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BAT DIVERSITY 2
- FEEDING
- Brown Long-Eared Bat: eats large moths
etc from surfaces (gleaning), adapted to
taking animals which weigh a large
proportion of own body weight: just a
small step to taking small mammals
- Australian Ghost Bat (false vampire): Small
evo step, can feed on rodents and small
marsupials, which is safer to do than taking
bigger scorpions
- Australian Ghost Bat (false vampire): Small
evo step, can feed on rodents and small
marsupials, which is safer to do than taking
bigger scorpions
- ~ 12 carnivorous bat species: feeding on birds (Greater
Noctule Bat in autumn when birds migrate), fish (Fish-eating
bat and Fisherman's bat), mammals (Hoary bat), frogs
(frog-eating bat, fringe-lipped bat)
- Carnivorous Bats: Echolocate and so have
elaborate nose shapes and big ears etc.
BUT also have large eyes at FRONT of
head: binocular vision, allowing predator
to estimate distance better, usually has big
teeth too for dealing with prey, skull size
dependent upon food source,
- A few species have become very specialized such
as fish and frog-eating bats Probably the most
specialized of all are the three species of true
vampire bats that eat only blood, and have
physiological adaptations to this lifestyle
- Carnivorous Bats: Echolocate and so have
elaborate nose shapes and big ears etc.
BUT also have large eyes at FRONT of
head: binocular vision, allowing predator
to estimate distance better, usually has big
teeth too for dealing with prey, skull size
dependent upon food source,
- Epauletted Bat: flying after taking a meal is energetically
costly. these have evolved to squeeze juice from fruit and
remove unwanted pulp: adaptation to feed without flying costs
- Important for ecological reasons: 2 ways of seed dispersal,
through rejected pulp and through normal route - bats vs. birds
importance in dispersal in tropical forests
- Steps from taking insects - fish -
mammals: INCREASE IN PREY SIZE
- Daubenton's Bat: -aerial insectivore - can also
scoop insects (especially emerging insects/larvae)
from surface of water - scoop up with feet pr tail
membrane which is adapted to this purpose
- Fisherman's Bat: - S and C America - can eat
small fish using long claws - using echolocation
to locate protruding fin or ripples on surface of
water - GAFF: targeting SPECIFIC insects/fish,
but when prey in high density they will TRAWL -
Mouth open during flight for EL - 'bulldog bat': skin
flaps help to grip fish
- Fisherman's Bat: - S and C America - can eat
small fish using long claws - using echolocation
to locate protruding fin or ripples on surface of
water - GAFF: targeting SPECIFIC insects/fish,
but when prey in high density they will TRAWL -
Mouth open during flight for EL - 'bulldog bat': skin
flaps help to grip fish
- Daubenton's Bat: -aerial insectivore - can also
scoop insects (especially emerging insects/larvae)
from surface of water - scoop up with feet pr tail
membrane which is adapted to this purpose
- Lots of bats feed on the ground: ground predators - hover
close to ground and drop onto prey. e.g. Pallid bat: Arizona -
eats scorpions, large centipedes etc., adapted physiology -
immune to toxins in the sting and when eating
- Brown Long-Eared Bat: eats large moths
etc from surfaces (gleaning), adapted to
taking animals which weigh a large
proportion of own body weight: just a
small step to taking small mammals
- ROOSTING
- Only a small minority actually roost in
caves
- MOST roost in trees or out in the open,
particularly tropical forest bats
- But also some N. American/Canadain species
do: e.g. Hoary Bat: looks like a bear - furry
because lives in cold climate - lives in
coniferous forest - tail is furry too (usually
naked) to warm the feet
- But also some N. American/Canadain species
do: e.g. Hoary Bat: looks like a bear - furry
because lives in cold climate - lives in
coniferous forest - tail is furry too (usually
naked) to warm the feet
- SOLITARY vs. FAMILY
vs. COLONY
- Spectrum: from solitary bats to those living in
huge colonies in caves
- Bracken Caves: 4 million Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats
- Two extremes: hiding away in
huge colonies to open roosting
along
- Bracken Caves: 4 million Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats
- Spectrum: from solitary bats to those living in
huge colonies in caves
- Only a small minority actually roost in
caves
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