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BATS | Microbats, Megabats (Flying-foxes) (Fruit bats)

Megabat Flying-fox Fruit bat

Bats have somehow become associated with Halloween, full moons and legends of vampires. Scenes such as these evoke fear and misunderstandings that have plagued bats for centuries. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Bats are gentle, timid mammals; they are not blind; they do not tangle themselves in human hair; most do not carry diseases and only vampire bats (found in South and Central America) drink blood.

At last, for Microbats, they are now recognized valuable animals – especially if you’re plagued by insects. Microbats (AU) The insect terminators.

It is imperative that we understand the unique role that bats play in many ecosystems and work diligently to protect them from the very real possibility of extinction.



Bats are one of the most unique animals in the world. Since they are the only true flying mammals, they are put into their very own scientific order:
Chiroptera, meaning “hand-wing.” There are currently 1,115 different kinds of bats in the world, making up nearly 25 percent of the living mammal species on Earth.

Throughout the tropics, bats are important pollinators and spread seeds of hundreds of plants including agave (thank bats if you like tequila!), bananas, mango and durian. Scientists have also derived medicines from bats, including anti-clotting agents in vampire bat saliva.

In the United States and Canada, there are about 45 species of bats. Most eat insects. In fact, bats are the primary predators of insects that are active at night. It has been estimated that bats in the United States provide $22.9 billion in agricultural crop pest control. Studies have also shown that bats eat far more insects than birds do in most ecosystems. Because insect-eating bats dramatically reduce pests, this can reduce the use of pesticides. With fewer bats, insect populations would most likely explode, increasing our dependence on toxic chemicals and driving up the cost of food production.

Unfortunately, nearly 50 percent of bat species in the world are either threatened or endangered.
Much of the decline is due to habitat loss, pollution, WNS - white nose syndrome (United States), an invasive fungus that awakens Microbats while they hibernate. Millions of Microbats have died from this fungus since its first citing in 2006, causing starvation due to their increased sleep disturbances.

In Australia, the media mislead the public about Megabats, Flying-foxes or Fruit bats. Especially from Australian newspapers and television news. Such as ACA - A Current Affair, Australia 60 mins, Channel 9 news, Channel 7 news, Channel 10 news and Bob Katter - politician. for example.

There are many things that you can do to help Megabats or Microbats:

Implement organic gardening techniques in your backyard to reduce the impact of potential chemical poisoning of bats, as well as other wildlife.

Work to educate your friends and neighbors about the important role bats play in the ecosystem.

Plant wildlife gardens on your property, provide bat houses for Microbats and protect caves and abandoned mines from human disturbance.

Many species of Microbats roost in tree hollows. Humans have cut down many of the older trees that have the hollows suitable for so much of our wildlife. Parrots, Gliders, Reptiles, all sorts of.. the list goes on.  Properly-made bat houses give bats an alternative place to live.

Megabats (also, unfortunately, are called Flying-foxes or Fruit bats), Many people are not sure if Flying-foxes are bats, are large bats found found throughout most of Australia, Asia and Africa. They have large eyes, 20x better vision than humans, see very far during the day and have excellent vision at night, small ears with excellent hearing, long nose, they can smell a banana molecule 1.5 km away, long tongue, for getting deep into a flower and they are a pollinator.
Bees can have an effective range of 8 km and Megabats 50 km range capable of 100's of km a night. Making them essential as Australia’s only long distance pollinators.

Megabats do not have echolocation.

They have the same skeleton and internals as humans, the wing is a hand wrapped in membrane, four fingers and a thumb.

They are very intelligent often described by bat carers as more intelligent than their pet dog.

All bats have their own unique personality.

They wee and poo by inverting and holding on by their thumbs.

Why do bats hang upside down?
The body modifications that enable bats to fly mean that bats can no longer stand on their hind legs. They have a small pelvis, and their legs as well as hands and arms are altered to form wings. Hence their scientific name Chiroptera. However, bats also have special tendons in their feet that cling to objects, allowing them to hang upside down without any effort. This is the reason why you sometimes see bats hanging on ceilings or wires long after they have died. Some things, however, just need to be done right way up, and bats solve this problem by hanging from their thumbs when going to the toilet.

Megabat Flying-fox Fruit bat weeing

Megabat Flying-fox Fruit bat pooing

Microbats are small bats found all over the world. They have large ears, small eyes and use echolocation to find their food. They eat a wide range of food including insects, fruit, nectar, frogs, fish, birds and other bats.

Most bats are colonial. Some bats are solitary. The majority roost together. When a mother Bat heads out for the night, other mums will stay behind and look after the babies.  

A vampire Microbat, if sick and is unable to go out to feed, other bats will return and feed that sick bat. However, if a bat refuses to support other sick bats, it will be remembered and the next time that bat gets sick it might not get any help.

If a Microbat is found inside your house, let the bat fly out an open door or window with the light off and at night. Not during the day. If it does not fly out, put on a pair of thick leather gloves and use a bucket or box to scoop up the bat and take it outside. Take care when handling bats, because like any wild animal, they may bite in self-defense. It would be best to call a Bat/Wildlife rescuer, local council or RSPCA. If bitten by a Bat, put a box over the bat and immediately contact public health officials.

OK. So, Bats are not blind. Vampire bats do not live in the U.S. or Canada. They live in southern Mexico and Central and South America and feed primarily on cows. Bats do not get tangled in human hair or trapped in people’s clothing. They are very adept and agile flyers. Bats do not attack humans. For example, humans attract insects, so Microbats sometimes fly near humans in search of a meal. All bats do not have rabies or a disease. The biggest bat in the world is the Malayan Flying-fox found in Asia. It weighs about 907 grams (2 pounds) and has a wingspan of about 1.8m (6 feet). The smallest bat in the world is the bumblebee bat, known as the Kitti’s hog-nosed bat. It is found in Thailand and weighs about 2 grams (0.00440925 pounds). It has a 15 cm (6-inch) wingspan.

Hash tags used in social media;
#batsrule #lovethemorloosethem #savethebats #bats #microbat #megabat #flyingfox #fruitbat #batsofinstagram #batsofaustralia #vaccinatedandlicencedcarer #fledermaus #babybat #orphanbat #batsarenotpets 

Rehab Megabat male Grey-headed, Flying-fox, Fruit bat Tal'ngai Dha'run

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BatsRule!: BATS | Microbats, Megabats (Flying-foxes) (Fruit bats)
BATS | Microbats, Megabats (Flying-foxes) (Fruit bats)
BATS Microbats, Megabats, Flying-foxes, Fruit bats
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