/r/BatFacts

23,518 Subscribers

26

Male Hammer-headed Fruit Bats (Hypsignathus monstrosus) make honking noises to attract mates.

2 Comments
2024/02/14
15:46 UTC

35

As much as 88% of the bat fossil record is missing. Because of their fragile bones, complete skeletons like the oldest known bat, Icaronycteris gunnelli, are extremely rare.

2 Comments
2023/12/22
06:00 UTC

36

The penis of the male serotine (Eptesicus serotinus) is around 22% of its body length. In fact, it may be too large for penetrative sex.

4 Comments
2023/11/21
17:22 UTC

19

Flying is exhausting. Bats are voracious.

0 Comments
2023/10/08
16:40 UTC

48

Thanks a shorter gut that prioritizes reducing weight for flight power, food travels the length of a bat’s digestive system in just 15–30 minutes.

2 Comments
2023/09/15
01:56 UTC

45

Cave ecosystems are limited by nutrient availability. Bats bring in new nutrients via their guano, which is often the dominant energy resource of a cave.

1 Comment
2023/08/20
04:16 UTC

66

There's a mysterious 10million year gap in the fossil record between proto-bats and modern bats.

2 Comments
2023/08/16
04:06 UTC

48

Viruses increase their population in bats during the day, at their resting temperature. A bat's temperature can skyrocket by 40 degrees during their nightly exertions, thereby decreasing virus populations in a cyclical event.

3 Comments
2023/08/14
00:32 UTC

67

Nectar-eating bats often have hairy tongues, with the hair-like structures acting as extra nectar scoops when they enlarge and stiffen with blood, similar to an erection.

1 Comment
2023/07/17
05:09 UTC

57

Male Seba's Short-tailed Bats (Carollia perspicillata) will punch other males to defend their territory. They have a series of escalating displays before they reach that point to show they are both powerful and serious about throwing down.

2 Comments
2023/07/13
14:35 UTC

135

Vampire bats have a single pup after a 7 month pregnancy, compared to a similarly sized house mouse, which has six pups after a 3 week pregnancy.

9 Comments
2023/06/16
02:17 UTC

436

: )

8 Comments
2023/05/12
21:19 UTC

126

Happy Bat Appreciation Day!

4 Comments
2023/04/17
17:24 UTC

16

The hammerhead bat is sometimes considered a pest, as the males gather in leks, loudly honking 60-120 times per minute. Here's a preserved one with 2 heads.

3 Comments
2023/04/15
22:38 UTC

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