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Bats: Creatures of the Night
Warning: This article could drive you batty!! Did you know that bats are the only mammals that can fly? Some bats have a wingspan up to 1.5 metres. They have a soft furry body and their wings are covered with soft, flexible skin. Bats have few enemies. Some are: cats, racoons, weasels, snakes, owls and hawks. Barn owls may attack bats while they are leaving their cave at night. Bats roost in areas with small entrances to keep predators out. Blind as a Bat Bats are not really blind but they have fairly poor eyesight. They see mostly by hearing. This is also called echolocation. A bat sends out clicks that cannot be heard by the human ear, about 20 to 30 per second. The sound bounces off its prey and returns to the bat. As a bat nears its prey, it can send out 300 clicks per second. Bats are the only living major predator of the night. The grey bat may eat up to 3000 living animals in a week. Most of these are insects. Vampire Bats Most bats are harmless, especially to humans. Some may carry rabies. However, vampire bats feed on animal blood. They have been known to snack on unsuspecting, sleeping humans. They do not suck blood. They bite and then lick up the blood. Bats Worldwide Bats are found all over Canada and the U.S. Some bats may migrate up to 200 miles. Some can survive up to -30C temperatures.
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