Trivia question for Mar-31-2011

Carter’s turn and he picked this ghostly looking bat for today’s feature.  These bats are also one of the largest microbats in the world.

There are about 4000 to 6000 of these Bats in the wild. Females give birth to one young in September or November once every year.  They are considered to be vulnerable; their numbers declining due to the destruction of caves for mining, habitat clearing for agricultural use, and even cave tourism.

They have long, narrow wings but no tail, averaging 11 cm in length.  Females are generally smaller than males.  They have large ears for long distance hearing, and very sharp teeth so they can attack prey.

So here are his questions.  What kind of bat is this?  Also, like all bats, this species use echolocation but that is not its primary means of locating a meal.  Tell us which sense it mainly uses when hunting, and also tell us what this bat does that makes it one-of-a-kind in its home range?

Good luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations to Bella for being the first with the correct answer. The bat we featured is the Ghost Bat from Australia. These bats use sight as their primary means to catch prey. These bats are truly One-Of-A-Kind as they are the only flesh eating bat in Australia.

It is largely insectivorous but will also consume frogs, lizards, and other small animals, including other bats. After killing its prey with its powerful bite, it carries it to a feeding perch to eat.

Ghost Bats inhabit northern Australia, from the east to the west coast. They roost in caves, mines, and tunnels in small colonies, usually of less than a hundred bats. Here is more on these cool looking bats: Ghost Bats

Thanks for playing along 😉