Why bats hang down his head? Why bats sleep down head: myths and reality how bats are multiplied

Who does not know that the bats Landing ... Oh, some kind of wrong word ... Well, in general, when they go to the landing, they will put the feet cling to something and hang. Why don't they land on their paws like all normal creatures?

But why ...

The scientific group from Brown University (Brown University) has been studied by the principles of the flight of manocrust - bats and wing. These animals are masters of aerodynamics and maneuverability - first of all, due to the unique structure of their wings. Availability big number The joints and thin flexible film allows the use of a wing in flight by a variety of ways, including to turn 180 degrees.

Saving energy during the flight helps the folding of the wings with each wave up. Although the strength is spent on it, the total balance turns out to be positive. It is for this reason that the animals do not fly in the rain: to fold the wet wings is too energy-cost. The secret and the secret of the unusual vertical landing of volatile mice are revealed. Before performing the action of the bird, just reset the speed, but the bats needed to develop their own ways. Having light and fragile bones, they have disproportionately massive wings. As a result, the bodies of the bodies of the limb during landing should be experiencing a greater shock load, which causes damage. In an effort to minimize these consequences, the bats evolutionally "invented" several acrobatic maneuvers, completing the flight in two or four "touchs".

The tactics of "four-touch" was recorded in a number of manochable, eating vegetable food, in particular - Malay Kynopterus Brachyotis. During the experiments, scientists noted that those whipped to the ceiling with straightened wings. At the time of contact with the surface of the limb, it is pulled out, and animals are enough for any existing protrusion with thumbs of the front limbs simultaneously with the fingers of the hind limbs. After that, they make Kuwarks back and finally hang down their heads. With such a landing, the koplan is experiencing four-time overloads and may hit his head, so in nature the manworks using the tactics of the "four touches", most often land on the trees: their surface is softer compared to stone caves

In the "Two Touchs" lands landing Long-language vampire (Glossophaga Soricina), Point Listonos (Carollia Perspicillata) and many other types of manacked. They learned to accurately calculate the distance to the surface to be perpendicular to it and at the very last moment rejecting sharply or left. For the protrusion, they are enough only with the fingers of the hind limbs, thanks to which the landing passes more smoothly, and overloads at a strike constitute only one third of the body weight. This allows them to dwell in the caves.

This provision has its advantages - for example, so the bats are much better protected from predators.

And what will happen if the mouse falls to the ground?

We remember that the evolution first made the femoral bones of mice too subtle, whatever they could hold their body in a sitting position. Then they completely lost the opportunity to take off with a flat surface, since they lacked neither the forces, which would be hidden from the ground, no speed for running. Nevertheless, they learned to take off from the position of the head, the truth, as you understand, it is necessary for this free space below. In addition, these funny animals can simply fall, straightening their wings already in flight.

And if the mouse suddenly turns out to be on Earth, then it will be with all their might try to get to some tree or protrusion, along the way clinging for any support with its tenacious claws on the wings.

How do they manage not to fall, After all, they hang all night on the paws down their heads? And the fact is that the bat does not spend the energy to hold on when hanging down his head. The bats have a special muscle device. For example, when a monkey hangs on a branch, strains the muscles of the paw to keep, and the bats are all arranged with an accuracy of the opposite. When she hangs down his head, her muscles are relaxed, the fingers are compressed, the body hangs on the bones and tendons, the muscles are completely relaxed. Claws tightly wrap the support and body weight does not allow them to squeeze.

Halloween not far off! Can you guess what night creature makes your appearance on Halloween costumes and decorations?

They fly like birds, see very little in the dark and hang down their heads on the branches of trees or in the caves?

Yes, it is a night creatures called bats.

Have you ever wondered why these flying mammals hang down their heads? And what if you try to hang down your head from the bar rack? Would you have a head of the head when you put it later?

Hang down your head-great way for bats avoid predators. It provides them with an optimal position to take off if they are attacked.

Why bats do not fly like ordinary birds?

Volatile mammals that have one of the most severe wings. They can not take off, standing in a vertical position. Since their wings are heavy, they do not give the bats of sufficient lifting, when they stand like birds.

Another reason for these poor little creatures is that they have underdeveloped hind legs. As a plane, which runs before the flight, unfortunately, bats cannot do this. Bats will fall, if they try to run, and then take off.

So, bats with pleasure hanging down their heads from the attic, caves, bridges and other similar places.

How do bats fly?

Bats use their claws to climb to a high place, and then hang down your head. When they have to fly, they are released, fall down and in the middle of their fall they take off. When the bats are sleeping, they hang down their heads, as it means that they can easily take off if predators attack them. Wholesion upside down is also an excellent way for bats to hide from predators.

Who does not know that the bats landing ... oh, some kind of wrong word ... Well, in general, when they go to the landing, they will be clung to the legs clinging for something and so hang. Why don't they land on their paws like all normal creatures?

But why ...

For many years, the scientific group of Brown University (Brown University) has been studying the principles of the flight of the manached - the volatile mice and the Krylanov. These animals are masters of aerodynamics and maneuverability - first of all, due to the unique structure of their wings. The presence of a large number of joints and a thin flexible film allows the use of a wing in flight by a variety of ways, including a reversal of 180 degrees.

Saving energy during the flight helps the folding of the wings with each wave up. Although the strength is spent on it, the total balance turns out to be positive. It is for this reason that the animals do not fly in the rain: to fold the wet wings is too energy-cost. The secret and the secret of the unusual vertical landing of volatile mice are revealed. Before performing the action of the bird, just reset the speed, but the bats needed to develop their own ways. Having light and fragile bones, they have disproportionately massive wings. As a result, the bodies of the bodies of the limb during landing should be experiencing a greater shock load, which causes damage. In an effort to minimize these consequences, the bats evolutionally "invented" several acrobatic maneuvers, completing the flight in two or four "touchs".

