50 cm.

The animal does not have a bright color: they are usually brown or reddish-brown, the belly is noticeably lighter than the back. But it is quite difficult not to notice the flight of these creatures, since their size is impressive.

Observing the life of the noctule bat, it was established that these bats eat large insects. In Russia they prefer beetles and butterflies.

They most often settle in hollow trees. Since in habitats it is possible low temperatures, in the cold season, animals migrate, choosing more warm regions.

The white bat got its name from its original appearance: its fur white with slight gray patches on the abdomen. But the nose and ears of representatives of this species are bright yellow, and their shape resembles leaves. It seems that the animal has stuck autumn leaves on itself.

This is one of the small representatives of bats: the body size is no more than 4-5 cm, and the weight is only 7 grams. It is so small that sometimes it seems like it is a bird.

This white miracle lives in South and Central America, Honduras, and Panama. To live, they choose evergreen forests, where they always find food - ficuses and fruits.

The original appearance of the animal attracts attention, so the bat at home is becoming more and more common.

Representatives of this species are rightfully considered the smallest: their weight does not exceed 2 grams, their body length is 3-5 cm. Sometimes they are confused with bumblebees.

They got their name from their original nose, reminiscent of a pig's snout. The usual color is dark brown, sometimes grayish-brown. The fur on the belly is a lighter shade.

The pig-nosed bat lives in the southwest of Thailand and on some nearby islands. They are not common in other places, so they are rightfully considered endemic to the area.

A special feature of these animals is their cooperative hunting: they usually gather in small flocks and fly out together in search of small insects.

Small bats are difficult to see with the naked eye, making their lives very difficult to observe.

The limited habitat has made the population of these animals extremely small. Currently this species is listed in the Red Book.

These animals live in the territory from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, as well as the Bahamas and Antilles.

The great harelip is a large bat: its weight sometimes reaches 80 grams, its body size is up to 13.5 cm.

The animals have interesting feature colors: males are bright red, sometimes even fiery red, but females are very faded, grayish-brown.

These bats received their second name - fish-eating bat - due to their feeding habits. Animals prefer to live near bodies of water. Scientists have found that the harelip eats not only insects, like many chiropterans, but also small fish, small crayfish and frogs.

By the way, they can also fly out to hunt, unlike many representatives of their squad, during the day.

The life of representatives of this species was described in detail by the French scientist Daubanton. It was in honor of him that these animals received their second name - Dobanton's bats.

Relatively small animals (weight up to 15 grams, wingspan - no more than 27 cm, and body length - 5.5 cm) prefer to hunt near water bodies, preferring mosquitoes and other blood-sucking insects as food.

Small-sized bats have a fairly wide habitat: in Russia they can be found in the lower reaches of the Volga, in the Ussuri Territory, on Sakhalin, Kamchatka, in the Primorsky Territory; They also live in other countries: Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Mongolia, Italy.

Unprepossessing in appearance (usually their fur is dark brown), they are excellent hunters, destroying entire hordes of insects.

The decline in the population of water bats contributes to the spread of livestock diseases transmitted through insect bites.

The most noticeable part of these bats is their huge ears. With a weight of no more than 12 grams and a body size of 5 cm, the ears are sometimes larger than the body. But they cannot boast of their original coloring: their gray-brown fur is very inconspicuous.

Long-eared bats are found in almost all countries of Eurasia, northern Africa, and China.

They adapt almost any place for their homes: caves, buildings, trees. Most often they fly away to warmer regions for the winter, but they always return to their old homes.

Huge ears allow her to hunt even in complete darkness.

It is rightfully considered the smallest representative of the order of bats living in Europe. Its body is up to 4 cm long and weighs 6 g. Representatives of this species have a fairly long tail - up to 3.5 cm.

The color of the animal depends on the region where it lives: in animals living in Asia, it is pale, grayish; in Europeans it is brown.

Bats settle near human habitation, often choosing the attics of houses and barns.

