APC ALPINE PEST CONTROL Bats
Bat Types
There are more than 1,000 bat species in the world, making them one of the most prevalent orders of mammals. In fact, more than a quarter of the total number of mammal species are species of bat.
Bat species are divided into two suborders
Megachiroptera (also called flying foxes or fruit bats)
These bats, which are found primarily in Africa, Asia and Australia, are characterized by a long muzzle. Most megachiroptera species are vegetarians, feeding on fruit and pollen.
Microchiroptera
These bats are generally smaller than megachiroptera bats, and most have pushed-in snouts, like a pug-nosed dog. These bats, which are found all around the world, are typically carnivores. Most feed primarily on insects.
Bats are long-lived mammals, the current record for being a banded little brown bat from a mine in eastern Ontario that survived more than 35 years. Bats vary considerably in size and appearance. The smallest bat, the bumble-bee bat, has a wingspan of about 6 inches (15 cm), while the largest bat, the Malayan flying fox, can have a wingspan as wide as 6 feet (1.8 m). Apart from their leathery wings, megachiroptera bats look a lot like other mammals, with large eyes, small ears and extended snouts. Most microchiroptera species, on the other hand, have a completely unique facial appearance, with wide, extended ears and peculiarly shaped nostrils. These odd features help the bats get around in the dark, as we’ll see later.