The tactics of "four-touch" was recorded in a number of manochable, eating vegetable food, in particular - Malay Kynopterus Brachyotis. During the experiments, scientists noted that those whipped to the ceiling with straightened wings. At the time of contact with the surface of the limb, it is pulled out, and animals are enough for any existing protrusion with thumbs of the front limbs simultaneously with the fingers of the hind limbs. After that, they make Kuwarks back and finally hang down their heads. With such a landing, the koplan is experiencing four-time overloads and may hit his head, so in nature the manworks using the tactics of the "four touches", most often land on the trees: their surface is softer compared to stone caves

In the "Two Touchs" lands landing Long-language vampire (Glossophaga Soricina), Point Listonos (Carollia Perspicillata) and many other types of manacked. They learned to accurately calculate the distance to the surface to be perpendicular to it and at the very last moment rejecting sharply or left. For the protrusion, they are enough only with the fingers of the hind limbs, thanks to which the landing passes more smoothly, and overloads at a strike constitute only one third of the body weight. This allows them to dwell in the caves.

This provision has its advantages - for example, so the bats are much better protected from predators.

And what will happen if the mouse falls to the ground?

We remember that the evolution first made the femoral bones of mice too subtle, whatever they could hold their body in a sitting position. Then they completely lost the opportunity to take off with a flat surface, since they lacked neither the forces, which would be hidden from the ground, no speed for running. Nevertheless, they learned to take off from the position of the head, the truth, as you understand, it is necessary for this free space below. In addition, these funny animals can simply fall, straightening their wings already in flight.

And if the mouse suddenly turns out to be on Earth, then it will be with all their might try to get to some tree or protrusion, along the way clinging for any support with its tenacious claws on the wings.

How do they manage not to fall, After all, they hang all night on the paws down their heads? And the fact is that the bat does not spend the energy to hold on when hanging down his head. The bats have a special muscle device. For example, when a monkey hangs on a branch, strains the muscles of the paw to keep, and the bats are all arranged with an accuracy of the opposite. When she hangs down his head, her muscles are relaxed, the fingers are compressed, the body hangs on the bones and tendons, the muscles are completely relaxed. Claws tightly wrap the support and body weight does not allow them to squeeze.

sources

The bat is an animal that belongs to the mammal class, the detachment of the manochable, the sublitting bats (Lat. Microchiroptera).

Bats did not receive their name because they are relatives belonging to the detachment of rodents, but most likely due to their small size and the published sounds that look like a mouse squeak.

Bat - Description, Building. What does a bat look like?

A manochable are the only mammals on the ground that can fly. Often, this whole detachment is mistakenly called bats, but in fact it is not. The Detachment includes the Krylanov family (Lat. Pteropodidae), which does not apply to the suburbs of bats (Lat. Microchiroptera). Weldows, which are often called volatile dogs, volatile foxes, fruit bats, differ from the volatile mice with their structure, habits and abilities.

Bats are mammals of small animals. The smallest representative of the sub-train is a pigtone bat (Lat. Craseonycteris Thonglongyai.). Its weight is 1.7-2.0 g, the length of the body varies from 2.9 to 3.3 cm, and the wingspan reaches 16 cm. This is one of the smallest animals in the world. One of the biggest volatile mice is a gigantic lzevampier (Lat. Vampyrum Spectrum), which has a scope of wings to 70-75 cm, wing width - 15-16 cm and mass - 150-200 g.

The structure of the skull of U. different species Volatile mice is different, as well as the structure and the number of teeth. Both depends on the power supply. For example, in a nutritional nectar of nectant long-speaking sheets (lat. Glossophaga Soricina.) The facial part of the skull is stretched to accommodate its long tongue to which it takes out food. Bats, like other mammals, have a heterodontic dental system, including cutters, fangs, pre-edged and indigenous teeth. The individuals that eat insects with a thick chitin coating have larger teeth and long fangs than those who eat insects with a soft shell. In small insectiva volatile mice, there can be up to 38 small teeth, and vampires have only 20. Vampires do not need a lot of teeth, as they do not need to chew food, but their fangs, designed to make bleeding wounds on the victim's body, are sharp as a razor. In the fruitric bats, the upper and lower flip teeth resemble the mortars and pestles in which the fruits are crushed.

Many volatile mice are big ears, such as Brown Ushan (Lat. Plecotus Auritus.), and bizarre nasal grows, like horseshoes. These features affect the echolocation abilities of the bat.

During the evolution, the forelimbs of bats were transformed into wings. The shoulder bone was shortened, and the fingers lengthened, they serve as a wing frame. The first finger with claws is free. With it, animals move in shelter and produce manipulations with food. In some species, for example, in the smoky volatile mice (lat. Furipteridae), the first finger non-functions. The second, third and fourth fingers strengthen the part of the wing between the first and fifth and form an interdigal membrane, or the top of the wing. The fifth finger stretch to the entire wing width. Shoulder and shorter ray bones maintain a torso meter, or the base of the wing that performs the function of the carrier surface. The rate of volatile mouse depends on the shape of the wings. They can be strong or with a small elongation. On the shape of the wing, you can judge the lifestyle of the bat. Wings with a small elongation do not allow to develop high speed, but make it possible to make a good maneuvering among the crowns of trees. Slim-fired wings are designed for high-speed flight in the open space.

The bats of small and medium sizes during the search for production are flying at a speed of 11 to 54 km / h. The fastest flying animal is Brazilian folds (lat. Tadarida Brasiliensis) From the kind of bulldog volatile mice, which is able to develop speed up to 160 km / h.

