Types Of Bats
All About The Many Types Of Bats
There are an estimated 1,100 types of bats known to the world, ranging from the phenomenally large to the extraordinarily small. The Bismarck bat, for instance, is the largest bat in the world, and his wingspan can topple six feet from tip to tip out stretched. The smallest bat, by comparison, is the bumblebee bat. This little guy is the size of a jelly bean and weighs the same as a dime. He can hover like a hummingbird, and he can eat his weight in pesky insects each night. He is also acutely endangered, and his loss of habitat continues to be of concern. These two types of bats are only the tip of the sword in the world wide fight against mosquitoes and gnats.
The types of bats indigenes to North America include members of both the megabat and the microbat species, and the differences between them are quite obvious. There are only two hundred megabat species, and these types of bats are primarily fruit eaters. Those proud bats among this group include the flying fox, who looks exactly as his name suggests he should. The vast order of microbats ranges in size from medium to small, and enjoy a wider variety of food sources. These types of bats eat fruit, nectar pollen, insects, and the blood of a select few mammals. That’s right, the dreaded vampire bat is within this large class, but we yucky tasting humans need not worry about these little bats at all. They have no interest in our blood at all.
There are a great many types of bats on every continent, and they all do a great service to the ecological functions within their relative habitats. There are a few concerns which may arise from the gathering of bats in or around human built structures. Where there are bats, there are feces, and these droppings can attract many bacteria to them, making them potential hazardous to humans and their pets. There are professional animal control companies who specialize in the humane removal and prevention of bat infestations, as well offer cleanup of the site. This final service will have an added cost, but it is worth paying for most people.
On the whole, most types of bats are quite beneficial to humans, and do much more good than bad to their surroundings. Should you see bats flying about your yard at night, you can rest assured that your kids will be suffering less mosquito bites than usually, as they feast heavily on these pesky little blood suckers. As long as they don’t attempt to set up house in your garage, or worse yet your chimney, you and all types of bats should get along just fine.