Untitled Document
 Fruit
bats are large flying mammals that live in forests in Africa, Europe,
Australia and Asia. There are about 166 kinds of fruit bats in the
world. Fruit bats are also known as “flying foxes.”
Livingstone’s Fruit Bat from Africa is one of the largest fruit bats.
It has a wingspan of up to 1.8 meters.
The Long-tongued Fruit Bat is
one of the smallest fruit bats. It has a wingspan of 13-15 centimeters.
Like other bats, fruit bats have very long fingers that serve as wings. Males and females look alike. They have weak legs and don’t walk
very well. They are most active at night. They rest during the day while hanging upside down
from their feet. These bats live in huge colonies. Within these colonies, one
male fruit bat usually lives with up to
eight female bats.
Fruit bats have a very good sense of smell. They use
it to find their food. They also have a good sense of sight. They have
large eyes and can see very well. As their name hints, they eat fruits and
flowers.
As they fly from plant to plant getting food,
they also pollinate the plants they
visit. And they disperse the plants’ seeds as they eat. Many of
the fruits and vegetables we enjoy on our table would not exist without these bats! Fruits
that depend on fruit bats for
pollination include bananas, peaches, avocados and mangoes. |
|
|
|