Taken from the site: www.steveparish-natureconnect.com.au

The rear limbs of bats, unlike other mammals, are deployed on the sides of the knee joints. For them, animals hang in shelters with well-developed claws.

Some species are capable of moving on all four limbs. For example, an ordinary vampire (lat. Desmodus Rotundus.) During the hunt, landing on the body of the victim or next to him, it is selected on foot to the place where it produces a bite.

The volatile mice have a tail of different lengths:

  • partially enclosed in an interstitial membrane, with a free tip, located on top of it, like bascocci (lat. Emballonuridae);
  • fully enclosed in an interstitial membrane, like a nightpoint (lat. Myotis);
  • protruding beyond the interstitrous membrane, like the folding men (lat. Molossidae);
  • long free tail, like micehvostov (lat.rhinopoma).

The body, and sometimes the limbs of mammals are covered with wool. Bat wool can be smooth or shaggy, short or not very, rare or thick.

In the color of volatile mice, gray, brown, black tones are dominated. Some animals are painted lighter - in pallets, whitish, yellowish shades. Occasionally meet bright copies. For example, in the Mexican fish bat (lat. Noctilio Leporinus) Fur yellow or orange.

Taken from the site: www.mammalwatching.com

There are volatile mice white color With yellow ears and spout - this is Honduras white bats (lats. ECTOPHYLLA ALBA.).

Taken from the site: faculty.washington.edu

In nature, there are volatile mice with a body that is not covered with wool. Two types of holocheries volatile mice from Southeast Asia and the Philippines are known (Lat. Cheiromeles Torquatus. and Cheiromeles Parvidens.) They are almost completely devoid of wool, only rare hairs remained.

Bats have a unique hearing. He is the leading sense authority in these animals. For example, false horseshoes (lat. Hipposideridae) capture the rust of insects, dried in the grass or under the layer of leaves. On the ears of many volatile mice there is a kozelok - a narrow skin-cartilaginous increase, rising from the base of the ear. It serves to strengthen and better perceive sound.

Taken from the site: blogs.crikey.com.au

Vision in bats is poorly developed. There is no color view. But still bats are not blind, and some even see quite well. For example, California Listonos (LAT. Macrotus Californicus.) Sometimes, with appropriate lighting, looking for mining with eye.

Did not lose the bats and sense of smell. According to the smell of females of Brazilian folds (lat. Tadarida Brasiliensis) Find your cubs. Some are distinguished by members of their colony from others. Large night lights (lat. Myotis Myotis.) And New Zealand bats (Lat. Mystacina Tuberculate) Fresh prey under the layer of foliage. Lovels of the new light (lat. PhylLostomidae) by smell find the fruits of the amusement plants.

How do bats oriented in the dark?

The main means of orienting volatile mice in space (for example, in dark caves) is echolocation. Animals emit ultrasound signals that are reflected from items and echo return back. Sounds, nascent in the throat, the animal makes a mouth or guides them into the nose, radiating through the nostrils. Such individuals, nostrils are surrounded by bizarrectic growths that form and focus the sound.

People hear only how the bats are frustrated, because the ultrasonic range in which these animals transmit echolocation signals, unavailable to human ear. Unlike a person, a bat analyzes a signal reflected from the subject, and determines its location and dimensions. Mouse "echo sounder" is so accurate that it fixes objects with a diameter of 0.1 mm. In addition, winged mammals clearly distinguish between all kinds of objects: for example, different types of trees. Hunt bats precisely with echolocation. According to reflected ultrasound waves, winged hunters in complete darkness not only find the victim, but also determine its size and speed. During the search for mining, the frequency of sounds reaches 10 oscillations per second, increasing to 200-250 immediately before attack. In addition, the bat can squeak on the breath, in exhalation and even at the time of chewing food. Before the opening of ultrasound it was believed that these mammals had extrasensory perception.

Representatives of the subdomain are capable of publishing both low-frequency and high-frequency sounds, and at the same time. Animal shouts and listens with an incomprehensible speed for a person. Some bats, hunting for night insects, when approaching them, publish up to 250 shots per second. Some potential victims (, crickets) have developed the ability to hear the peak of a bat and respond to it with a fraudulent maneuver or a fall on Earth.

By the way, echolocation is developed not only in bats, but also y, seals, agriculture, butterflies scoop, as well as in some birds.

Where do volatile mice live?

Bats are widespread worldwide, with the exception of Antarctica, the Arctic and some oceanic islands. These animals in the tropics and subtropics are most numerous.

Bats are night or twilight animals. In the bright time, they are hiding in shelters, which can be located in a variety of places under the ground and above the ground. It can be caves, rock clefts, quarry, gallery, various buildings, built by man. Many varieties of volatile mice live on trees: in dupelch, cream bark, in branches, in foliage. Some mice are hidden in original shelters, for example, under the nests of birds, in bamboo stems and even in a web. American suction plants (Lat. Thyroptera) are arranged for a day in young rolled leaves that unfold after the animals leave the dwelling. Liston-builders (LAT. Uroderma Peters.), having false leaves of palm trees and other plants on certain lines, get a similarity of the agent.

Some types of volatile mice prefer to live alone or small groups, for example, a small horseskone (lat. Rhinolophus hipposideros), But mostly they hold by the colonies. For example, females of the big night (lat. Myotis Myotis.) Colonies are collected from several tens to several thousand individuals. A record for the number of members is one of the colonies of Brazilian folds (lat. Tadarida Brasiliensis), consisting of 20 million individuals.

How is the volatile mice?

