Mauritian Tomb Bat

Taphozous mauritianus

Though named for the island of Mauritius, the Mauritian Tomb Bat is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. They live in open habitats, including dry-scrub areas where there is little moisture, though they prefer areas with more rainfall.

Outside of the mating season, these bats live in small groups that roost together in cavers, tree cavities, and even on buildings. During the breeding season females roost together in larger groups (several dozen), while males are typically alone. They typically mate once per year, though some populations (depending on location) will make twice. The Bats are polygamous, and males take no part in raising their offspring.

Mauritian Tomb Bats can be identified by their completely white undersides and mottled-gray backs. They have long, narrow arms, and their wingspan is close to double their body length (about 21cm as opposed to 10-11cm).

As with other bats, the Mauritian Tomb Bats use echolocation to hunt at night. But did you know they also sometimes hunt during the daytime? And at those hours they hunt by sight? Moths, butterflies, and other winged insects are their prey of choice. These bats also use audible communication with one another. They chip and screech, though the exact purposes for their calls are unknown.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Africa
Size : Length up to 11cm
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Chiroptera
Family : Emballonuridae -- Genus : Taphozous-- Species : T. mauritianus
Image : Frank Vassen

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White-winged Vampire Bat

Happy Halloween everyone! I figured that, in the spirit of the holiday, we would learn about one of the iconic animals associated with it-- the Vampire Bat!

Now, there are actually three different species of Vampire Bat, all of which below to their own genus, but the same subfamily, Desmodontinae. The White-winged Vampire Bat is one of the three, which can be found in both the wet and dry forests of South and Central America.

White-winged Vampire Bats have not been studied very closely, so the exact extent of their range is still a bit of  a mystery. We also know very little about their reproductive habits, but since their two cousins are polygynous and give birth to just one offspring at a time, they probably do too.

We do know about their eating habits-- like all Vampire Bats, this species feeds nocturnally on the blood of other animals. Their favorite prey are birds, interestingly enough. They sneak up on roosting birds and bite into their feet with their razor-sharp teeth. Their saliva contains an anti-coagulant, so the blood flows quickly. Amazingly, the sleeping birds may not even notice the feeding happening, since the bats will drink for up to 15 minutes!

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Central and South America
Size : Body length around 8.5cm

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Chiroptera
Family : Phyllostomidae -- Genus : Diaemus -- Species : D. youngi

Image : Jude Hirstwood

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Northern Bat

Eptesicus nilssonii

Today's animal, the Northern Bat, has a tremendous range. These winged mammals are found throughout northern Europe and Asia, stretching from England all the way over to Japan!

Since they come from cold northern climates, these bats have furry bodies with short ears. They hibernate during the very coldest months, roosting either alone or in very small groups.

In fact, these bats aren't super-social at all, unlike many bat species that can be found in massive colonies. Males are almost always solitary during the summer, while females form little colonies that number a few dozen at the most.

Northern Bats are carnivores, and they hunt insects while in flight. They use echolocation-- sending out sound pulses to locate and identify prey. They hunt primarily at night, though some daylight hunts will occur when the days are especially long in the most northern regions.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Europe and Asia
Size : Body length around 8cm, Wingpan up to 28cm

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Chiroptera
Family : Vespertilionidae -- Genus : Eptesicus-- Species : E. nilssonii

Image : Magne Flaten

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New Zealand Greater Short-tailed Bat

Mystacina robusta

Happy Earth Day everybody! Because today we are supposed to focus on conservation, I wanted to talk about one of the rarest animals on the planet-- one that might actually be extinct already. Let the New Zealand Greater Short-tailed Bat be a cautionary tale, and let's also hope they aren't completely gone from the Earth.

There are only three extant Bat species in New Zealand, the the Greater Short-tailed Bat is the largest of the group (though they are still only about 9cm long). They, and their sister-species the Lesser Short-tailed Bat, are the only two members of their family. They may have split off from other Bat Families more than 40 million years ago. Once upon a time you could find these bats abundantly on the North and South Islands, but human arrival in New Zealand was the trigger for their decline.

