Many nectar-feeding bats can also see ultraviolet light, helping them to locate flowers during the nighttime hours. Rather, their eyes are specifically adapted for maneuvering under low-light conditions, helping them to detect prey and avoid obstacles. Contrary to popular perceptions, bats are not blind. Stretching between each finger and the length of the forearm, as well as between the legs and tail, is a double-layered skin membrane, which creates the wing structure (Figure 1).īats likely evolved their nocturnal behavior as a way of avoiding predation, and they are presently the only major predator of night-flying insects. A bat's wing is anatomically homologous to the human arm, consisting of an upper arm, forearm, wrist, and a hand with four elongated fingers and a clawed thumb, which is used to cling onto any rough surface. The majority of bats (70%), including those in New Jersey, are primarily insectivorous.īats are the only mammals capable of true flight. Carnivorous bats feed on both insects and small vertebrates, including rodents, birds, fish, and amphibians. Nectar-feeding bats are generally larger than the carnivores and are found primarily in the tropics and subtropics, where food can be acquired year-round. Bats are divided into 2 main subgroups, the fruit or nectar-feeders and the carnivores. ![]() (Photo credit: Matt Rainey)īats are mammals in the order Chiroptera, which is Latin for "hand-wing." There are over 1,240 species of bats worldwide, making up almost a quarter of all the mammals on Earth. ![]() The wing membrane spreads between the forearms and fingers, and the tail membrane stretches between the legs and tail. Anatomy of a bat, depicting the hand and forearm structure.
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