Bats that live in cold and moderate latitudes, in the cold season, fall into the hibernation, which can last up to 8 months. Some varieties spend seasonal migrations at a distance of up to 1000 km, such as red hairiness (lat. Lasiurus borealis).

Why are bats sleeping down their heads?

Aruply stand out among mammals not only by what they know how to fly, but also how they can relax: during day rest or winter hibernation Bats are hanging down their heads on the hind paws. This position allows animals to instantly go to the flight right from the source position, just falling down: it is so spent less energy, and in case of danger, time saves. Having swallowed down the head, the bats of the claws cling to the protrusions of the walls, the branches of trees, etc. While in this position, animals are not tired, because the tendon mechanism of closure of claws of their hind limbs is arranged so that it does not require the cost of muscle energy. Some species, arrangement of rest, wrapped in wings. Types such as big nights are knocked into dense heaps, and small horseshoes are always hanging on the ceiling or cave crops at some distance from each other.

What do bats eat?

Most volatile mice are insectivores. Some catch insects on the fly, others pick up bugs sitting on the foliage. Among the tropical species there are those that feed exclusively with fruits, pollen and nectar of plants. But there are both varieties that eat fruits and insects. For example, a New Zealand Bat (Lat. Mystacina Tuberculate) It feeds on different invertebrates: insects, rainworms, many-ones and, but, at the same time, uses fruits, nectar and pollen. Father fishing bats (lat. Noctilio) consists of fish and other water inhabitants. Panaman big leaf (lat. PhylLostomus Hastatus.) Eats small birds and mammals. There are also species that feed exclusively by the blood of wild and pets, some birds, and sometimes a person. These are vampire bats, among which 3 types are distinguished: Mochnogo-legged (lat. Diphylla Ecaudata.), blonde (lat. Diamus Youungi.) and ordinary (lat. Desmodus Rotundus.) Vampires. Other types of vampires live in other places of the globe, but the truth is blood they do not drink.

Types of volatile mice, photos and titles

Below are given short description Several species of volatile mice.

  • White sheets(lat. ECTOPHYLLA ALBA.)

Neightened appearance, which refers to the genus of white leafy. These are small animals with a body length of 3.7-4.7 cm and weighing no more than 7 grams. Female leafles have smaller sizes than males. The color of the body in the animal corresponds to its name: the boil-white back turns into a crescent of a gray-handed shade, the bottom of the abdomen also has a gray color. The nose and ears of the animal have a yellow tone, and the eyes are emphasized with a gray framing around them. White sheets live in South and Central America, namely in countries such as Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama. Animals prefer wet evergreen forest arrays, taking no higher than seven hundred meters above sea level. Typically, these white bats live in solitary and maximize small groups of no more than 6 individuals. Food animals at night. In the diet of these volatile mice, fruits and some types of ficus are included.

  • Giant Evening(lat. Nyctalus Lasiopterus.)

This is the biggest variety of bats in Russia and european countries. The length of the body of the animal varies from 8.4 to 10.4 cm, and the weight of the bat is 41 - 76. The scope of the animal's wings reaches 41-46 cm. The giant evening intercourse has a brown or pale-red back color and lighter abdomen. A darker color prevails on the head behind the ears. Inhabit the bat in the forests, and its area extends from France to the Volga region and the Caucasus. Probably, the species is also found in the countries of the Middle East. Often, the animal shakes the hollow trees together with other representatives of the sub-train, less often forms its own colonies. The places of wintering of this species are unknown, apparently animals perform long-range seasonal flights. In nature, the bat is powered by quite large insects (butterflies, beetles), as well as small sparrows, who catches in the air large altitudes. This bat is listed in the Red Book.

  • Pigtone banya mouse (lat.Craseonycteris Thonglongyai.)

This is the smallest bat in the world, which is called mouse-bumblebees due to modest sizes. An animal body length is 2.9-3.3 cm, and the weight does not exceed 2 grams. The ears of the mammal is quite large, with a large goat. The nose looks like a pig patch. The color of the animal is usually grayish or dark brown with a light shade of red, the abdomen of the animal is lighter. Swine bats are endemics of the south-west of Thailand and nearby areas in Myanmar. Hunt animals by groups of up to five individuals at night. They fly over bamboo trees and teak in the search for insects, which are sitting on the leaves of trees, and finding food, hang over the prey right in the air due to their small size and structure of the wings. The number of piggy volatile mice in the world is extremely low. These animals are among the top ten species on earth and are listed in the International Red Book.

Taken from the site: www.thewildlifediars.com

  • Two-color leather (two-color bat) (lat.Vespertilio Murinus.)

It has a body length to 6.4 cm and wing span from 27 to 33 cm. Weighs a bat from 12 to 23 grams. The animal received its name due to the color of the fur in which two colors are combined. The back is painted in shades from red to dark brown, and the abdomen is white or gray. Ears, wings and facial part of the animal has a black or dark brown color. These bats dwell on the territory of Eurasia - from England and France to the coast of the Pacific Ocean. North Border of Area: Norway, Central Russia, South Siberia; South border: South Italy, Iran, Himalayas, Northeast China. The habitat of a two-color leather - mountains, steppes and forest arrays. In countries western Europe These bats are often found in major cities. Two-color leather not against the neighborhood with other types of bats with which common shelters share: attics, eaves, hollow trees, cracked rocks. Animals are hunting on, swirls, moles and other small insects throughout the night. The form is under threat of disappearance and is protected in many countries.

