PETS & ANIMALS

MAMMALS

BATS

Q:
What attracts bats?
A:
Direct morning sunlight is a primary factory in attracting bats to a roost site. The
availability of water and the quality and content of the surrounding habitat also play a
role.
When attracting bats to an artificial roost, such as a bat house, temperature is the key
factor. Eight to 10 hours of sunlight are ideal. The placement of a bat house should
provide for at least six hours of direct light. In cooler climates, a dark paint or stain on
the house exterior provides for adequate interior temperature. However, bat houses in
warmer climates benefit from lighter exterior colors. This allows for appropriate sun
exposure without risking overheating.

Bats lose water evaporatively through their wings during flight and must drink frequently.
A bat house located approximately 1,500 feet from a permanent water source stands a
much higher chance of attracting bats.

The diversity of the surrounding habitat also affects the success of a bat house. Bat
houses positioned within 30 yards of woodlands or tree lines provide cover from
predators. Nearby fields and wetlands provide for constant prey abundance throughout
the bats' active season.

The size of the bat house is very important. Houses should be at least 2 feet tall with a
landing area of 3 to 6 inches. Interior chambers should be 20 inches tall and 14 inches
wide. Rocket box houses need to be 3 feet tall.
LEARN MORE ABOUT BATS
Sources:

batmanagement.com

batcon.org
 What do fruit bats eat?
A:
QUICK ANSWER
Fruit bats typically eat a large variety of fruits ranging from mangoes to avocado.They
are capable of adapting to eat whichever fruits are available to them in their habitat;
they also use the same trees for sleeping.
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
What do bats eat?


Where do bats live?


What color are bats?

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FULL ANSWER
Fruit bats are commonly referred to as the flying fox, due to the similarities in their facial
appearance to the red fox. They do not spend a lot of time in caves or dark caverns, like
many other kinds of bats. Instead, they can be found hanging from fruit-producing trees,
like banana trees and mango trees.

The daily activity of a fruit bat mainly involves searching for food. Their eating habits are
beneficial for the environment; this is because of their cross-pollination qualities. When
fruit bats land on fruit trees they indulge in the fruit, the seeds and even the nectar.

As fruit bats go from tree to tree, pollen rubs off on their rich fur, and then the fruit bat is
able to spread the pollen to various plants that they come into contact. This aids in
populating flowers and creating new fruit. The new vegetation that is produced aids in
maintaining the plant population.
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BATS

Q:
Where do bats live?
A:
QUICK ANSWER
Bats live in a variety of cool, dark places, including caves, tree and rock crevices, attics
and sheds. Bats spend the entire day sleeping and venture out during the night time
hours. They hibernate in the winter due to scarcity of food during the colder months.
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
What color are bats?


What do fruit bats eat?


How do you attract bats?

FULL ANSWER
Bats that roost in caves typically do so in large groups. In certain areas, it is common to
find groups of bats numbering in the millions or higher. They roost in high points in
caves, so it is important for hikers and explorers to be aware of their surroundings when
entering these dark areas.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), bats are extremely helpful to the
ecosystem, but they are also known to carry diseases that cause illness and death in
humans. Bats are known to transmit rabies, an infectious disease also found in dogs,
raccoons and skunks. Bats can pass rabies to humans through bites or if their saliva
comes in contact with an open cut or scratch.

Bats hang upside down when they sleep. Their muscles do not contract when hanging,
so this position is completely comfortable. Additionally, bat claws contain a special
locking mechanism that allows them to remain tightly gripped when hanging upside
down, even if the bat has died.
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 Are bats rodents?
A:
QUICK ANSWER
Bats are not rodents. All bats belong to the scientific group Chiroptera, the second-
largest grouping of mammals after the group Rodentia itself. The most obvious
difference between bats and rodents is that bats can fly and rodents cannot.
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
How do you attract bats?


Do bats hibernate?


How do bats communicate?

FULL ANSWER
Bats have many adaptations that make them very different from rodents or any other
group of mammals. Their paws evolved into membranous wings, and they have
relatively massive chest muscles to power these wings through the air. Bat ears and
brains process ultrasonic chirps into a three-dimensional picture of the environment.
This ability to see through sound is called echolocation. Rodents lack all of these key
features.
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BATS

Q:
How many kinds of bats are there?
A:
QUICK ANSWER
There are at least 925 different kinds of bats worldwide. Within the population of
mammals, bats are second only to rodents. Bats account for about one-fifth of all
mammals on Earth.
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
How do you attract bats?