Representatives of this species prefer small insects as food, which helps a lot by exterminating thousands of mosquitoes and midges.

Types of bats (blood-sucking)

While observing representatives of the bat order, we found out what they eat in wildlife The bat is not only an insect and a plant. Among these animals there are also those that feed on blood.

A very numerous species has spread the opinion of bats as vampires, capable of drinking all the blood from an animal or a person. Another name is big bloodsucker. The enzyme contained in the saliva of these animals can be quite dangerous: it affects blood clotting. Even a minor wound can cause major blood loss. And if several dozen bloodsuckers attack during the night, then death is inevitable.

This not very large bat (weight no more than 50 grams, and a wingspan of up to 20 cm) spends the entire day sleeping upside down in its shelter in the large company of its fellows, and at nightfall it flies out to hunt. She chooses her prey among sleeping animals, especially prefers cattle - they cannot resist. Choosing a place on the body near the blood vessels, the animal bites and licks the blood, which easily flows out of the wound.

A person can also be attacked by ordinary vampires if he spends the night in places accessible to these bats.

The habitat of this species is South and Central America.

A representative of this species has average dimensions for chiropterans: body length is up to 11 cm, weight is up to 40 grams, and the wingspan is up to 40 cm.

Like the common vampire, the white-winged one lives in South and Central America. Its fur has a reddish-brown tint, somewhat lighter on the belly.

The white-winged vampire attacks birds; it is their blood that is the animal’s diet.

It lives in the same places as its brothers that feed on blood. But representatives of this species can easily attack both birds and animals.

Unlike other bats, the bushy-footed vampire does not have well-developed hearing, so in its flights it relies not so much on the usual echolocation as on vision.

Their grayish-brown color and small size allow them to approach their victims unnoticed.

Many researchers have noted that hairy-legged vampires are absolutely not afraid of people: they can fly very close, practically sitting on their hands.

Bats are often frightened by being called blood-sucking and dangerous, but out of all the variety of species, only three actually drink blood.

Where do bats live?

If we talk about the territories where bats live, then we need to list the entire planet. The only exceptions are areas of tundra and land covered with ice. In these natural conditions, the life of bats is impossible. These animals are not found on some remote islands because they simply could not get there.

The bat is a rare mammal that can exist in almost any place where there is at least some opportunity for shelter during the day.

Representatives of this order can be found in all other corners of the globe. Even in large cities, in the attics of high-rise buildings, bats find shelter.

In nature, bats prefer to settle in caves, where, clinging to ledges, they sleep during the daytime, and at dusk they fly out to hunt. There are caves in which thousands of bat colonies live. Sometimes the height of the layer of excrement in them reaches a meter, which indicates the number of animals and the duration of their stay in this place.

Where there is no natural shelter, these animals are located in trees, hiding between the branches. Sometimes they occupy abandoned hollows, can build themselves shelters from large leaves, gnaw through bamboo trunks, and even settle between the fruits of plants. The main requirements for their house, where the bat sleeps all day, are safety and absence of direct sunlight.

These animals are not at all afraid of people, so they calmly settle in the attics of houses, barns, and livestock buildings.

Sometimes people, not knowing what bats eat in the wild, believe that they can be dangerous to humans and domestic animals. Therefore, when they find these animals in their attic or barn, they try to exterminate them. Most bats eat insects and are therefore absolutely safe.

Bats most often live in colonies, which can number several tens of thousands of individuals. Some species huddle in groups during the day, while others prefer to hang upside down in splendid isolation.

A record number of individuals in one colony was counted in Brazil. In one place there was a refuge for 20 million individuals.

Living together does not make these animals gregarious, since they do not carry out any joint actions: they hunt exclusively alone.

Bats do not create families. Uniting only at the moment of mating, they immediately forget about each other.

In regions where there are cold seasons, animals can hibernate, which lasts up to 8 months. At this time, the bats wrap themselves in their wings, attach themselves upside down in some secluded place and sleep without feeding.