Taken from the site: www.aku-bochum.de

  • Big Bairegg (Fishing Bat)(Lat.Noctilio Leporinus )

It has a body length of 6.5-13.2 cm and the weight of 60 to 78. The colors of males and females varies: the first have the body of a reddish or bright red color, the latter are painted in dull grayish-brownish shades. From the nape to the end of the back of the animal the light strip passes. These bats are found from the south of Mexico to the northern part of Argentina, are found on the Antilles, Southern Bahamas and Trinidad Island. Mix the mancasts near the water in the caves, cracked rocks, and also climb into the hollow and crowns of trees. Food large insects with large insects and water inhabitants of fresh reservoirs: fish, and crustaceans. Sometimes they can hunt during the day.

Taken from the site: reddit.com

Taken from the site: mammalart.wordpress.com

  • WATER NIGHT (Dobneon's nightnight)(lat.Myotis Daubentonii.)

Received its name in honor of the French Naturalist Louis Jean-Marie Dobanon. This small animal has a body length of not more than 4.5 - 5.5 cm and weighs from 7 to 15 g. The wingspan are 24 - 27.5 cm. Fur painting is unbelievable: dark, brownish. The upper part is darker. Animal habitat extends from the UK and France to Sakhalin, Kamchatka and Ussuri Territory. The northern border passes near 60 ° S.Sh., South - from Southern Italy, in the south of Ukraine, Lower Volga, through the North Kazakhstan, Altai, North Mongolia, to Primorsky Krai. The life of a bat is associated with water bodies, although the animals are found and away from them. In the afternoon, they can climb in a hollow or in the attic, and with the onset of night begin to hunt. These bats fly slowly, often fluttering over the surface of the reservoirs, and cob solid insects, mostly mosquitoes. If there is no reservoir nearby, then water nights are hunting among the trees. Destroying bloodsowing insects, water nights contribute to the fight against malaria and Tularemia.

  • Brown Ushan (he same Ordinary Ushan)(lat. Plecotus Auritus.)

It has the length of the body 4-5 cm and the mass of 6-12 g. The most characteristic in the guise of the Ushan is a huge ears. The body is covered with an uneven dask fur. Habitat Ushan covers almost all Eurasia, including Portugal in the western part of the range and to the Kamchatka Peninsula in the East. Also, the brown will be found in the north of Africa, in Iran and the central part of China. The lifestyle of volatile mice is settled. These winged animals winter are not far from the seating sites in the summer, inhabiting the caves, various cellar, well logs and a hood of powerful trees, meeting sometimes in the attic of houses that were insulated for the winter. A bat of a bat with big ears crashes in full darkness and hunts until the sunrise.

  • Dwarf's bat (he same smallor low-headed) (Lat. Pipistrelluspipistrellus.)

Pretty numerous species related to the nature of sweating, the family of smooth bans. This is the smallest view of the busholes of Europe. The body of the dwarf's distress resembles the body of the mouse, its length is 38-45 mm, and the tail length is 28-33 mm. The mass of dwarfs is usually 3-6 g. The wingspan of this small bat reaches 19-22 cm. The body is covered with short smooth wool, which in the European form of an animal is painted in a brown color, and among Asian in the pale-grayish-fawn. The lower part of the body has a lighter color. Dwarf-dwarf spread in Eurasia: from west to east of Spain to Western China, and from north to south from Southern Norway to Malaya Asia and Iran. This type of volatile mice besides Eurasia is found in North Africa. Mounted in places associated with human housing, in the depths of forests and in the steppes are not found, avoids the caves, sometimes settles in the hollows of trees. In winter, there are pretty seasonal migrations. Adult males in the spring-summer period are extremely rare, as they hold one or going to small groups separately from female and young individuals. Hunt bats after sunset. They fly low, at the bottom of the crowns of trees. Food of this tiny mouse make up small insects. Dwarf's bat - one of the most useful volatile mice in the Eurasian fauna.

  • Large horseshoes(lat. Rhinolophus ferrumequinum)

The sizes of the animal are 5.2-7.1 cm, the wings in motion reach 35-40 cm, and the weight of the volatile mouse is 13-34 g. The color of the back varies depending on the habitat from the dark chocolate to the pale-smokato-pale. Belly animal abdomen with gray tint, lighter back color. Young animals have a monophonic grayish color. The view is common in northern Africa (in Morocco, Algeria), in Eurasia, the habitat area stretches from the UK and Portugal through the mountainous regions of Central Europe, covers the Balkans, the countries of the Small and Front Asia, the Caucasus, Himalayas, Tibet, and ends in the south of China, Korean Peninsula and Japan. In Russia, this bat is found in the Crimea and in the North Caucasus, covering the area from the Krasnodar Territory to Dagestan. The usual places of the settlement of the hood - these are mountain clefts, grotes, basements and ruins, as well as caves. IN Central Asia These animals dwell under the domes of tombs and mosques. Volatile mice live relatively settled, making local seasonal swinging. Winter in wet caves and dungeons. Hunt low above the ground on night butterflies and small beetles. Large horseskone is listed in the Red Book of Russia.

  • Ordinary vampire (he same Big bloodsuckor Desmode) (Lat.Desmodus Rotundus. )

The most numerous I. famous appearance real vampires. In many ways, thanks to this particular family, bats have their own bad reputation. The ordinary vampire really feeds on the blood, including the blood of a man. This is an animal of small size: the length of the bat - 8 cm, the weight is 50 g, the scope of the wings - 20 cm. The vampires of bloodsicles live in large colonies. During the day they sleep in the hollows of old trees and caves. On the hunt, the ordinary vampire flies late at night when his future victims are shipped into a deep sleep. He attacks on large empty animals, such as,. It can bite both a person sleeping in an open area or in a house with open and unprotected mesh windows. With the help of hearing and smelling, vampire bats find a sleeping victim, sit on her or next to her, crawling place to the place where the vessels are suitable close to the surface of the skin, they attach it and lick blood flowing from the wound. The special secret contained in the saliva, which the vampire wets the skin of the victim, makes the bite painless and affects blood clotting. As a result, the victim may die from bloodstures, as the blood leaks for a long time without folding. But not only the ordinary vampire is dangerous. With his bite there can be a rabies virus, plague and other diseases. The vampires themselves suffer from rabies. The spread of diseases inside the species occurs, among other things, due to the tendency of vampires to share blood jumped with hungry tribesmen, habits, extremely rare among animals. Vampire bats only in the tropics and subtropics of Central and South America. In other places of the globe there are other types of vampires, but they do not eat blood. Thanks to these three types of manochable, a negative attitude towards the volatile mice, which are not only harmless, but also useful animals.

