Hyderabad: International Bat Appreciation Day, observed on April 17 every year across the world, sheds light on the crucial role bats play in our ecosystems including their unique relationship with birds. The day provides an opportunity to learn about the often overlooked interactions between these two groups of winged animals and their mutual importance to the environment.
History of Bat Appreciation Day
Founded in 1982, Bat Conservation International has grown into a globally recognised conservation organisation dedicated to ending bat extinctions. Working together, our goal is to redefine what is possible in global conservation, through the utilization of cutting-edge tools, technology, and training to create a real, measurable impact.
Bats - One of The Most Misunderstood Animals
Many people think of bats as bloodsucking, disease-carrying, and dangerous creatures. However, scientists have found that bats rarely transmit diseases, and only a small number of species actually consume blood. In fact, most bats prefer fruit. Today, the number of bats in the wild is declining, and this is a cause for concern. Bats are an important part of the ecosystem, and their importance is often underestimated.
Bats and Diseases
Bats have a unique immune response which enables them to remain healthy despite carrying viruses that would cause serious disease in people and other mammals. This is likely a side effect of the evolution of flight, which caused bats to develop high metabolic rates and body temperatures up to 41 degrees Celsius. High temperature and metabolic rates can cause DNA damage, and in response bats evolved to have strong DNA repair pathways together with the adaption of flight. This now means bats virus immune response is particularly strong in detecting viruses.
Importance of Bats
Principal Pollinators: Bats are very important animals in ecosystems all over the world. Tropical bats are essential to the rain forest, where they pollinate flowers and disperse seeds for countless trees and shrubs. Bats also help distribute the seeds of these important plants, so they can reproduce and create more fruit for us humans to eat and enjoy.
Ingesting Insects: Because bats eat so many insects, they lessen the need for use of chemical pesticides in agriculture. Remembering these fun facts the next time you are being pestered by mosquitoes, will help you appreciate these little mammals.
Human Helpers: Scientists have been studying vampire bat saliva. It contains an anticoagulant (prevents blood clots from forming), which may soon be used to treat human heart patients. Bats can help control the populations of beetles, moths, and leafhoppers. Many insects can hear bats up to 100 feet away and will avoid those areas occupied by bats. Bats also produce guano (their manure) which is rich in nitrogen; this natural by-product is used to fertilize lawns and gardens.
Lesser Known Facts About Bats
- A single little brown bat can catch 600 mosquitoes in just one hour
- Some records indicate bats can live as long as 20 to 30 years.
- Bats can fly up to 60 mph.
- These creatures of the night can locate food in total darkness by emitting high-pitched sounds and listening for the echoes.
- Bats are able to consume their body weight in insects in a single night, (making them a great natural resource for mosquito control!)
- Other bats eat fruit or nectar and therefore aid in pollination. Tropical fruit species including bananas, mangoes, and guavas depend upon bats as their pollinators, as well as the iconic saguaro cactus in the Sonoran Desert.
- Baby bats are called pups & mama bats can find them among thousands of others by their unique voice & scent.
- Some fly south for the winter, while others hibernate. Hibernating bats can survive freezing temperatures, even encased in ice!
- Most species in the US are endangered due to loss of habitat, as well as a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome.
