Vertebrate Zoology: A Textbook - T. A. Dauda 2014

Metazoa
Infraclass Eutheria, or placental mammals
Order Chiroptera

The order Chiroptera comprises small to medium-sized mammals adapted for aerial locomotion. Their wings are formed by leathery membranes stretched between the elongated digits of the forelimbs, the sides of the body, the hind limbs, and the tail. Only the first digit of the forelimb remains free and does not contribute to the wing Structure. Like birds, the Sternum features a keel to which the pectoral Muscles responsible for wing movement are attached.

Bats are crepuscular and nocturnal. While generally clumsy on the ground, they are fast and agile in the air. Their Vision is poorly developed, but most species possess exceptionally keen Hearing. They have an enormous hearing range—from 12 to 190 kHz (compared to 40 to 20 kHz in humans). They navigate using echolocation. Before or during flight, the animals emit ultrasounds ranging from 30 to 70 kHz. Echoes reflected from obstacles are perceived by their auditory Organs, enabling them to assess their surroundings and capture flying insects. Bats have diverse diets: the majority feed on insects, many consume fruit, and a few feed on vertebrate Blood. They are remarkably voracious, with many individuals capable of consuming an amount of food roughly equal to their own body weight within 24 hours. The order Chiroptera includes flying foxes and microbats. There are approximately 3,000 species of bats.

There are 800 known species of bats, only a small fraction of which are found in Russia. They are small in size, with sharp Teeth and relatively large pinnae (ears). They live either in colonies or solitarily. By day, they hide in secluded spots such as tree hollows, attics, caves, etc. They are active at dusk and during the night. Echolocation is well developed. Once a year, the female gives birth to 1–2 hairless, blind pups, which become independent within 1–1.5 months. Most bat species feed on insects—such as moths, beetles, and flies—which they catch on the wing by swooping down. In a single hour, they can consume at least 600–650 insects. A small number of South American species have adapted to feed exclusively on blood. They use their teeth to slice the Skin of a mammal, inject saliva into the wound to numb the incision site and prevent blood clotting, and then lick up the flowing blood.

Bats inhabit almost all Regions of the globe, being absent only in the tundra and forest-tundra. In winter, some species hibernate—or more precisely, enter a state of torpor or suspended animation (body Temperature drops to 2–3°C, breathing slows to 5–6 breaths per minute, and The Heart rate decreases to 15–16 beats per minute)—while other forms migrate to southern regions, gathering in huge numbers. In our country, the most widespread genera and species include mouse-eared bats (Myotis), noctules, bent-winged bats, and long-eared bats. Bats benefit humans by helping to control pest insects.

Flying foxes (fruit bats) are small to medium-sized chiropterans (up to about 40 cm in length) distributed across the tropics of Asia, Africa, and Australia. They rely on a keen SENSE OF SMELL and sharp vision to live, fly, and forage. With rare exceptions, they are incapable of echolocation. They feed on the fruits of various trees, occasionally causing damage to orchards. The largest of the flying foxes is the kalong, also known as the giant golden-crowned flying fox.