Bats A to Z

1
Bats A to Z

• An alphabet book about bats

Dana LeBlanc - Lubee Bat Conservancy
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A is for appetite. Fruit bats can eat half their
body weight each night in fruit, leaves,
flowers, pollen and nectar.
Photo Malayan flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) and
browse feeder - Dana LeBlanc
3
B is for bones. Bats have thin strong bones
which aid them in flight.
Photo Neotropical fruit bat measurement - Dana
LeBlanc
4
C is for claws. Bats have claws on their thumbs
and toes.
Photos Malayan flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus)
Dana LeBlanc
5
D is for deserts. Several species of bats live
in deserts and help pollinate plants like the
Saguaro cactus.
Photo Desert Pam Thomas
6
E is for echolocation. Insect-eating bats use
sound to identify sources of food and to navigate
in the dark. They use their ears to listen for
echoes.
Photo Mexican free-tailed bat Dr. Darryl Heard
All bats have eyes, but some can only see in
black and white.
Photo Jamaican fruit bat Dr. Darryl Heard
7
F is for food. Bats will eat a wide variety of
items such as fruit, flowers, frogs, and fish.
Photo Malayan flying fox and pumpkin Dana
LeBlanc
Photo Floss tree Dana LeBlanc
8
G is for giants. There are several giant flying
foxes that live in Asia. These bats can have six
foot wing spans and live to be 20 years old.
Photo Malayan flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus)
Dana LeBlanc
9
H is for hair. Bats are mammals and they have
hair or fur. Bats also hang upside when they
are resting.
Photo Rodrigues fruit bat (Pteropus rodricensis)
and basket Dana LeBlanc
10
I is for insects. Bats in the United States are
known for eating a variety of insect pests.
Photos Dana LeBlanc
11
J is for juice. Fruit bats chew fruit and
flowers and drink the juice. They spit out the
fiber.
Photo Malayan flying fox and nectar feeder
Dana LeBlanc
12
K is for kingdom. There are over a thousand
different species of bats in the world. They are
an important part of the animal kingdom.
Photo Indian flying fox (Pteropus giganteus)
Dana LeBlanc
13
L is for leaves. Fruit bats eat a wide variety
of leaves. Some bats will also build tents in
foliage.
Photo Dog-faced fruit bat (Cynopterus
brachyotis) Dana LeBlanc
14
M is for milk. Mammals feed their babies milk
until they are able to eat solid food.
Photo Malayan flying fox pup (Pteropus vampyrus)
Dana LeBlanc
15
N is for nocturnal. Nocturnal animals are active
at night and sleep during the day.
Photo Malayan flying foxes (Pteropus vampyrus)
in flight cage Dana LeBlanc
16
O is for oceans. Many rare bat species live on
islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Photos Beach and Scuba diver Pam Thomas
Photo Rodrigues fruit bat (Pteropus rodricensis)
Dr. Darryl Heard
17
P is for pup, which is the term used for a baby
bat. P is also for patagium, which is the double
layer of skin that makes up the wings.
Photos Malayan flying fox pups (Pteropus
vampyrus) Dana LeBlanc
18
Q is for quarrel. Bats will fight over food and
territories just like other animals.
Photo Malayan flying foxes (Pteropus vampyrus)
with a fig Dana LeBlanc
19
R is for roost which is a place that bats hang
upside down and rest.
Photos Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus
aegyptiacus) and dog-faced fruit bat (Cynopterus
brachyotis) Dana LeBlanc
20
S is for sense of smell. Bats like the
spear-nosed fruit bat use their noses to find
food.
Photos Spear-nosed fruit bat (Phyllostomus
hastatus) Dana LeBlanc
21
T is tragus, a small projection in the ear that
helps the bat to hear. Some bats also have long
tongues while others have a tail.
Photo Neotropical fruit bat Dr. Darryl Heard
Photo Malayan flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus)
Dana LeBlanc
22
U is for unique. Bats are unique among
mammals Because they are the only ones that can
truly fly.
Photo Dog-faced fruit bat (Cynopterus
brachyotis) Dana LeBlanc
Photo Malayan flying fox with dates on chain
Dana LeBlanc
23
V is for vision. All bats can see using their
eyes, but some bats can also see through sound
called echolocation.
Photo Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus agyptiacus)
Dr. Darryl Heard
Photo Short-tailed leaf-nosed bat (Carollia
perspicillata) Dr. Darryl Heard
24
W is for wings. Bat use their wings not only to
fly, but to cool themselves by fanning.
Photos Little golden-mantled flying foxes
(Pteropus pumilus) Dana LeBlanc
25
X is for x-ray. Veterinarians use x-rays to take
pictures of an animal to check for fractured
bones and other health problems.
Photos Flying fox radiographs Dr. Darryl Heard
26
Y is for you. Some bats are in trouble and could
go extinct if we dont protect them in the wild.
Photo Florida Museum of Natural History
Presentation Dr. Allyson Walsh
27
Z is for zoos. Zoos educate the public about
bats and save species that are rare and
endangered. The golden bat (Pteropus
rodricensis) can be found in many zoos, but in
nature only exists on one island.
Photos Dana LeBlanc