May 22,2023
By Sonakshi Kandhar
Bats, prowling across the skies in the dark of the night, are the world’s only flying mammals. Known for their spookiness, they are also advantageous. Around 300 fruit species depend on bats for pollination. Posing a grave threat to night insects, their numbers are on the decline due to habitat loss and diseases. There are around 1400 species, and these are the six bat families found in India.
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The world’s largest bat, also called fruit bat, is treated as sacred in many parts of India. This bat gets its name from its fox-like appearance, distinguishable long snout and large eyes. With a wingspan of 4 feet, these bats call the Indian forests home. Feeding mainly on fruits, vegetables and eggs, these bats detect food with the help of their refined senses of vision and smell.
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Coming in two categories, the greater false vampire bat (Megaderma lyra) and lesser false vampire bat (Megaderma) are carnivorous. True to their name, these bats feed off the blood of sleeping cows, pigs, horses, birds and, on rare occasions, even human beings. In fact, they drink up half their own blood in the night. This energises them to walk,run and fly.
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Thriving in arid areas, these bats are found nestled in large rocks and nooks. They are insectivorous and feed on insects such as beetles and moths, which pester human beings. To tide through times during which there is little or no insect availability, these bats have an innate ability to store fat in a skin fold of their lower abdomen.
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It is a species of sac-winged bat, and the tuft of fur on its chin best describes its name. Even their tails have fur. Another aspect of this bat’s appearance is its wings, which are affixed just above its ankles. With their help, they can soar up to a height of 90 metres. They reside in deserted buildings, rainforests, tombs and woodlands.
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It It is a free-tailed bat found in the Western Ghats and Karnataka of India. This species was a critically endangered one, but recent sightings have offered a ray of hope. This bat is rich brown in colour. It has short,velvety hair It has distinguishable forward-pointing ears, and there is a throat sac in both the male and female species.
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Ceylon leaf-nosed bat and Kelaart’s leaf-nosed bat are its other names. Coming in shades ranging between pale cream and brown, this bat actually has four leaflets on its nose. Not needing to hibernate, this bat roosts among 50 of its kind and might even be in the company of thousands of individuals.
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It Also called Evening Vesper Bat, this one belongs to the Vespertilionidae family and is commonly found in India. A thorough insectivore that is capable of consuming as many as 3,000 insects in a night.This reddish brown bat is not easy to spot because they are fast-flying, agile bats.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons