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Chambers Wildlife Rainforest Lodges |
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'Insect Bats', or 'Microbats' Return to Rainforest Bats Suborder Microchiroptera Of the two suborders of bats, these are the bats most people around the world are more familiar with. This is due to the fact that they are found practically everywhere. They are a much more diverse group than the 'megabats'; there are microchiropterans that have evolved to feed on insects, fish, fruit, nectar, blood and even other bats. They are generally small and fast, with most living in colonies in dark places where they roost upside down. The saying 'blind as a bat' is a reflection of the fact that many species have small eyes and that they tend to rely on another sense to make their way around. This other sense involves emitting high frequency calls from the mouth or nose and detecting the 'ultrasounds' as they reflect off other objects. They use this echolocation sense both to navigate in the dark and to locate their prey. Many people around the world fear these bats for various reasons. Many of these reasons are unfounded, but one has to admit that when examined in the hand, they often have rather grotesque faces with various foldings in the skin. These convolutions may aid in making and collecting their ultrasonic calls (Strahan 1998). Insect bats in Australia There are six families of the microchiropteran or 'insect' bats in Australia, with over 70 species (Egerton 1997). All species in Australia are primarily insectivorous with the notable exception of the biggest Microchiropteran of them all, the 'Ghost Bat', that feeds on small mammals, including other bats (Strahan 1998). |
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