Bats are primary predators of night-flying insects, including many of the most damaging agricultural pests & others that bedevil the rest of us. More than two-thirds of bat species hunt insects, & they have healthy appetites. A single little brown bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquito-sized insects in a single hour, while a pregnant or lactating female bat typically eats the equivalent of her entire body weight in insects each night.
Almost a third of the world’s bats feed on the fruit or nectar of plants. In return for their meals, these bats are vital pollinators of countless plants (many of great economic value) & essential seed dispersers with a major role in regenerating rainforests. About 1 percent of bats eat fish, mice, frogs or other small vertebrates.
Published on May 3, 2012
Bat Conservation International (www.batcon.org) created this video to illustrate the ways in which the health of our planet depends upon the environmental services provided by bats.
The welfare of global bat populations depends on conservation actions that everyone can take on a daily basis. Bats are often harmed because people believe myths and misinformation that have been spread for centuries. Watch this educational video and join us in saving bats!
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