The New Zealand Greater Short-tailed Bats are interesting creatures because they spend quite a bit of time on the ground. They can fly, of course, but are slow and never go very high. You can probably see where this is going, right? With humans came terrestrial mammalian predators like cats and rats. The ground-dwelling bats never had to deal with creatures like those, and they were hunted to elimination on the main islands.

The Bats carried on on a few surrounding islands... until the 1960s when Rats made it over there by accident as well. There hasn't been a confirmed sighting of these rare creatures since 1967, though there have been a number of unofficial reports. If they are still out there, the population would be very, very small. Rat eradication and surveys are needed to support the conservation of the species.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : New Zealand
Size : Body length around 9cm

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Chiroptera
Family : Mystacinidae -- Genus : Mystacina -- Species : M. robusta

Image : New Zealand Dept. of Conservation

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Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox

Acerodon jubatus

The Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox (also known as the Golden-capped Fruit Bat) is one of the largest bat species in the entire world... but it is also one of the most threatened. These monstrous bats are found only on a handful of islands in the Philippines, and they are in grave danger due to poaching and deforestation.

Giant Golden-crowned Flying Foxes (that is a mouthful!) are named for a patch of golden colored hair found on the tops of their heads. The rest of the body ranges in color from brown to black. The "Giant" title comes from their incredible size-- they can have wingspans that measure over 5 ft! Don't worry about that huge size though, these bats are gentle giants. Their favorite food is Fig, and they also eat several other fruit and plant types. They even help to plant the forests since they deposit seeds with their droppings.

These Bats can be found exclusively on nine different Philippines islands, though that number could drop to even fewer locations-- they have already gone extinct on several smaller islands. They live at low elevations, in areas that are uninhabited by humans. When they were more abundant, the Golden-crowned Flying Foxes could be found in combined colonies with the Large Flying Foxes, and these groups could number near 100,000. At present, the largest colonies measure around 5,000.

The species is on the decline, but a number of different programs have been put into place to keep it going. They live in a few protected areas, are under study, and a captive breeding program is underway. However, enforcement in some of the protected areas is very light, allowing poaching to continue.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : Philippines
Size : Wingspan up to 5.5ft (1.7m), Weight up to 2.6lbs (1.3kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Chiroptera
Family : Pteropodidae -- Genus : Acerodon -- Species : A. jubatus

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Common Vampire Bat

Desmodus rotundus

Happy Halloween! Could there be any better day to talk about the Vampire Bat?

Bats are the only mammals able to truly fly, and Vampire Bats are the only mammals who feed entirely on the blood of other animals. They feed only at night, using heat sensors to find the best spot to feed from (Horses and Cows are common prey). Because they only consume blood, their teeth are used only to pierce skin, and they are actually so thin and sharp that the prey doesn't always know they've been bitten!

After making the bite, the Vampire Bat will lick up the blood for around 30 minutes. They don't take enough blood to cause harm to the prey, though infections can occur.

Vampire Bats are very social, and live in colonies of up to 150 members. They are remarkably altruistic; if one Bat hasn't gotten enough to eat, other Bats will regurgitate blood for them to feed on. Gross, but incredibly nice, as a Bat can die if it doesn't feed for three days! The regurgitation technique is also used for young pups who are weaning off of milk but are not yet able to hunt on their own.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Central and South America
Size : Body Length 3.5in (9cm), Wingspan 7in (18cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Chiroptera
Family : Phyllostomidae -- Genus : Desmodus -- Species : D. rotundus

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Little Brown Bat

Little Brown Bats are found throughout North America and are one of the continent's most abundant Bat species. Their bodies are a glossy brown color, while their wing membranes are dark, almost black.

