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Bat Night
🎶 Aye, said the little leatherwing bat
I'll tell to you the reason that
The reason that I fly by night
Is because I've lost my heart's delight.
Howdy dowdy diddle-dum day
Hey le lee-lee lie-lee low"
~ Traditional
If you are a chiropterologist, a person who studies bats, you have found your tartan, and one that will serve you well while studying the world's only mammal capabal of true sustained flight! The field of study known as chiropterology, is derived from the Greek words "cheir" (hand) and "pteron" (wing), which relate to the bat's wing structure. As bat maternity season comes to a close, it’s time for baby bats to take flight under the warm summer skies. Despite the common myth, bats are not blind and often rely on their eyesight—sometimes even more than echolocation—when hunting. Many fruit bats, which feed on nectar, don’t use echolocation at all; instead, they have exceptional vision and can even detect ultraviolet light! Among the 1,300 bat species, many play a vital role in controlling insect populations, devouring up to a thousand insects in a single night. As they close in on their prey, bats combine vision with echolocation, emitting rapid high-pitched calls known as a “feeding buzz.” So, flap away, little bats! 💙 🖤 🤎 🦇
International Bat Night serves to raise awareness of these flying rodents and the role they play in nature.
While others can glide, bats are the only mammals capable of continued flight.
There are 1,100 species of bats worldwide, making up a quarter of the world’s mammals. There are 40 species of bats in the United States alone!
Most bats are insectivores or even feed on fruit or fish. There only three species of "vampire" bats which feed exclusively on blood. Bats that use echolocation (usually insect-eating bats) can find their food in total darkness. They locate insects by emitting inaudible high-pitched sounds, 10-20 beeps per second and listening to echoes.
By designer Carol A.L. Martin, this tartan is "named after one of the most common bats in North America. They eat their share of mosquitoes and midges, etc. and are, therefore, very beneficial. I have always been fascinated by these creatures. In addition, I have always liked brown and black combinations. Here the grey represents the underneath of the bats' wings, and dark blue, the night sky."
For more fascinating facts about bats, click the picture of a little brown bat by artist Roxanne Gasperetti.