What do bats eat? A detailed explanation of bats' main food sources
Bats are the only type of mammal that has evolved true flight capability, also known as tianshu, guashu, tianfu, and so on; there are currently 19 families, 185 genera, and 961 species, distributed throughout the world except for some islands in the polar regions and the oceans, with the most in the tropics and subtropics; most rest during the day and forage at night, so let us take a look below at what bats eat!
What do bats eat?
Bats have quite a wide range of feeding habits, 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, large bats usually feed on fruit or nectar, while most small bats mainly prey on insects.
Where are bats distributed?
There are more than 900 species of bat animals worldwide, and about 81 species in China. They can be broadly divided into two major groups, large bats and small bats. Large bats are distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Eastern Hemisphere, have a larger body size, and also have a more primitive body structure, including 1 family, Pteropodidae. Small bats are distributed in the tropical and temperate regions of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, have a smaller body size, and have a more specialized body structure, including more than ten families such as Rhinolophidae, Hipposideridae, Phyllostomidae, Desmodontidae, and Vespertilionidae.
What kinds of bats are there?
1. Flying fox: The flying fox is one of the largest types of bats; some species have a wingspan of up to 2 m, and the first and second digits both have claws. The eyes are large, and the tail is relatively short and not enclosed by the patagium. They go out to forage at dawn and dusk, feeding on fruit and the sap in flower cores, causing a certain amount of harm to fruit trees. They are mainly distributed in the tropics and subtropics. There are not many species in China, limited only to the provinces of South China, and they are now suspected of being a host of the Ebola virus.
2. Roundleaf bat: Roundleaf bats are distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World, with body sizes ranging from very small to relatively large. Like horseshoe bats, they have a horseshoe-shaped nose leaf, but the nose leaf does not have the complex structure of that of horseshoe bats; the ears are medium in size, and like horseshoe bats they have no tragus. They eat a wide variety of insects and often form large groups in caves. Some roundleaf bats are adapted to activity in human residential areas, are very numerous, and can prey on large numbers of pests.
3. Flying fox: The flying fox is one of the largest types of bats in the world, with a body size larger than that of ordinary bats, and a wingspan of more than 90 cm when the two wings are spread. Because the head shape resembles a fox and the muzzle is long and protruding, it is called a flying fox. During the day they hang in groups upside down on large tree branches, and at night they move out in groups, foraging for wild fruit and flower cores, causing great harm to orchards. They give birth to 1 young per litter, and in winter they hide in caves to hibernate. In Yunnan, China, the Leschenault's rousette is distributed, while in Taiwan, China, there is the Formosan flying fox.
4. Dog-faced fruit bat: The dog-faced fruit bat is medium in size, with a body length of 95-103 mm, a forearm length of 68-83 mm, and nostrils that are tube-shaped. The back is olive-brown, the sides are ochre-brown, the underside is rusty yellow, the hair below the abdomen is short and brownish-green, the sides of the neck are curry yellow, and the ear margins are light in color. It is widely distributed in South Asia and Southeast Asia, including Indonesia; in China it is distributed in Hainan, Guangdong, Fujian, Yunnan, Xizang, and Guangxi, and mainly inhabits tropical forests as well as houses.