The Bat
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Bats are warm-blooded mammals , who generally have one baby , or pup , per year . The newborn pup is remarkably large at about 30 % of its mother ' s size at birth . The pup clings to its mother ' s fur , latches on to a nipple , and nurses milk for a couple of months tucked near the mother ' s armpit for warmth and safety . Bats are shy , gentle creatures and the only mammals that can fly .
Bats as Pollinators : Bats are nocturnal , meaning they are awake and active during the night . They feed on bugs , fruit , frogs , fish , and nectar from flowers . Nectar-feeding bats fly to a flower and use their long snouts and tongues to dip in and out of flowers while hovering in mid-air . There are tiny hairs on their tongues that serve as miniature spoons to scoop and drag up the delicious sap . While they eat this tasty nectar , some pollen gets on their fur and transfers to another flower . This helps the flower to reproduce . This is a symbiotic relationship because both organisms benefit .
Activity : Cross out the word BATS every time you see it in the text below . When you reach a letter that is not crossed out , write it in the circles below to reveal the secret message .
B A T S B B A T S E B A T S A B A T S B A T S B B A T S A B A T S T B A T S B A T S H B A T S E B A T S R B A T S B A T S O B A T S S B A T S A B A T S B A T S V B A T S E B A T S B B A T S B A T S A B A T S T B A T S H B A T S B A T S A B A T S B B A T S I B A T S B A T S T B A T S A B A T S T B A T S
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Myth : Bats are just flying mice . Truth : Bats are not rodents . Bats are classified in their own order of mammals called Chiroptera , which translates at " hand-wing ."
Myth : All bats have rabies . Truth : All mammals can contract rabies ; however the vast majority of bats do not . Bats that contract the virus die from the disease . Never pick up , handle , or play with a bat .
Myth : Bats get tangled in your hair . Truth : Bats don ' t build nests and have little interest in our hair .
Myth : Bats attack people . Truth : Bats are afraid of humans and try to stay away from people as best they can .
Myth : Bats suck blood . Truth : Only three of the more than 1,300 kinds of bats in the world are vampire bats . And even those don ' t " suck " blood , but lap it like a cat laps milk . Vampire bats live in Mexico , Central America , and South America .
Myth : Bats are pests . Truth : Bats are the ones that eat the pests - insects . One insect-eating bat can eat 3 / 4 of their body weight in insects in one night .
Myth : Bats are dirty . Truth : Bats groom themselves just like cats and are very clean .
Myth : Bats are blind . Truth : All bats can see . Many types of bats have small eyes and use echolocation to navigate , but they aren ' t blind .
Learn more at www . batcon . org
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Source : West Greeley Conservation District / 4-H Pollinator Habitat Program and www . batcon . org www . GrowingYourFuture . com - 7