Some species are capable of seasonal migrations. With the onset of cold weather, they fly to warmer regions. Sometimes during this period bats travel distances of up to 1000 kilometers.

If natural conditions allow animals to remain active all year round.

How long do bats live?

An interesting question remains: how many years do bats live in nature? Average duration life 5 years. How long bats live depends on the species. Among these animals there are also long-livers, whose age can reach up to 20 years.

The longest-living record holder among bats is 33 years old.

A bat at home usually lives less than the time allotted to it by nature, since it does not have the opportunity to be fully active.

How do bats reproduce?

The reproduction of bats has its own characteristics. Some species living in warm climates give birth to young twice a year. The mating period does not matter to them. The secretive way of life of bats does not allow us to accurately imagine how the process of courtship between a male and a female takes place.

Males of some species make a variety of sounds before mating. Perhaps they use this song to attract the female or tell her about their intentions.

Those animals that live in temperate latitudes bear offspring only once. Usually mating occurs in the fall, until the moment when the animals go into hibernation. But the sperm that enter the female’s body do not immediately fertilize the egg, but may remain in some kind of reserve until the moment of awakening.

After hibernation, pregnancy begins, the duration of which depends on both the species and the ambient temperature: at low temperatures, the baby takes longer to develop.

Usually females give birth to one cub, less often two or three. During birth, the mouse turns head up. The baby is born feet first, which is extremely rare in mammals, and immediately goes into the tail pouch, where it spends a week. Afterwards, they hide the babies in shelters and feed them milk. It was this ability of bats that decided the debate: is a bat a mammal or not, in favor of classifying them as mammals.

In the first week, the female takes her cub with her on night hunts. He holds tightly to his mother during the flight. But after a while she is forced to leave him in the shelter, because the baby becomes heavy, and she cannot fly with him for a long time.

A unique sense of smell allows these animals to find their young after flying at night. They can smell the baby's scent from several kilometers away.

For a week, and sometimes two, the kids remain completely helpless, and only after a month they begin to hunt independently near their shelter, without moving far from it.

What does a bat eat and how does it hunt in the wild?

Almost all bats fly out to hunt at dusk or after sunset. The thing is that their vision is much less developed than their hearing. Most bats feed on flying insects. They hear their movements and pick up prey on the fly or find it among the foliage.

There are animals that feast exclusively on the nectar of flowers and the fruits of fruit trees.

Some large species also eat earthworms and large insects.

Among the chiropterans there is a bat, whose diet includes frogs and small fish except insects. The animals fly above the surface of the water and determine by the splash where potential prey is located.

But there are only three species of bloodsuckers, and they live in South and Central America. They fly out to hunt at night, find animals, bite and lick the blood.

Enemies of bats

Bats do not have many enemies in nature, although the animals are very small in size. This is most likely due to the fact that their nocturnal lifestyle does not give them the opportunity to intersect in nature with many animals that are active during the day. They camouflage their shelters well or live in large colonies, which can be quite scary for many animals and birds to penetrate.

Those bats that fly out to hunt at twilight (for example, noctule bats) more often become prey for daytime birds of prey (hawks, hobbies, peregrine falcons), which happily feed on these bats.

But also night predator birds(owls and owls) quite often attack bats, although hunting them is very difficult: developed echolocation allows you to notice danger and dodge deadly claws and beaks.

Scientists from one of the American institutes noticed an interesting fact: bats living in the caves of one of the mountain ranges of Hungary are attacked by common tits. Brave birds fly into the caves, grab the sleeping animal and take it to their nest. Birds rarely fly up to colonies, since the number of bats can pose a mortal danger to them.

In those latitudes where many tree snakes live, the bats hiding in the branches have a hard time. During the day, animals, as a rule, sleep in shelters and are not always able to react to an approaching creeping enemy. And they practically cannot fly in sunlight, so they become victims of those snakes who can eat small bats.

