Bats (Chiroptera) are the only mammals capable of flight. They are nocturnal animals that majestically dodge obstacles and screech sourly in the shadows. However, they are very clumsy during the day, when the light intimidates them, so they spend their time sleeping on their stomachs in dark and somewhat sinister places.
These are some of the reasons why they are part of human mythology and superstition. In fact, throughout history they have been identified with various supernatural beings and it has been believed that they feed on the blood of human beings. But what do bats really eat? We tell you about it in this article on our site.
Bat Characteristics
The characteristics of the bat are closely related to its way of life and its diet. Therefore, before knowing what bats eat, we need to know them a little better.
Bats or bats are flying mammals with nocturnal habits. In the dark, they find their way mainly through echolocation. This is the emission of ultrasound or high-frequency sounds that bounce off objects, producing an echo. Your ears receive this echo and send it to your brain, which transforms it into a sonic image.
For correct reception of ultrasound, they have very large ears that can reach amazing sizes in some species. In addition, their membranous wings help them skilfully dodge obstacles. These are membranes that extend from the second toe of the forelimbs to the hind limbs.
Where do bats live?
Bats are distributed throughout the world Some of them are quite common, such as the pygmy bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus). In contrast, other Bats are only found in very specific ecosystems. A good example is Acerodon jubatus, endemic to the forests of the Philippines.
During the day, bats hang upside down in dark, cool places Natural caves, tree holes, and fissures of human constructions are some of the places where bats live. When twilight comes they go out in search of food, except in winter, when some species take the opportunity to hibernate.
Some chiropterans do not stay in the same place all year, but rather migrate. These mammals move between their summer refuges and their winter refuges, being able to cover more than 1,000 kilometers on each trip However, there are also many bats sedentary people who stay in one place throughout the year.
On the other hand, since bats are nocturnal animals, it has been thought that they are blind. But it's true? In this other article on our site, we answer the question of whether bats are blind?
What do bats eat?
Answering what bats eat is not an easy task, since it is one of the most diverse groups of mammals. These animals have adapted to nocturnal environments around the world, occupying many types of habitats and niches. As a result, bat feeding is highly variable and depends on each group or even on each species. The most frequent foods that bats eat are:
- Insects.
- Fruits.
- Nectar.
- Blood.
- Fishes.
To better understand bat feeding, we recommend you read this other article on our site about Types of bats and their characteristics.
Types of bats according to their diet
According to the main food that bats eat, we can classify them into several groups. These are the different types of bats according to their diet:
- Insectivorous bats.
- Fruit bats.
- Nectarivorous bats.
- Vampire bats.
- Piscivorous bats.
Insectivorous bats
The feeding of insectivorous bats, as their name suggests, is based on insects, mainly flying insects, such as moths (Lepidoptera) and beetles (Coleoptera). In addition, they often hunt other types of arthropods, such as spiders (Araneae). Some chiropterans prefer to fly over rivers in search of water-associated insects, such as dipterans (Diptera).
One of the best-known insectivorous bats is the pygmy bat (Pipistrellus pipistrell us), a regular inhabitant of house roofs.
Fruit bats
Fruits are the main food eaten by frugivorous bats, which are very abundant in tropical climates. Occasionally, they may supplement their diet with insects or pollen.
An example of this type of bat, very abundant in South and Central America, is the common fruit bat (Carollia perspicillata), closely associated with the fruits of plants of the genus Piper.
Nectarivorous bats
Many species of bats feed on the nectar of some flowers that open only at night. The plants that form these flowers have a symbiotic relationship with bats, since they pollinate their flowers and, therefore, help them to reproduce. However, some of them can also eat pollen, leaves or even the flowers themselves.
The Curaçao long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris curasoae) is one of the best known, due to its migrations and consumption of agave nectar (Agavoideae).
Vampire Bats
Bats that feed on blood are known as vampires and are the origin of the mythological beings of the same name. The common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) is one of the most abundant and feeds on the blood of other vertebrates, especially ungulates (Ungulata). Something very curious about these flying animals is that they share blood with their peers through regurgitation.
Piscivorous bats
Although they are known as fishing or piscivorous bats, Noctilio leporinus and N. albiventris feed mainly on insects during the wet season. However, in the dry season these are less abundant and the freshwater fish become the main food of the fishing bats. Very occasionally, they may also eat scorpions, crabs, and tadpoles.
