"It is interesting"

The ghost bat is a cannibal, useful predator and excellent family man

Vampire specter, or ghost bat,is the largest bat in the Western Hemisphere of the Earth. Its wingspan is about a meter. The vampire specter is sometimes referred to as the false vampire bat. It is “false” for the reason that it does not drink blood like some other vampire bats. This animal feeds on flesh, however, it has large fangs with which it bites prey, and thereby kills it. Typically, the vampire spectrum preys on small birds and rodents. In addition, other, small species of bats sometimes become its prey. The animal was first described in 1758 by the Swedish zoologist Karl Linnaeus. But, despite the fact that science has known about him for more than 250 years, there is still little information. Recently, scientists have been actively studying this species of bats in the wild and in captivity, which made it possible to learn a lot of new interesting information, which I hasten to share with you.

The ghost bat feeds on other types of bats.

An unusual bat regulates the population of other animals

Bats are generally considered to be eaters.insects, fruits or nectar. But recent research suggests that the vampire spectrum is just one of nine bat species that qualify as predators.

According to the researchers, these species playimportant role as the main predators in their ecosystems. Moreover, the woolly false vampire bat helps in part to regulate certain populations of its prey. From southern Mexico to Brazil, the researchers say this animal hovers through the night in search of birds, grabbing them from tree branches or nests. In addition, it also looks for rodents among the deciduous litter. And, as I said above, one of their treats is other bats.

The wingspan of a ghost bat sometimes reaches one meter.

To learn more about ghost bats,scientists, led by Rodrigo Medellin, even had to announce a reward - $ 1,000 to the one who showed the roost of these animals. This decision has already yielded the first results. Thanks to the award, three perches were found. “This is three more perches than was ever discovered before,” jokes Rodrigo Medellin.

Vampire specter is the perfect night hunter

The roosts discovered for a fee gavescientists have a lot of valuable information. In particular, the researchers found that when female ghost bats are at home with a puppy, the male brings rodents and other prey to her. It should be noted that unlike many other bat species, ghost bats are monogamous.

Even more scientists were amazed by the hunting abilityanimals. Experiments in captivity have shown an interesting feature - when a predator approaches its prey, it stops echoing. According to the researchers, instead of echolocation, mice begin to focus on the sounds made by their prey. Apparently, they do this in order not to give themselves away. Echolocation can be detected by other types of bats, and even some rodents.

The ghost bat hunts not only small bats, but also large bats

In general, the ghost bat turned out to bean excellent hunter. The researchers were amazed that she was able to kill and eat large birds such as the Amazon parrot. They can be heavier than a ghost bat, and can easily decapitate a predator with their powerful beak.

According to one of the hypotheses, which still requiresconfirmation, these bats are capable not only of echo sounding and orientation by sound, but also use of the sense of smell. Thus, they find some birds and their nests that have a strong smell. In particular, they find cuckoos by smell.

Chrotopterus hide from a ghostly bat in water pipes and caves

Another interesting observation is the vampire spectrum,seems to affect the behavior of other bats. Scientists have noticed that when they live in the same territory with bats of the Chrotopterus species, the latter settle in caves, culverts and other habitats that are not typical for their species. In other words, they adapt to ensure their safety. But, if there are no ghost bats nearby, Chrotopterus settle in tree hollows.

Scientists continue to study these animals.The team expects to find out more facts about their lives in the near future. If you find out something really interesting, we will report it on our Yandex.Zen channel. Finally, I note that giant vampire bats lived 100 thousand years ago.