Transcript Bats A to Z

Bats A to Z
An alphabet book about
bats
Dana LeBlanc - Lubee Bat Conservancy
A is for
appetite.
Fruit bats can
eat half their
body weight
each night in
fruit, leaves,
flowers, pollen
and nectar.
Photo: Malayan flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) and browse feeder - Dana LeBlanc
B is for bones. Bats have thin strong
bones which aid them in flight.
Photo: Neotropical fruit bat measurement - Dana LeBlanc
C is for claws.
Bats have claws
on their thumbs
and toes.
Photos: Malayan flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) – Dana LeBlanc
D is for deserts.
Several species of
bats live in deserts
and help pollinate
plants like the
Saguaro cactus.
Photo: Desert – Pam Thomas
E is for echolocation.
Insect-eating bats use
sound to identify
sources of food and to
navigate in the dark.
They use their ears to
listen for echoes.
Photo: Mexican free-tailed bat Dr. Darryl Heard
All bats have eyes, but
some can only see in
black and white.
Photo: Jamaican fruit bat Dr. Darryl Heard
F is for food. Bats will eat a wide variety
of items such as: fruit, flowers, frogs, and
fish.
Photo: Floss tree – Dana LeBlanc
Photo: Malayan flying fox and pumpkin – Dana LeBlanc
G is for giants.
There are several
giant flying foxes
that live in Asia.
These bats can
have six foot
wing spans and
live to be 20
years old.
Photo: Malayan flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus)– Dana LeBlanc
H is for hair.
Bats are mammals
and they have hair
or fur.
Bats also hang
upside when they
are resting.
Photo: Rodrigues fruit bat (Pteropus rodricensis) and basket – Dana LeBlanc
I is for insects. Bats in the United
States are known for eating a variety of
insect pests.
Photos: Dana LeBlanc
J is for juice.
Fruit bats chew
fruit and flowers
and drink the
juice. They spit
out the fiber.
Photo: Malayan flying fox and nectar feeder – Dana LeBlanc
K is for
kingdom.
There are over a
thousand
different species
of bats in the
world. They are
an important part
of the animal
kingdom.
Photo: Indian flying fox (Pteropus giganteus) – Dana LeBlanc
L is for leaves. Fruit bats eat a wide
variety of leaves. Some bats will also build
“tents” in foliage.
Photo: Dog-faced fruit bat (Cynopterus brachyotis) – Dana LeBlanc
M is for milk.
Mammals feed
their babies
milk until they
are able to eat
solid food.
Photo: Malayan flying fox pup (Pteropus vampyrus) – Dana LeBlanc
N is for nocturnal. Nocturnal animals are
active at night and sleep during the day.
Photo: Malayan flying foxes (Pteropus vampyrus) in flight cage – Dana LeBlanc
O is for oceans.
Many rare bat
species live on
islands
in the
Indian
and
Pacific
Oceans.
Photo: Rodrigues fruit bat (Pteropus rodricensis) – Dr. Darryl Heard
Photos: Beach and Scuba diver – Pam Thomas
P is for pup, which is the term used for a
baby bat. P is also for patagium, which is
the double layer of skin that makes up the
wings.
Photos: Malayan flying fox pups (Pteropus vampyrus) – Dana LeBlanc
Q is for quarrel. Bats will fight over food
and territories just like other animals.
Photo: Malayan flying foxes (Pteropus vampyrus) with a fig – Dana LeBlanc
R is for roost which is a
place that bats hang
upside down and rest.
Photos: Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) and dog-faced fruit bat (Cynopterus brachyotis) – Dana LeBlanc
S is for sense of smell. Bats like the spearnosed fruit bat use their noses to find food.
Photos: Spear-nosed fruit bat (Phyllostomus hastatus) – Dana LeBlanc
T is tragus, a small projection in the ear that
helps the bat to hear. Some bats also have long
tongues while others have a tail.
Photo: Neotropical fruit bat – Dr. Darryl Heard
Photo: Malayan flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) – Dana LeBlanc
U is for unique. Bats are
unique among mammals
Because they are the only
ones that can truly fly.
Photo: Dog-faced fruit bat (Cynopterus brachyotis) – Dana LeBlanc
Photo: Malayan flying fox with dates on chain – Dana LeBlanc
V is for vision. All bats
can see using their eyes,
but some bats can also
see through sound called
echolocation.
Photo: Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus agyptiacus) – Dr. Darryl Heard
Photo: Short-tailed leaf-nosed bat (Carollia perspicillata) – Dr. Darryl Heard
W is for wings. Bat use their wings
not only to fly, but to cool themselves by
fanning.
Photos: Little golden-mantled flying foxes (Pteropus pumilus) – Dana LeBlanc
X is for x-ray. Veterinarians use x-rays to take
pictures of an animal to check for fractured
bones and other health problems.
Photos: Flying fox radiographs – Dr. Darryl Heard
Y is for you.
Some bats
are in trouble
and could go
extinct if we
don’t protect
them in the
wild.
Photo: Florida Museum of Natural History Presentation – Dr. Allyson Walsh
Z is for zoos. Zoos educate the public about bats
and save species that are rare and endangered.
The golden bat (Pteropus rodricensis) can be
found in many zoos, but in nature only exists on
one island.
Photos: Dana LeBlanc