Featured Creature: Bats Galore!

For my next Namibian creature, I've chosen the bat. Truthfully, Namibia is home to more than 30 different species of bat, but there's not very much information about them individually, so I've lumped them together into one post for your reading pleasure. :)

The majority of bat species live on a diet of insects, while some thrive on fruit. They are nocturnal, harmless to humans, and range in size from 30 mm (wingspan) all the way up to 1.5 meters (wingspan)! They are also the only mammal that can achieve true flight (as opposed to animals like sugar gliders who merely glide). A baby bat is called a pup, and the average litter size is just one. Bats are very social animals, they live in large groups called colonies. They do sleep upside down and when it's cold they even like to cuddle together for warmth.

Here's an example of a fruit bat:

A baby pipistrelle bat:

A long eared bat:

Fortunately, I have plenty of experience living with bats (along with everyone who has ever lived on the 4th and 5th floors of the freshman dorm at my university!) and look forward to living side by side with these pest-eating beauties!