Big brown bats

by:Greg

Of all north American species of bats,this is the one most closely associatedOf all north American species of bats,this is the one most closely associated with humans

Because of its year-round use of buildingsOf all north American species of bats,this is the one most closely associated with humans

Because of its year-round use of buildings Of all north American species of bats,this is the one most closely associated with humans

Because of its year-round use of buildings with humans

Populations are stable in the USA at this point,

But these bats are highly susceptible to pesticide poisoning and habitat destruction. Bat houses may be one important way to insure the bats survival.

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In summer the little brown bat inhabits trees, bat houses, and buildings, usually choosing a hot attic, where nursery colonies of hundreds and even thousands form. Less frequently colonies form beneath tar paper, siding, shingles, or other similar sheltered spots,. In the west colonies have been found beneath bridges and in caves. Single males have been found in attics, behind shutters under bark, in rock crevices, behind siding and under shingles. Groups of males occasionally occur in caves.

FACTS

1. Bats are the only mammals able to fly. And you thought it was the winged marmoset! Bats are exceptional in the air. Their wings are thin, giving them what is called, in flight terms, "airfoil." The power bats have to push forward is called "propulsion."

2. A single brown bat can catch around 1,200 mosquito-size insects in one hour. In Bracken Cave, Texas, it's estimated that the 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats that live there eat about 200 tons of insects . . . each night.

1. Bats are the onarmoset! Bats are exceptional in the air. Their wings are thin, giving them what is called, in flight terms, "airfoil."

3. Vampire bats don't suck blood. They lap it up. Calm down. There are only three species of vampire bats in the whole world. If you are traveling in Central or South America, however, you might see a vampire bat bite a cow and then lick blood from the wound -- no sucking involved.

4. Bats don't have "fat days." The metabolism of a bat is enviable -- they can digest bananas, mangoes, and berries in about 20 minutes.

Fewer than 10 people in the last 50 years have contracted rabies from North American bats. Due to movies and television, bats are thought to be germ machines, bringing disease and toxins to innocent victims. Not true. Bats avoid people. If you are bitten by a bat, go to the doctor, but don't start making funeral arrangements -- you'll probably be fine.

6. Bats use echolocation to get around in the dark. Bats don't see very well and do a lot of living at night, so they have to rely on navigational methods other than sight. Bats send out beeps and listen for variations in the echoes that bounce back at them and that's how they get around. Bats are nocturnal, mostly because it's easier to hunt bugs and stay out of the way of predators when it's dark. Bats do use their eyesight to see things in the daytime, but most bat business is done under the blanket of night for convenience.

WHERE IS IT FOUND?

The little brown bat can be found in southern Canada. It lives in caves, old mines, old houses, in cracks in walls and trees.

Bats gather in colonies to roost (rest), raise their young and to hibernate.

APPEARANCE

It is usually about 9 cm. long and weighs about 8 grams. It can get through an opening that is a cm. wide. It is a brownish colour with a lighter colour stomach. The wings are formed from skin that is stretched over the bat's fingers

WHAT IT EATS?

The bat flutters out to catch insects as soon as the sun sets.
It eats beetles, flies, wasps, moths and lots of mosquitoes.

BABIES

Bats are mammals. The babies are born live and drink their mothers' milk.

The female usually has one baby in May or June. The baby hangs on to its mother for a week or two even when she is flying about for insects.

After two weeks the mother hangs the baby up by its hind legs when she goes off to catch her meal. A mother can recognize her baby by its smell and its cry.

A young bat starts to fly and catch its own food when it is about three weeks old.

ADAPTATION

How can a bat fly at night? It sends out high squeaks that bounce back to it from things that are in its path. This is called echo-location.

The little brown bat can see very well even in daylight.

The bat has hooks on its hind legs to help hold it up while it hangs head down.

The little brown bat stores up fat and hibernates during the winter.

BATS ARE USEFUL

Bats get rid of many insect pests. A bat can eat 600 or more mosquitoes in an hour

OTHER INTERESTING FACTS

There are nearly a thousand species of bats around the world.

The bat looks like a mouse but is not related to mice.

Bats do not get tangled in people's hair.
Canadian bats do not drink blood.
Bats are not bad.
Bats are not blind.
Bats are not dirty.

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