Chiropterans, especially small individuals and species, often fall into the clutches of spiders. They cannot see a stretched web in the dark; in this case, echolocation does not always help. But chiropterans can hear an insect beating in a web. Sometimes large spiders that feed on small animals do not specifically kill insect prey in order to catch a larger one - a bat.

Sometimes bats become food for larger predators - weasels, polecats and martens, which sneak up on sleeping animals and kill them.

But the most important enemy is man. Sometimes people destroy entire colonies of bats just because they mistakenly consider them dangerous. Although the animals bring a lot of benefits by destroying insects that carry the infection.

It happens that a person does not intend to kill bats. Some fertilizers or pesticides are harmful to flying animals.

It seems incredible that people also eat bats. In many Asian countries, the meat of these animals is considered a delicacy.

What benefits do bats bring?

In nature, bats do more good than harm. There are only a few blood-sucking species, so it is impossible to say that it is chiropterans that transmit diseases.

But they destroy insects that, flying from one animal to another, are capable of spreading infections. During the season, animals eat a huge number of mosquitoes, beetles and butterflies, many of which, for example, in tropical countries, actually carry fatal diseases.

They protect chiropteran gardens and agricultural lands from pests that can destroy crops or harm trees and shrubs.

By flying from plant to plant, they help pollinate them.

Bat droppings are an excellent fertilizer. In some caves where animal colonies live, up to a meter of excrement can accumulate.

Enzymes from bat saliva are used in medicine.

Recently, people are increasingly keeping not only dogs and cats as pets, but also some exotic animals, including bats. At home, these animals take root, but do not feel as comfortable as in natural conditions. If you still want to keep a bat at home, then try to provide it with a life as close to nature as possible.

First of all, keep in mind that bats are exclusively nocturnal. If you plan to watch it during the day, then you will have to admire the sleeping animal. But at night your pet will want to fly, which can cause a lot of inconvenience.

Pet house

Despite its small size, a bat at home needs a very spacious enclosure where the pet will be able to fly. It is necessary to equip the house with branches and shelters so that the animal has the opportunity to hide during the daytime rest.

The vital functions of bats directly depend on the ambient temperature, so the room where the pet lives should be approximately 30 degrees, which is quite high for a comfortable stay for a person.

A bird cage is not always suitable for keeping bats, since the distance between the twigs is sufficient so that one fine night you can find that the animal is flying above your heads and happily feasting on insects.

In the natural environment, most chiropterans prefer insects, which they perfectly obtain for themselves while flying at night. By the way, they should be fed at home too. evening time, once a day.

A bat at home does not have the opportunity to feed itself, so the pet’s diet should be as close to natural as possible. But this does not mean at all that owners of unusual pets should catch mosquitoes all evening and bring them to their pet in a jar. What should you feed a small bat if it lives at home?

The following diet is suitable for chiropterans:

• mealworms;
• insect pupae;
• adult beetles;
• raw egg yolk;
• natural honey;
• milk formulas for feeding children up to one month.

Feeding your pet is not so easy: you can add raw yolk, a little honey and vitamin E to the milk mixtures. You need to pick up the animal and offer it the mixture through a pipette. It is not recommended to store the remaining mixture in the refrigerator.

Insects suitable for food are usually stored in jars, but for a short time. A tame bat will happily accept food, but teaching it to eat from your hands is not very easy. It is possible that at first she will refuse food.

Knowing what voracious bats actually eat at home, remember that animals can eat up to half their weight at a time, which can be dangerous to their health with little activity. Don't overfeed them.

