What do bats eat? A guide to the types of bats

Bats are also called flying mice and are the only mammals that have evolved true powered flight. Most rest during the day and forage at night, and they are most numerous in the tropics and subtropics. So what do bats eat? And what types are there?

1. What do bats eat?

Bats have quite a wide range of diets, including fruit, fish, pollen and even blood. Some species like nectar and fruit, some like to eat fish, frogs and insects, some species feed on animal blood, and some species even eat other bats. Generally speaking, the large bats (megabats) feed mainly on fruit or nectar, while most of the small bats (microbats) feed mainly on insects. There are more than 900 species of bats in the world, and about 81 species in China. They can be broadly divided into two major groups, the megabats and the microbats. Megabats are distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Eastern Hemisphere; they are larger in body size and have a more primitive body structure, and include 1 family, the Pteropodidae. Microbats are distributed in the tropical and temperate regions of both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres; they are smaller in body size and have more specialized body structures, and include more than ten families such as Rhinolophidae, Hipposideridae, Phyllostomidae, Desmodontidae and Vespertilionidae.

2. What types of bats are there?

1. Fruit bats

Fruit bats are among the largest types of bats; in some species the wingspan reaches 2 m. The first and second digits both have claws, the eyes are large and the tail is relatively short and not enclosed by the wing membrane. They come out at dawn and dusk to forage for fruit and the sap in flower cores, causing a certain amount of damage to fruit trees. They are mainly distributed in the tropics and subtropics. There are not many species in China, limited to the provinces of South China. They are now suspected of being a host of the Ebola virus.

2. Horseshoe bats

Horseshoe bats (Hipposideridae) are distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World, and range in body size from very small to relatively large. Like the Rhinolophidae, they have a horseshoe-shaped nose leaf, but the nose leaf does not have the complex structure seen in Rhinolophidae; the ears are medium in size and, as in Rhinolophidae, there is no tragus. They eat a wide variety of insects and often form large colonies in caves. Some horseshoe bats have adapted to activity in areas where humans live and are very numerous, and can prey on large numbers of pests.

3. Flying foxes

Flying foxes are among the largest types of bats in the world. They are larger than ordinary bats, with both wings spread reaching more than 90 cm. Because the head shape resembles that of a fox and the muzzle is long and protruding, they are called flying foxes. By day they hang upside down in groups on the branches of large trees, and at night they set out in groups to forage for wild fruit and flower cores, causing great damage to orchards. They give birth to 1 young per litter, and in winter they hide in caves to hibernate. In China, the Leschenault's rousette is found in Yunnan, while the Formosan flying fox is found in Taiwan, China.

4. Dog-faced fruit bats

Dog-faced fruit bats are medium in size, with a body length of 95-103 mm and a forearm length of 68-83 mm. The nostrils are tube-like. The back is olive-brown and the sides are ochre-brown; the underside is rusty yellow, and the fur below the abdomen is short and brownish-green. The sides of the neck are curry yellow, and the ear margins are light in color. They are widely distributed in South Asia and Southeast Asia, including Indonesia. In China they are distributed in Hainan, Guangdong, Fujian, Yunnan, Xizang and Guangxi, and mainly inhabit tropical forests and houses.

Summary: The above is the relevant introduction to what bats eat and what types there are. We hope it is helpful to friends who need it!