How do bats multiply?

Most volatile mice common in tropical latitudes, multiply 2 times a year. Residents of moderate latitudes - 1 time per year. The pairing period from the bats of moderate latitudes begins in the fall. Sperm in the genital paths of paired females are preserved all winter, and in the spring, fertilization occurs. Pretty bat can last different time and depends on temperature ambient: In the heat, the embryo is developing faster. Some species such as ordinary Ushan (Lat. Plecotus Auritus.), Most often give birth to 1 young, widecat (lat. Barbastella), leather (lat. Eptesicus), night light (lat. Myotis), etc. - 2 cubs, and the hairy throat (lat. Lasiurus) there are 3 newborns .

The development of young people occurs very quickly. Already by the end of the first week, the young bat increases twice as well, and the body naked at birth is covered with short hairs. The newborns at first feed the mother's milk, and about a month later they are hunting near the dwelling.

How many volatile mice live?

The life expectancy of volatile mice in nature, in different sources, varies from 4 to 20 years. The maximum fixed period is 33 years.

Enemies bats.

Among the animals and birds of enemies, the bats are not very much, besides, their victims are ruthlessly becoming infrequently and rather by chance. On early departing species of bats, such as the Svytalus (lat. Nyctalus) and the bats (Lat. Pipistrellus), the day predatory birds are attacked: Sapsans, Cheglocks ,. Night, owls, too, will not refuse to blend a bat. Casual enemies include such animals as caressing.

And yet the main enemy of the manochable is a man and his activity. The population of different types of volatile mice is significantly reduced due to the use of chemicals in animal husbandry and crop production. Flying animals living in the forests are deprived of bed and food as a result of cutting down trees. Currently, many species are taken under protection and are listed in the International Red Book.

Bone of bat

Bats, excluding vampires, are animals are not aggressive and they themselves attack the person and do not bite. If the animal is in hand, he can only bite from fright, defending. In this case, the wreck must be treated with an antiseptic and consult a doctor, as well as with any bite of a wild animal.

What are dangerous bats?

People have long had a negative attitude towards the volatile mice. There are a large number of myths and prejudices regarding them. In particular, numerous stories about volatile mice, which were confused in the hair unreal, because the most advanced system of animal echolocation excludes this. In fact, several types of volatile mice are dangerous for a person, as the rabies virus can carry and other dangerous diseases. These are bloodsowing bats in South and Central America. It is believed that some varieties living in Africa also carry viruses and even death virus Ebola. But it was not proved by science.

The benefits of volatile mice

Bats are useful animals. In huge quantities, they destroy various insects - carriers of diseases and agricultural pests:

  • Bats exterminate not only mosquitoes - malaria distributors, but also their wintering, which is especially important, since the destruction of the ten winter mosquitoes gives a greater effect than the destruction of thousands of flying.
  • These animals eaten, leschemaniosis carriers, diseases common in tropical and subtropical countries.
  • The flocks of bats sometimes accompany the caviar pets, eliminating them from bloodsowing insects.
  • On mosquitoes and mosquitoes hunt minor bats. Larger animals eaten butterflies and beetles, pests of crops and plantings: a cotton boxing scoop - the most dangerous pest of agricultural pests; Pakhuchochi tree - pests of fruit gardens; silkworm of routine and other silkworms, and the pioneer of thinning trees; Silver's holes whose caterpillars destroy the leaves of non-blinking trees; Tassels and many others.

In addition, bats contribute to pollination of plants. Taking the insects who have scored in flowers, animals carry sticking pollen. They also distribute seeds of many economically significant plants and fruit trees.

A liter of bats (which is called Guano), whose deposits are formed in the places of their settlements, is used as fertilizer. It contains a lot of nitrogen and phosphorus and gives a significant effect in the cultivation of valuable crops.

Bats are of great importance for science. They are the object of a number of important experimental studies.

How to get rid of volatile mice?

Sometimes the bats settle next to the person: they can be found in the country, under the roof of the house or in the garage. They seem to determine themselves in pets themselves. Bringing undoubted benefits in the fight against insects and protecting crops and pests from pests, bats can hurt some concern. For example, the noise produced by them at night may interfere with sleeping. Evaporation from waste of their livelihoods can harm human health. If there was a need to get rid of bats, it should be done carefully, so as not to harm the unexpected neighbors.

  • It is necessary to find a place where bats are resting in the afternoon, and, waiting when they fly to hunt, close the entrance to the mounting foam or boards.
  • You can try to literally "smoke" them smoke or watering water.
  • There are also various sprays or naphthalene, which can be treated by the shelter mice in their absence.
  • Ultrasound dischargers are also an effective means in the fight against bats.
  • Dachini can make special buildings for flying animals to relieve them there.
  • Finally, you can contact the help of special brigades that know exactly how to evict unwanted guests.

