Do you like bats? Well, if you don't like them, you're about to, because these little critters are adorable (most of them, at least).
Bats are amazing creatures and the only flying mammals on the planet. No, flying squirrels don't count. Despite many similarities, the different species of these winged terrors have different lifestyles, appearances, and food preferences. Some of them feed on flower nectar, while others prefer fresh blood. But what else do we know about them besides "eating them can cause a pandemic"?
Let's talk amazing bat facts!
1) There are Mexican free-tailed bats that can reach speeds of 60 miles per hour and fly up to 250 miles per night.
2) Vampire bats cannot physically suck blood. They simply bite the skin and lick the wound.
3) Some bats like to drink cow blood, others attack goats, but white-winged vampire bats have learned to act like chicks to trick succulent chickens into snuggling up with them.
4) More than 50% of all bats in the United States are endangered species.
5) Thanks to their unique wing structure, bats fly more efficiently than birds.
6) You can meet bats almost anywhere in the world. From the Arctic Circle to the southernmost points of Argentina and Africa.
7) A very hungry bat can suck up 600 nasty bugs in 60 minutes.
8) Now imagine 150 big brown bats patrolling cucumber farms night after night. In one summer, they can help us save billions of dollars!
9) If vampire bats scare you, just know that somewhere in West Africa there is a species of bat that uses cobwebs as blankets.
10) Of all the bats, only the blood drinkers can move freely on the ground.
11) The smallest night flier ever discovered is the bee bat. Weighing around two grams, this little bat can easily be mistaken for a bee, hence its name.
12) Bat guano is an excellent fertilizer thanks to its high concentration of phosphorus and nitrogen.
13) By the way, guano was used to make real gunpowder during the US civil war.
14) The phrase "blind as a bat" is 100% incorrect. Not only can they see quite well, but some of them can detect ultraviolet light.
15) The oldest known bat lived about 50 million years ago.
16) The vast majority of bat species sleep, socialize, mate, reproduce, and die while hanging upside down.
17) Speaking of dead bats, if one dies while hanging, it won't loosen its legs and stay that way until something, or someone lets go.
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