Myotis lucifugus

The Little Brown Bat is a colonial rooster. During the summer months they live in same sex groups, but when winter nears and mating season is in full swing they will intermingle near the hibernation sites before roosting in numbers that can count into the thousands!

These Bats have separate roosting sites when hibernating and not hibernating, and these locations are chosen based on their size, temperature, and humidity. A night roost, for example, is typically a smaller, more enclosed space. This is so the small colony can remain warm.

Like most Bats, the Little Browns hunt around nightfall and use echolocation to hunt down their prey. Insects make up most of their meals, and they catch them with either their teeth or with their tail membrane. A bat can eat half of its body weight in insects every single night!

Once hunting is over in the early morning hours, the Little Brown Bats return to their day roost, where they go into a state of torpor until the next night. Hibernation takes place over the colder winter months, and during that time they may wake up briefly every few weeks.

Because of their abundance, Little Brown Bats are frequently studied. Scientists use them to learn more about bat behavior, feeding, and echolocation. Unfortunately, they one of the species affected by Geomyces destructans, a disease that has been running rampant among bats since 2006.

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IUCN Status :  Least Concern

Location : North America

Size : Wingspan up to 11in (27cm), Body Length up to 4in (10cm) long.

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Chiroptera
Family : Vespertilionidae -- Genus : Myotis -- Species : M. lucifugus

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Townsend's Big-eared Bat

Townsend's Big-eared Bat

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Chiroptera
Family : Vespertilionidae
Genus : Corynorhinus
Species : C. townsendii 

Body Length : 4in (10cm)
Wingspand : 11in (28cm)

IUCN Status : Least Concern

The ears of a Townsend's Big-eared Bat can grow as long as 2.5cm, which is astounding considering that that is 25% of their body length! These flying mammals can be found throughout western North America, ranging from southern Canada down into Mexico.

Townsend's Big-eared bats are phenomenal fliers, and feed almost exclusively on moths that they pick off of trees. Echolocation and low frequency sounds play a major role in their hunting and bat-to-bat communication. They are able to receive sound thanks to their massive ears, that they can swivel about to focus in on moving targets. Young bats also make unique chirping calls that their mothers use to locate them.

Mating takes place in the fall, and fertilization is delayed until the following spring. Females group up into maternity colonies at that time, and these groups can number over 1,000 bats! They each give birth to only one pup at a time, and infants are quite large, up to 25% of the mothers size. The species is rather long lived if the pups can survive their first year. Adults as old as 30 have been identified.

During the winter Townsend's Big-eared Bats go into hibernation, and during warmer months they often go into torpor when the temperate cools.

The species overall is not threatened, though localized populations  have had their numbers reduced due to habitat loss, pesticides, and disturbance of hibernation sites. Some subspecies, including Ozark and Virginia Big-eared Bats, are federally endangered.

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Bumblebee Bat

Image Source

Did you know that the Bumblebee Bat, also known as Kitti's Hog nosed Bat, is one of the world's smallest mammals? They measure a mere 1.3 inches in length, and weigh only 2 grams! They are found in only two small ranges in the entire world. The first is in Sai Yok National Park in Thailand and the second in in Myanmar, and the individuals there were more recently discovered. Craseonycteris thonglongyai is the only member of the family Craseonycteridae, and they were first discovered in 1974.

Bumblebee bats live in limestone caves, where they roost in groups. As far as a physical description goes, they range from gray to reddish brown in color, possess a hog-like snout,They are nocturnal animals, coming out at night to feed on insects. Bumblebee bats use echolocation to hunt their prey, which is snatched both from the air while in flight, and from off of leaves and twigs. They hunt within a relatively short distance from their roosting site.

Unfortuantely Bumblebee bats are listed as vulnerable. Forest burning has had a large impact on their downward population trend, and it is now believed that their are 4,000 left in the world. In 2007, the Bumblebee Bat was chosen as a focal species for the EDGE project.

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