Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Bella welcomes you to...
The World of Bats
Did you know that there are approximately 5000 different types of mammals on the planet? Or how about the fact that roughly half of them are rodents and another 25% of them are BATS!
Yes - BATS!
BATS are incredible animals!
Found all over the world, except Antarctica, these beautiful creatures do it all.
For example, bats are important pollinators with some species of plants relying solely on them. These little super heroes are also invaluable seed dispersers. They are considered an "indicator" for biodiversity. Their populations often are assessed to gain a more holistic picture of the health and vitality of an ecosystem.
As if this wasn't enough, bats belong to the Order Chiroptera, which is the sister taxa to Primates - that's right - us! These little precious flying balls of fluff are more closely related to us than are our four-legged friends!
And after you work with them for a while, you can begin to see why. For example, bats typically only have one baby at a time and invest a lot of energy into raising their baby bat. Sound familiar? Yes, you're right! Human mommy's and daddy's spend a lot of time raising their children as well.
We are all unique, bats are too, Check them out!
Bella is a Townsend's Big-Eared Bat
Bella's nicknames
Although friends call her Bella, the Townsend's Big-eared Bat is also known as the "Lump-nosed Bat" or "Western Big-eared Bat".
Why are Bella's ears so big?
Townsend's Big-eared Bats are best known for their enormous ears, which measure about half their body length. Their big ears play a number of different roles:
- They help funnel sound into the ear canal
- They help regulate their body temperature
- They help provide lift during flight.
Townsend's Big-eared Bats can roll their ears up like a ram. Can you wiggle your ears? Another interesting fact is that these bats also tuck their big ears under their wings to help them stay warm.
What's the bump on Bella's nose?
Townsend's Big-eared Bats have a super cool freshy protrusion on each side of their muzzle. Scientists think these protrusions may function as sex glands.
Where can you find Bella?
Although Bella lives on the western side of Vancouver Island, just south of Tofino, many of her relatives can be found across the western parts of North America. Townsend's Big-eared Bats have a broad distribution, including most of Mexico and the Western United States. In Canada, they can be found in the south western parts of British Columbia. Sadly, the number of these bats has been declining in recent years and many regions have listed them as endangered, threatened, or of special concern.
What does Bella like to eat?
Bella loves food and spends a lot of time chasing small moths, her favorite meal. She is also known to eat lacewings, dung beetles, flies, and sawflies. Although no one knows exactly how much food Bella eats at night, it is not uncommon for small bats to eat 1/2 their body weight in food every evening. Could you imagine eating that much food? Bella is an amazing flier and she uses her flying skills, along with something called "echolocation", to catch her food. If you follow Bella's Blog, she will teach you all about echolocation.