Do bats hibernate?


How do bats communicate?

Credit: Danita Delimont Gallo Images Getty Images

FULL ANSWER
Bats live all over the globe, except in polar regions and certain island locations. The
species are most diverse in tropical rain forests, but they are also found in deserts,
urban and suburban areas, fields, temperate forests and farmlands. They are limited
only by roosting sites and the availability of food. Most bats are insectivores, although
some eat fruit, nectar, rodents, reptiles, fish and even other bats. Their life span ranges
from 10 to 25 years, which is more than three times longer than other small mammals.
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BATS

Q:
How do you attract bats?
A:
QUICK ANSWER
To attract bats, allow insects to live on the property and install bat houses near a water
source. Allowing old buildings and trees to remain on the property also attracts bats. Bat
houses might remain unoccupied for a year or longer.
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
What do bats eat?


Are bats omnivores?


What are some basic facts about little brown bats?

FULL ANSWER
1. Provide natural habitats
Bats can eat up to 600 insects per hour and are attracted to areas with large insect
populations. If possible, stop mowing a portion of the property to attract insects and
bats. Hollow trees and abandoned buildings, such as old barns, also attract bats and
should be allowed to remain undisturbed to encourage bats on the property.
2. Install a bat house
 Bat houses should be at least 2 feet tall, 1 foot wide and 3 inches deep. Construct a bat
house with rough-cut lumber, and hang it at least 15 feet high in an area where bats are
encouraged. Allow at least one year for the bats to move into the house.
3. Provide a water source
Bats naturally live in areas where water is abundant. Locate bat houses within a
quarter-mile of a natural water source, such as a pond, or consider adding an artificial
water source to the property to attract bats and their prey.
LEARN MORE ABOUT BATS
Sources:

bhg.com

bathouse.com

extension.missouri.edu

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PETS & ANIMALS

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BATS

Q:
What is a bat's habitat?
A:
QUICK ANSWER
Bats live in regions across six continents on the globe in forests, deserts, urban
settings, caves and even bat houses constructed by people. Due to their ability to adapt,
there is essentially no limit to where a bat may live.
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 
How do you build your own bat house?


How does one catch a bat?


What is a rabbit's natural habitat?

Credit: Benncnab CC-BY 2.0

FULL ANSWER
There are more than 1,300 species of bats that live in diverse climates and ecosystems
around the world. They inhabit small spaces like crevices in rocks or trees, and can also
be seen in open areas near fresh and coastal water. Additionally, bats live at a range of
altitudes, including the Peruvian Andes mountains as well as at sea level like on many
of the islands in Southeast Asia. Although bats' habitats are expansive, they are not
found in the North Pole or South Pole.
LEARN MORE ABOUT BATS
Sources:

batcon.org

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PETS & ANIMALS

MAMMALS

BATS

Q:
What does a good bat house plan
include?
A:
QUICK ANSWER
A good bat house plan should include instructions for a narrow inner space, grooved or
textured surface, and dark color. The bat house plan should also have tips on mounting
the house at the right height and location for attracting bats.
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
How do you build your own bat house?


Where do you put a bat house?


Where can you buy bat house kits and blueprints?

FULL ANSWER
Unlike birds, which nest in large, open cavities, bats prefer nesting in tight spaces. This
is because most bats' natural nesting locations are hollow areas between a tree's bark
and its trunk. Therefore, a good bat house plan should have an inner space no more
than a few inches deep.

A grooved or textured surface on the bat house allows the bats to cling to the house
easily. This not only lets the bats land on the house without trouble, it also makes their
nesting process easier.
A good bat house plan should also specify painting the house a dark color. A dark-
colored bat house absorbs a lot of heat during the day. Because bats prefer nesting
locations with adequate warmth, a warm house attracts more bats.

Even a perfectly constructed bat house does not attract many bats if it is in an
unsuitable area. A good bat house location includes ready access to water and
protection from predators. Mounting the house in a sunny area at least 15 feet off the
ground on a smooth pole both lets the house get warm during the day and prevents
predators from easily accessing the house.
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