Interesting facts about bats

• The opinion is firmly established that bats are vampires who fly out to hunt at night and drink the blood of their victims. This judgment greatly exaggerates the idea of ​​the animal, but not without reason. There have been practically no cases of chiropteran attacks on people, but in Central and South America there are species that attach themselves to large animals that are unable to resist and drink their blood.
• Despite what bats eat in the wild and at home, there are no fat animals among them. It's all about good metabolism. They are able to digest all the food they eat in half an hour, although in an hour of their hunt some species are able to catch and eat up to 60 insects.
• Scientists have found that an enzyme contained in the saliva of bats can help people suffering from heart disease. Once in the human blood, this enzyme prevents attacks, and with prolonged use, it can completely cure the heart. Currently, serious research is being conducted in this area.
• Remembering Interesting Facts about bats, many will note the ability to sleep upside down. None of the representatives of the animal world rests like this. The fact is that this position allows bats to rest and relax the muscles involved in flight. This also allows you to save energy during takeoff: the animal simply lets go of the claws with which it was holding on, falls down and takes off in a maneuver. The lower limbs are completely unsuitable for running and pushing.
• Made amazing discovery: On the island of Borneo there is a carnivorous plant that attracts bats with special sounds. But it doesn’t eat them at all, but provides its inflorescences as a refuge. In return, the bats leave their excrement, which is much needed fertilizer for the plant, to the hospitable owner. This symbiosis is unique in nature.
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The times when bats were considered vampires and messengers of the devil have not yet sunk into oblivion. Many people are still afraid of winged creatures, religiously believing that a creature the size of a kitten is capable of attacking and drinking all the blood. Reasonable people, who have no fear 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. And the evolutionary level of the bat is much higher than other winged creatures (birds, insects).

General concepts and appearance

Apart from the name “mouse,” the air and ground representatives of the family have nothing else in common. They have completely different origins, structures, and lifestyles. Winged beauties They come from the order Chiroptera, and they were named mice for some external resemblance to a rodent and the ability to produce sounds similar to a mouse squeak.

The main part of the body is occupied by the wings. Without them, the animal will be a miniature, short-necked creature with a slightly elongated muzzle, very similar to a land mouse. Some people think the appearance of a bat is cute, others are driven to tremble by the strangely shaped nose, large ears, large mouth with clearly defined 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 The 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, positioned forward, subtly and quickly capture the slightest odors.

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

External features not only create the appearance of the animal, they speak about its food preferences. Fruit fliers do not need powerful locating devices, but they do have prominent nostrils. After all, they obtain food solely by smell.

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

This device for summer has a special structure. So, the limbs of a 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 tips of the fingers, except for the thumb, a fibrous skin “mantle” is stretched. The big one has its own function. It is equipped with a tenacious claw and serves for gripping.

Sense organs of a bat

During the day, the animal hardly sees, so at this time it sleeps. The structure of his eyes does not contain 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 not thanks to vision, but with the help of echolocation. Fruit bats have daytime vision, so it is quite possible to encounter them during daylight hours.

It is difficult for a person to imagine how one can fly, catch prey and find their way into a nest without eyes, but for mice this is a common thing. The animal emits ultrasound, which humans cannot perceive. It is reflected from objects around and returns to the owner. The radius of the wave is 15 m. Upon 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 depths of the sea. The same way of interacting with environment Of the entire world of mammals, only dolphins have them.

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

planet. There are also 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 reaches 100 km/h. Mice flying away for the winter (there are such species) are able to fly more than 300 km.

It is uncomfortable for winged creatures to walk on the ground. Their native element is air. True, the vampire subspecies has a stronger femur and, if necessary, is able to move along the surface, relying on the pads of its paws. But fruit bats cannot do this. Their ground movements are clumsy and awkward.

Diet and sleep patterns of winged animals

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

Insectivores.

Vegetarians (fruit eaters).

Carnivores.

Piscivores.

Vampires.

Bats sleep upside down. Having caught on a suitable crossbar with their claws, 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 hesitating in getting up and assuming a vertical position..

Photos

Reproduction of bats

Before winter sleep, the animals begin their mating season. It takes several months to bear offspring. The female feeds the baby with milk for 2 weeks, but surrounds her with care and attention for longer, up to a month. There are 1-2 cubs in a 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 is a lot of surprising things that we do not know about these night beauties.