Bats are the only mammals in the world that rise into the air and soar like birds. Zoology describes them as representatives of the order of bats. It is worth noting that their extraordinary appearance evokes completely different emotions in people - from disgust and fear to real affection.
What bats look like
Bats are unique creatures: within the same species, they can significantly differ from their relatives in both appearance and size. All of them represent one and only group of flying mammals, christened bats, that still exists.
From the name of the order, it can be assumed that instead of the front limbs, these animals have real wings, but this is not entirely true. The fact is that their "wings" are paws with long phalanges of the fingers, which are connected to each other by a leathery membrane. It is the membrane stretched like a membrane that makes the forelimbs of bats look like wings.
By the way, among mammals there is another group of animals that can rise into the air. These are the so-called flying squirrels. However, these animals are not capable of full-fledged independent flights, they only plan from branch to branch, being in airspace for a very short time.
The bat's muzzle is ugly, and sometimes even ugly with bizarre ears. The body of these creatures is covered with not too thick hair. Their back is usually dark, and the abdomen is slightly lighter. The wingspan of the arms can vary depending on the subspecies of the bat. For example, the wingspan of the red nocturnal reaches 15 cm, while the Bismarck fox has a wingspan of 2 m!
The shoulders of these creatures are very powerful, and the disproportionately long forearm is represented by only one bone - the radius. The so-called wings are paws with long toes, interconnected by a leathery membrane. The forelimbs of bats are five-toed: the short thumb is opposed by the long four and ends in a kind of hooked claw.
What bats eat
Almost all bats are insectivorous animals, but their tastes for insects are different: while some bats prefer butterflies, midges and dragonflies, others are happy to feast on beetles, spiders and their woody larvae. In order to feast on their favorite food, bats need to deftly seize a potential victim in midair on the fly.
Some bats have learned to work with their own hands-wings: they use them as blades, scooping up an insect to themselves. Almost all bats feed in the air. Only a few species have learned a more civilized food intake: after the hunt, they fly to a convenient den, where they eat at leisure.
