We're Going Batty! - Friends of Hagerman
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by Cindy Steele We’re Going Batty! Welcome back to Puddles’ Craft Corner. Are you afraid of bats? Well, did you know that bats are afraid of you? These amazing mammals have long been misunderstood! In fact, bats actually help the environment and people by eating tons of flying insects that destroy crops and spread diseases. Bats also pollinate night flowers, such as cactus, and help spread seeds to create new fruit trees. They’re mysterious, nocturnal hunters who have captured our imaginations for centuries. Imagine you're outside when it's getting dark, and a shadowy creature flies past you. At first, you might think it's a bird, but then you realize it's actually a bat! You don't have to be afraid, though. That bat is likely trying to find insects to eat. It doesn't want to hurt you. In this lesson we'll uncover interesting facts and features about these unique animals. What is a Bat? Did you know that a bat is a mammal? A mammal is a type of animal that has fur or hair on its body and feeds its babies milk when born. Bats are special because they are the only mammals that can truly fly. A bat's body is covered head to toe in fur. Many bats look like mice with wings! Bats are able to fly because their front limbs are actually webbed. The webbing is a layer of skin that creates a wing that is very thin but strong. No other mammals have this unusual feature.
Bats have sharp teeth, but
hardly ever use them for
biting people or attacking
animals. Out of over a
thousand different species of
bats, only three types are
truly vampire bats. For the
rest, teeth are mainly used
for the same thing we use
our teeth for: eating.
Like cats, bats clean themselves. Far from being
dirty, bats spend a lot of time grooming
themselves. Some, like the colonial bat, even
groom each other. Besides having sleek fur,
cleaning also helps control parasites.
Bats come in a variety of different sizes. Many bats are fairly small, about the size
of a mouse. The smallest bat is called the bumblebee bat, and you can probably
guess why. It is tiny; its body is about the size of your thumbnail. The largest bat is
called the flying fox. It has a wingspan of 5-6 feet. That is one big bat!
Flying Fox Bats Bumblebee Bat
Where Do Bats Live?
Bats live in large groups called colonies and prefer darkened places like caves,
dead trees, crevices in rocks, abandoned buildings, and sometimes even in
people’s attics. Bat colonies can range from 20-30 bats living together to hundreds
of thousands living in one place, especially where there are lots of food sources
close by. Bracken Cave, on the northern outskirts of San Antonio, Texas is home
to the world's largest bat colony, with more than 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats.
It is a key maternity site for this species, and females congregate there each year to
give birth and raise their young.
Bats hang upside down almost all of the
time, including when they are socializing,
drinking water, and even eating. If we
hung upside down, gravity would make all
of our blood rush to our heads. Not bats,
when they’re upside down, their bodies
have no problem circulating blood all over
their bodies. Thousands of people visit the
locations of large bat colonies each year.
Since bats are nocturnal (sleep during the
day and hunt for food at night), you can go
at sunset to watch them emerge from their home. It’s worth the trip to watch
thousands of bats emerging from their home to travel out for food. There can be so
many that it looks like a dark cloud in the sky.
What Do Bats Eat?
Most of them eat insects, nectar from flowers
and others fruit. Some of them eat fish and yes,
there are a couple of species who eat blood.
The fish-eating bats grab fish out the water with
their claws, while meat-eating bats drink the
blood of birds.
They eat many kinds of insects, including pests such as mosquitoes, moths, and
beetles. Just one little brown bat can easily catch 1,000 mosquito-sized insects in
an hour, and a nursing mother eats approximately 4,500 insects every night. Bats
are very important helpers who keep the insect populations down (especially
mosquitoes).
About 300 species of bats eat fruits and other plant products to survive, which
works out great for the rest of
us because those flying
creatures really help the
environment. Most of these
are called fruit bats. Without
fruit bats, say goodbye to
bananas, avocados, and
mangoes. Over 300 types of
fruit depend on bats for
pollination. Bats help spread
seeds for nuts, figs, and cacao -
- the main ingredient in
chocolate. Without bats, we
also wouldn’t have plants like agave or the iconic saguaro cactus.
How Do Bats Find Food?
Have you ever wondered how bats are able to hunt for food at night when it is
dark? Scientists have discovered that bats use echolocation to find their prey.
When a bat is flying, it makes a series of high-pitched squeaks that humans can't
hear. The sounds hit an object and bounce back to the bat, like an echo. The bat
is able to tell the size and distance of the object just from the echo. This allows the
bat to lock in on its prey, swoop down, and catch it.
How Can We Help These Important Creatures? At least 13 types of U.S. bats are endangered, and more are threatened. These amazing animals face a multitude of threats including habitat loss and disease, but we're working to change that. A unique international conservation partnership in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico has been working to help one species, the lesser long- nosed bat, recover to the point it can be removed from the Endangered Species list. In 1988, there were thought to be fewer than 1,000 lesser long-nosed bats at the 14 known roosts range-wide. There are now an estimated 200,000 of these bats at 75 roosts! There are many organizations who strive to teach us about bats and their importance, as well as teaching us how to take care of this important species. One of these is Bat Conservation International. You can find them on the internet to learn more. Another important organization is the Bat World Sanctuary near Mineral Wells, TX. This organization is dedicated to ending the mistreatment of bats. Each year they rescue, release, or give lifetime sanctuary to hundreds of bats who might otherwise die. Bat World Sanctuary is on the front line to end the mistreatment of bats. Lifetime sanctuary is given to non-releasable bats, including those that are orphaned, injured, and retired from the exotic pet trade, zoos, and research facilities. You can follow Bat World Sanctuary on Facebook. They have many elderly bats that they feature daily.
This is Enzo, a 29-year-old rescued
Jamaican fruit bat resting after his bath
at Bat World Sanctuary!
Puddles’, the Blue Goose, is excited to share a fun craft about these batty
creatures! Hands-on activities are some of the best ways for kids to learn about
something. Hands-on activities allow children to use their senses while learning.
They see, touch, and move real objects to complete tasks. This means that
science, nature, and more are amazingly brought to life! Children begin to
understand the meaning behind what they are doing.
Now, let’s gather up some simple materials to create our very own batty bat!
Bat Craft
Materials
1. One toilet paper roll 5. Black paint
2. One piece of black cardstock 6. Paint brush
3. Two googly eyes 7. Scissors
4. Bat wing pattern 8. Glue
9. Pencil
1. Gather all materials.
2. Paint toilet paper roll black. 3. Trace wing on black paper. Fold the paper in half and place the marked edge on the fold. Trace the wing with a pencil. Cut out, but don’t cut the fold. When it is cut out and unfolded, you will have both wings. **Below is a correctly-sized pattern for the wings.
4. Fold the toilet paper roll on both ends. Fold front and back into the middle making ears. Do the same thing on the bottom to make feet.
5. Glue on wiggly eyes. 6. Unfold and glue wings on back of bat body.
7. Now, you have the cutest bat for some batty fun!
If you would like to take this one step further and learn more about bats while reading a charming children’s book, here are some great books with beautiful artwork: Stellaluna by Janell Cannon (my favorite) Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat by Lucille Colandro and Jared Lee Bats: Creatures of the Night by Joyce Milton Bats (New and Updated Edition) by Gail Gibbons Puddles is so excited about our upcoming November craft. Join us next month for a gobblin’ good craft!
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