  • From the shelter, bats always fly out on the left side.
  • One small bat per hour can eat up to 600 mosquitoes, which in terms of human weight equals 20 pizza.
  • During World War II, a project was developed in which Brazilian folds tried to use as arsonists, attaching incendiary bombs of slow motion and throwing over the enemy territory to penetrate the house.
  • The substances contained in the saliva of volatile vampires were used to create medicines that impede the formation of blood clots, that is, to combat stroke.
  • In European culture, bats act as representatives dark forcesAnd in Chinese, on the contrary, perceived positively and are a symbol of happiness.

Bat It has long inspired a horror man. Many legends and stories are invented around their unusual lifestyle and appearance. Their sharp teeth and night flights in the aggregate created the illusion of the existence of potential danger when meeting with them. However, in reality, everything is not the case, and only some rare speciesFood in certain places feed on the blood of large mammals. The rest are satisfied with insects and no relation to the vampirism.

Origin of type and description

The bats are primarily amazing that they move through the air, maney wings like birds. However, they make it solely at night, without using one of the main senses - vision. Birds, of course, they are not, because they themselves are nobility and feed the cubs of milk. Yes, and they have nothing to do with birds, except for the ability to fly, even feathers.

Video: Bat


Volatile mice belong to the class of mammals by the detachment of manochable. Their huge number of species. According to different sources, 600 to 1000 species of bats are distinguished. Of course, it is impossible to consider every kind of separately, without being a specialist in these animals.

The main species, the most common and explicit differences can be counted on the fingers, namely:

  • two-color leather;
  • giant Evening;
  • white sheets;
  • pigtone bang;
  • big mortgage;
  • water night;
  • brown Ushan;
  • dwarf's bat;
  • ordinary vampire;
  • blonde vampire;
  • mokhnogo-legged vampire.

It is believed that the first bats appeared about 70 million years ago, when smoky wood mammals began to appear overpass on the sides, which were further evolved in the wings. It is possible that the cause of the formation of a membrane was the mutation of the gene. Scientists believe that the change in the structure of the body of the animals occurred quite quickly, since today there is no one transitional individuals. That is, the so-called high-speed evolution occurred.

Appearance and features

Bats are quite small size. The weight of the representative of the itself little view, the pig-shaped bat is about 2 grams, while the body length is only 33 mm. This is one of the smallest representatives in general among the animal kingdom. The biggest bat is a giant lzevampier whose wings are 75 cm, and the body weight of an adult individual is in the range from 150 to 200 grams.

Different types of volatile mice are different from each other. external species and the structure of the skull. But they all have common exterior signs. The main difference from many animals are wings. They are subtle membranes stretched between the front and rear limbs. Wings of volatile mice differ significantly from the wings of birds. They do not have feathers, but have long fingers to which the membranes are attached.

Interesting fact: wings are used not only for flights, but also as a blanket during sleep. Bats are wrapped in them to keep warm.

They also differ in the hind limbs. They are deployed to the sides, and the knee joints back. The hind limbs are very developed. With their help, bats can hang down their heads for a long time. And it is in this position that they sleep.

Almost all volatile mice are big ears. That is not surprising for an animal that does not possess good vision. Ears are used by volatile mice for echolocation and orientation in space. An animal publishes high-frequency thin sounds, which are reflected from all objects and then perceived by the animals themselves. The ears are equipped with a large network of blood vessels that feed them. The eyes of the bats, on the contrary, very small in size. Vision monochrome and not acute. Although there are exceptions, for example, California Listonos during hunting is more relying on their eyesight than hearing.

Most types of volatile mice have a non-market color. They are usually brown or gray, sometimes dark gray. This is due to the need to be unnoticed during the hunt at night. Exceptions are also there, for example, some species have white or bright red-haired colors. Hair cover in animals thick, single-tier. In this case, the skin membrane is covered with very rare hair.

Where is the bat inhabit?

Bats are common everywhere, with the exception of polar latitudes, ranging from the tundra. There are mice just nowhere to hide from harsh climatic conditionsand there is no necessary amount of food. Among the snow, there are no more volatile mice, even considering that they are capable of falling into the hibernation.

The most important condition for their existence is the presence of a shelter, which will allow them daily to hide on a light day and sleep. Such can be as well known, caves. Bats are simply a solid fasten to the cave ceiling by the paws upside down and spend a light day there. At dusk, they begin to fly to hunt. It is very interesting that flying out of the cave, bats always fly to the left.

By the number of mice in the caves, they are promised about the accumulation of their litter on the bottom of the stone niche. Often, its accumulation is about a meter.

If there are no caves in proximity, then other shelters will fit, these are trees in nature: mice find secluded places between branches, fruits or in thick foliage. The most important thing for them to sunlight did not get on them. In cities and villages, volatile mice is even easier to find refuge - they will be suitable for any attic of a residential building. People they do not fear and calmly settle down to them at home.

What is food batter?

Despite the stories about vampirism and the use of volatile mice in horror films, such as "from sunset to dawn" or "Dracula", these creatures are completely harmless. They can not bite man. However, you should not touch the bats - they will be able to carry dangerous for a person or a pet disease, such as rabies.

Most types of bats feed on insects: they are able to eat up to 200 pieces of mosquitoes per hour. If we consider the ratio of the weight of the animal and the amount of food eaten, it turns out quite a lot, about the fifth part of its own mass.

Some types of bats are larger, it is not enough to consume small insects to eat small insects and they are carnivore - eat frogs, lizards, small birds and. There are several types of volatile mice feeding on fish.

Blood axle bats, so-called vampires, feed on the warm blood of animals, usually they bite livestock. Bites are painless for animals, because together with the saliva they highlight a substance that has an analgesic effect. However, they can be dangerous because they carry various diseases from which the animal may even die.

There are also many types of volatile mice that feed on plant foods:

  • flower pollen;
  • fruits of trees (usually is dates, bananas, mango);
  • flowers.

