A week ago today, as my husband was outside grilling, he noticed a bat flitting about! He called me over to confirm and then we observed about 15-20 flying around our house and quite low over the street around 8:45pm. This is the first time since moving here last October that we've observed bats! Around our house there are plenty of squirrels, birds, sometimes frogs, even a small owl once! But never bats! I was absolutely ecstatic!
I see you! Geoffroy's tailless bat (Anoura Geoffroyi) - photo by Nathan Muchhala Ever since coming across this word, I can't stop saying it: chiropterophily. Chiropterophily, or pollination of plants by bats, is very common in the tropics. Hundreds of tropical plant species are exclusively or at least partly pollinated by nectar-feeding bats. Many tropical flowers are night-blooming, specializing in attracting bats. Bat-flowers are typically white, cream, or pale green in color, making them easier to see in the dark. They usually have a musky, fermented odor - like that of the bat - or sometimes a fruity odor. They have a large, sturdy, open shape with long, bushy anthers so that the bat's head and chest get coated in pollen when it visits. In return for the bat pollinating the flower, the flower provides the nectar that these high-energy flying mammals need.* Tube-lipped nectar bat (Anoura fistulata) - photo by Nathan Muchhala Nectivorous bats have both good eyesight an...
I have found a dead little bat on my road and then later in the evening I notice one flying. Can they hurt us? I have live here nearly 10 years and this is the first I have ever seen one.
ReplyDeleteKeep in mind, I'm no expert, but bats will not go out of their way to hurt humans. Treat a bat as you would any wild animal - simply don't touch it. If you do see a live bat on the ground, it most likely means it is sick or injured.
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