What Do Bats Eat

Bats are animals that have long been imagined as mysterious, for some they are symbols of terror and others easily relate them to flying “rodents” due to their very particular shape. The truth is that they are quite excluded from society for all these points, when they really do not cause any damage to the environment, quite the opposite.

Used for many years for movies where they are supposed to generate fear and as one of the companions that inhabits the roofs of houses without realizing it. A mammal capable of being able to spread its wings and cross the skies at its convenience, with a sight that leaves much to be desired but with other quite active senses that make bats characteristic within their habitat.

We can see the bats hanging upside down in their hiding places, especially in the course of the day when they usually rest. We can also see their skin, which has a lining of small hairs and some can be physically compared to rodents or even foxes, only smaller in size.

Something that very few know is that they work on the pollination of plants, they do this thanks to the distribution of seeds, helping to prevent certain types of plants from becoming extinct so easily. Bats perform vital functions for the proper development of the ecosystem and from which we humans benefit greatly.

What do you need:

• Curiosity
• Very small animals
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Insects
• Water

Instructions

Bats as pets

After a long time has passed, the characteristic fear for these living beings has been lost, reaching a point where they are considered pets for some staff. This happens because it is one of the most abundant animals in the entire European area and therefore it is very easy to get bats everywhere.

Some people bring them home out of pity, they find them defenseless on the street and want to take care of them or make them part of their lives. Others for love of the species, since its appearance at first hand may not be very pleasant, but it can really become very tender if a bat is observed in detail.

Indistinctly many families of bats are being bred in captivity, as a way to educate humans regarding this animal. This seeks to eradicate the myths that have been generated around this living being, which really does not harm anyone.

Although this is not an animal that can be kept in a box or in small spaces. For the care of bats, the first thing to think about is that you have to let them come in and out at their convenience, especially since they will be locked up during the day since they are nocturnal animals.

Bats must have a kind of shelter or hole in your home, in its they can hide from the annoying rays of the sun and they will also feel safe in the face of danger. One of the biggest advantages of this little one is that they are very good at handling insects, believe us you will enjoy that these are part of their daily diet.

Another key fact about bats is that there are many species, with widely varying diets and sizes. Some species can measure up to a meter in length, but these are not the most common, it is normal that they do not exceed a few centimeters.

These mammals are really fascinating and here we will reveal some mysteries surrounding their diet. Since there are many open questions on this subject, where there are carnivorous bats, but they are not the most abundant species.

1. Leave the fear. The first thing you should do, if you want to find out about the sustenance of some bats, is to abandon fear and, above all, stop believing in irrelevant myths. They do not live on people’s blood; some species are carnivorous but consume small creatures such as rodents, as well as some amphibians such as frogs and are also fish hunters.
2. Certain bats do consume blood, but not in the way we’re used to hearing on tape.  Actually what they do is like a small cut, in birds or also in mammals, where when the blood begins to come out they will lick it without causing any real damage to the victim.
3. Likewise, these carnivorous bats are not all. They are found in some parts of the world and their abundance does not exceed 30%. Of the rest, their main source of life is fruits and vegetables, but their favorites are really insects.
4. Bring him the food. Whether you have them as pets or they are part of your community but in freedom, bats are not very fond of coexistence. Therefore, if you want to feed them, you must leave the food within their reach; otherwise they will not take it. If you pretend that they arrive, out of nowhere, to the place where the food is, time will pass slowly. Food should preferably be left for bats in a high place, if possible close to where they are hiding, so that they can access it quietly.
5. Likewise, do not expect them to eat too much or too often since we assure you that they will prefer hunting as a means of survival, so they may leave the dishes you offer them almost complete. In any case, if what you want is to feed a baby bat, you must remember that they are not self-sufficient, so try to give them the milk yourself, so that they really feed properly.
6. Give them freedom. As much as we want to have a pet bat in our home, we must remember that they are wild beings that seek freedom. That is why we cannot pretend to lock them up, they have to have their own space to rest and leave it when they feel like it.
7. Likewise, this will be their way of feeding since they must instinctively look for their food to survive and as much as we want to do them good by feeding them ourselves, they will try to follow their natural gifts. Remember mainly the nocturnal abilities of bats and their repellency towards light, so the hours that they will explore the most will be these. Leave them in a place where they can fly freely.
8. Most bat species are insect lovers: spiders, mosquitoes or butterflies, any of which can be part of their diet as they have no favorites. The most common ones can eat more than a thousand insects in one hour of the night in order to satisfy their needs. They obtain them thanks to a sense called echolocation, this allows them to move easily avoiding obstacles, but it also tells them where their prey is. This is done by means of ultrasound that, when bouncing, reaches the animal and tells them where what they plan to hunt is and also the data about what they are going to eat.
9. Bats are also of many benefits to humans, as they can help you fight different insect pests, especially flying ones. They really are a help to ecosystems as they maintain balance thanks to their constant hunting of bugs, if they weren’t controlling them it would be an almost impossible task.
10. Fruit lovers. Other foods that you can feed bats are fruits and vegetables. They usually approach the trees and bushes to take the fruit, attracted by its characteristic aroma, and then take it to their hiding place and enjoy them alone. Not surprisingly, some bats have the ability to eat fruit in mid-flight, although this is not a common sight. They choose the sweetest fruits but are not very fond of colors that are very bright or fruits (or vegetables) that give off a very strong smell.

Tips

One of the main tips and invitations that we can give you is to encourage you to meet this animal. Bats are really species that are worth studying, they are also a fundamental part of the natural environment since without bats many of the life cycles would not be complete.

You can also pass on this knowledge to people who are not informed about bats.  Sometimes out of fear they seek to exterminate this animal and therefore some species are in danger of extinction, but the truth is that they do not cause any relevant damage and that they are animals that have as much right to inhabit this planet as others.

In addition to this, you can help them stay in your community by feeding them the different foods that we have mentioned here, you can even consider them your pets.

If you see an injured or lonely bat, shelter it until it feels better and can be independent.

Living with bats is one of the most interesting experiences that the animal kingdom can offer us. With their small eyes and bodies, large wings and dominant instincts, their fame as predators is reduced and they become part of our daily environment without any prejudice.