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Friends who would help bring fruits and disperse seeds silently, who help you protect your crops from insects and do it all for free!
Yes, Bats are one of greatest allies of humans in the animal world. Without bats, we would have fewer fruits and far more insects.
As pollinators, insect controllers and our benefactors it is truly sad that they are still looked at with such disdain. Stories of vampires and witchcraft associates them with superstitions and omens, ruined the reputation of these beautiful, hard-working, and beneficial creatures.
As with everything, the more you understand, the less you fear it, so let’s try to understand them better so that we can help them and help ourselves by doing that.
First let’s get Bat basics right.
Bats are one of the oldest creatures, found all over the earth, for over 50 million years. Bats are the only mammals on Earth that can fly. They are known nocturnal, but they don’t always function in dark. Many species of bats that live in habitats free from predators, usually on islands, have been observed flying and hunting for insects in broad daylight.
Bats are excellent fliers. It’s common for bats to reach speeds of up to over 95 km/h (60 miles per hour). Bats hang upside down to assist them in their take-offs into flight. Since using their legs for walking and taking off isn’t the strong suit for most bats, they drop down from tree branches and cave ceilings to build velocity.
Echolocation bat’s most famous tool is a unique way of mapping out their environment. By sending out 10 to 20 high-pitched ‘beeps’ a second, bats can build an incredibly detailed, three-dimensional map of their surroundings by listening to the reverberations.
Scientists have observed that smaller species of bats rely the most on echolocation, while larger bats, like the flying fox, have less trouble navigating with their vision.
Contrary to general belief, bats aren’t entirely blind. Although they do rely heavily on echolocation to get a better idea of their environment, most bats’ eyes work fine, although they can be extremely sensitive to light.
Bats can be divided in two groups depending on their feeding habits, insectivorous bats and fruit and nectar bats. Bats visit flowers for insects and nectar, which makes them perfect pollinators. Frugivorous bats prefer feeding on ripe fruits and thus contribute to seed dispersal and to forest regeneration.
Almost all species of bats rest, roost and hibernate together in colonies, and while they usually hunt and feed alone, they are known to share food with their neighbours back at the colony.
Bats do dwell in caves, but they are very particular about the temperature and humidity of the caves they choose.
Bats in colder regions hibernate during the wintertime, by huddling together in their roosts and sleeping through most of the season, only waking up occasionally to eat.
Bats have particularly long lifespans. Larger bats can live up to around 20 years, while some smaller species, like the myotis bat, can live up to a ripe age of 40 years.
The mothers-to-be in some bat species can control when their gestation begins and when they give birth. Many bats mate before going into hibernation and prevent their eggs from being fertilized until the springtime or summertime.
Baby bats are referred to as “pups.” Most bats give birth to one pup a year and never give birth to litters.
In certain East Asian cultures, particularly in China and Japan, bats are seen as signs of good luck. In both the Chinese and Japanese languages, the word for bat and for good fortune sound almost the same.
So why Bat populations are in decline
Despite having few natural predators, bat populations are in decline by habitat loss and climate change. With rapid urbanization, the trees, forests and structures (caves, old buildings) which bat depend upon are being cleared rapidly. Bats need old, large trees and cutting these directly affect their population in any area.
With climate change, changes in temperature and precipitation patterns are disrupting bat migration and hibernation cycles. Increasing extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods, are disrupting bat food sources and roosting sites.
Increased use of chemicals specially pesticides, contaminate insects that bats feed on.
Wind turbines also pose a threat, with some species experiencing high mortality rates due to collisions with wind turbines.
Another factor affecting them is artificial light pollution. Excessive use of artificial light at night disturbs Bat’s navigation and feeding.
Destruction of forests have brought bats closer to human habitations. Restoration of forests, protecting remaining old growth forests, conserving the trees or spaces which are used by bats for roosting can help these friends to find they hold again.
Decline in bat diversity and population is going to be disastrous to us as we will be losing our pollinator and insect controller. In tropical region, like in India, bats are essential to flower pollination. Bats are alternative to chemical pesticides as protect crops from insects.
The cost of conserving bats is much smaller as compared to the cost which society will pay, if bats will not be there to do their job of controlling insects and pollinating fruits and flowers.
FACTS
HOW YOU CAN HELP IN BAT CONSERVATION
She conceptualized FORREST to conserve, to Inspire and to connect people back to nature. Her interest lies in Habitat ecology. A poet by nature with a touch of the wild.
We plan to restore a forest of 20000 trees in the monsoon of July 2021! And we need your help to do that! Contribute saplings in Vruksh Khosh or donate Rs. 50 per sapling.