Such volatile mice. Live in hot tropical countries, where vegetation is abounding all year round. Now people try to keep exotic animals at home. The bat is no exception and is in demand in the market of domestic animals. But, not being a specialist, you should not do this.

Since very specific these pets. They require huge returns and strictly defined conditions. From food, carnivores can eat sliced \u200b\u200bmeat or sub-products of birds or animals, herbivores worth feeding fruit, and drinking water and milk. Also as a delicacy, the hosts treated animals condensed milk.

Features of character and lifestyle

Bats are the night lifestyle. In the afternoon they sleep, and at the same time usually hide in various asylums, including underground. They love the caves very much, the hollow trees, earthlings, as well as quarries and mines, can hide under the branches of trees and under the nests of birds.

We usually live in small colonies of several dozen individuals. Although more populated colonies are found, including consisting of several different subspecies of volatile mice. A record for today is a colony of Brazilian folds, consisting of 20 million individuals.

In winter, most of the volatile mice, fall into the hibernation. But part is capable of how to migrate birds into warmer edges, overcoming the distance to 1000 km. The hibernation depending on the area can reach 8 months.

The hibernation occurs down your head, by hanging on the hind legs. This turns out to be convenient for you can immediately go to the flight, spending less strength and time. No energy is expected due to the characteristics of the structure of the limbs.

Interesting fact: There is a unique carnivore plant on Borneo Island, which loves volatile mice with special sounds. But it does not eat them, but on the contrary, provides the bats of their inflorescences as shelter. Animals leave plants their excrement, which it uses fertilizer. In nature, such a symbiosis is unique.

For orientation in space and for hunting use echolocation, which helps them to maneuver, control the height of the flight and the distance to the walls of the cave. It is believed that during the hunt, volatile mice becomes known not only to the distance to the goal, but also the direction of its flight, and even what kind of production varieties it belongs.

Social structure and reproduction

A joint accommodation in a colony does not make volatile mice. Animals do not produce any joint action and hunt too exclusively alone. They also do not create families. Two individuals are combined only at the time of mating, and then immediately forget about each other.

Most of the volatile mice who live in moderate climates, begin to multiply in the spring. Usually in the litter there are from two to five young, but the exact number of strongly depending on the environmental conditions. The female produces offspring once a year. She feeds the young until they serve wings. Estimation from different subspecies lasts different times.

For minor subspecies, bats are characterized from 6 to 8 weeks, until they become independent. For large subspecies of animals, this period can reach four months. In the first week, the female takes a young on a night hunt. At the same time, he firmly keeps his mother during the flight. In the following weeks, he becomes heavy, so at the time of hunt, she leaves him in the shelter.

An interesting fact: females of volatile mice have the ability to control their pregnancy time, as well as detain the birth of offspring. It is necessary for them that the offspring will be born during the period when the amount of food is maximally. Very often, mating occurs in the fall, but fertilization occurs only in the spring.

The life expectancy of volatile mice directly depends on a specific subspecies. Basically, bats live 20 years, but there are subspecies, with a lifetime of no more than 5 years.

Natural Enemies Battle Mice

Pretty mice have quite a few enemies. This is primarily due to the small size and night lifestyle when they go hunting much larger predators. For them, bats serve excellent prey.

Among predators, especially dangerous for bats, fashionably allocate the following:

  • owls;
  • candles;
  • falcon, and other predatory birds;
  • rats;
  • predatory fish;
  • ferrets.

Not only poisoning they receive from these procedures in the houses, they also deprive parts of the feed. Insects living in the district are also dying from these poisons, and mice may not be enough food. Therefore, it is believed that the volatile mice lives not just, and they need additional security from human. However, the specific lifestyle does not even allow this, because these animals are selective, and it is difficult to follow them.

Population and status of the form

Most of the types of volatile mice have the status of endangered. Some subspecies have the status of vulnerable requiring constant monitoring.

Basically, the development of agriculture has negatively affected the population in the 20th century, environmental pollution, and disappearance of habitats. But at the same time, there were the facts of intentional extermination, ruin of nests and processing roofs and attic houses with repellents. In the United States, studies were also conducted, which showed that wind power plants also affect the number of volatile mice. Bats are dying due to collisions with wind-generator blades and from damage to the lungs due to the pressure drop next to the blades.

But since the bats have a central value for the ecosystem, measures are taken to protect them. In Europe, they are actually the only natural regulator of the number of insects that show night activity. Thanks to the efforts of the protection of manochable, the populations of individual subspecies were stabilized, and some increased.

The European Environmental Protection Agency for the results of studying about 6,000 nesting sites made a conclusion that the number of bats from 1993 to 2011 increased by 43%. But these are average numbers, and unfortunately, the number of some subspecies continues to decline.

Protection of volatile mice

In countries European Union All types of manacrew are protected in accordance with EU directives and international conventions. Russia also signed all international conservation agreements. Many of them are included in the Red Book. According to Russian legislation, not only the volatile mice are subject to protection, but also their habitats and asylum. In particular, even sanitary supervision and veterinary control bodies cannot take any measures towards the volatile mice settlements in the city.

As measures for the protection of volatile mice, the availability of settlements of animals and ways of their migration during the construction of wind turbine parks are carried out. It is supervised in protected areas and informing visitors to the security zones on the rules established to protect the volatile mice. A decrease in artificial lighting in their habitats is produced.

To inform citizens about the need to protect animals and to attract the attention of people to the problem of their protection annually, on September 21, the environmental feast "International Night of Volatile Mice" is noted. In Europe, the night of volatile mice has been celebrated for almost 20 years. In our country, it takes place since 2003.