Hello, Batlings!
Today I decide to debunk some myths about bats! But, please, DON'T take my word for it, look it up and find out for yourself.
Today I decide to debunk some myths about bats! But, please, DON'T take my word for it, look it up and find out for yourself.
Myth 1: All bats drink blood.
There are 900 to over 1,200 species of bat, and out of those there are only three bat species that actually feed on blood: The Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus), the Hairy-legged Vampire Bat (Diphylla ecaudata) and the White-winged Vampire Bat (Diaemus youngi). All three species are native to the Rainforests of America, ranging from Mexico to Brazil, Chile, and Argentina.
Vampire bats very rarely bite people because they apparently dislike human blood. The three species of Bats are quite different from each other and are therefore placed within different genera, but they are related.
Myth 2: Bats are blind.
Contrary to what most people believe, bats are generally not blind at all and in fact are believed to have eyesight keener than that of most humans. The misconception that bats are blind comes from their nocturnal nature and enhanced hearing abilities. Bats can see quite well during the day, and their vision may be better than that of humans under low light conditions.
Myth 3: Hair nests.
Bats use a process called echolocation, where they use sound to "see" objects in the dark. most bats eat insects, and couldn't care less about your hair.
Bye Batlings!
Great piece on bats! When I work as a docent at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, one of my favorite things to interpret is bats! Most people don't know anything about them! It's so much fun to explain the REAL facts, as you did here! I have bats that live in the eaves of my private patio in the warm weather. I love to watch them come and go. They are insectivores, but I'm not sure which species I have, though I suspect at least some are Mexican freetails.
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