Trivia question for Mar-04-2011

Ever since we posted about the WNS (White Nose Syndrome), Carter has been very interested in learning more about bats, so here is his trivia for the day.  We hope you too learn something new about these cool creatures.

These guys get their name from the fleshy upper lips and hanging folds of facial skin, which make them resemble a different animal.  They are expert predators that actually hunt over water, emitting high-frequency sound pulses to detect prey.

They are exceptional swimmers and use their wings like oars to move on water.  They typically glide slowly about 8″ to 20″ over the water in search of fish close to the surface.  Once they have detected a fish, they drag their claws in the water until they make contact with their dinner, which is then snatched up out of the water.

So here are Carter’s questions:  What is this bat called and tell us what purpose their flabby cheeks have.   Also, these bats have a skin-like membrane around their tail area, can you tell us what purpose it serves?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations to Nonie for getting all the questions answered correctly and the quickest.  We love it when folks participate this way.  The bat we featured in in fact the Bulldog Bat which gets its name because of the resemblance to the bulldog.

The Greater Bulldog Bat or Fisherman Bat is a type of fishing bat native to Latin America. The bat uses echolocation to detect water ripples made by the fish upon which they prey, then use the pouch between its legs to scoop the fish and its sharp claws to catch and cling to it. It is not to be confused with the Lesser Bulldog Bat, which, though belonging to the same genus, merely catches water insects, such as water striders and water beetles.

It emits echolocation sounds through the mouth like Myotis daubentoni, but the sounds are quite different, containing a long constant frequency part around 55 kHz, which is an unusually high frequency for a bat this large.  The Greater bulldog bat also has well developed cheek pouches are used for storing food when foraging, particularly fish.  Here is more on these adorable bats: Bulldog Bat

Thanks for playing along 😉