International year of bats

Bats

• A nocturnal animal
• The only flying mammal
• Includes two types-micro bats and mega bats
• Microbats feed on insects and caterpillers while megabats feed on nectar and fruits
• They travel at night with the help of reflected sound waves. Megabats have sharp sense of vision and hearing
• The weight of bats may vary from1.5 grams to 1.2 kilograms
• They have a life span of 20 years
• They give birth to 3 offsprings per year. They usually reproduce during spring season
• They have the capacity to inactivate the development of the embryo and to extend the span of reproduction

          Uses of Bats

•        They eat up the pests and mosquitoes and thereby bring about pest control
• They help on pollination and seed dispersal
•  A particular factor present in the saliva of vampire bats ( Those which feed on the blood of animals) is used for the treatment of paralysis
• The analysis of the method of  night travel of the bats have contributed much for the development of ultracane used by the blinds              
• beliefs 

 Bats are often believed to be related to evil spirits and which craft. This is often done , probably because of their night travel and  colour. But there is  no scientific  basis for it
  Activities  for protection all over the world

•    In Britain the department of forest have created  artificial caves for the   bats
• In Italy, bat boxes have been distributed to be  installed  in all the houses
• A colony has been established forthe bats in America in the Florida University campus
• In England, Bats are protected by Wild life Act

• Those who disturb bats, are confiscated in Malasia

      In collaboration with the " The convention on migratory species consevation of populations of Europaean  bats, and  Bats conservation International ",  United nations Organization has declared the year of 2011-2012 as International Year of Bats

What we can do?

•   The first and foremost thing that we can do to protect bats is to avoid harmful activities against them
• Grow plants that yield fruits and nectar in order to feed bats
• Leave some plaes with enough plants and trees  to shelter  bats
• Avoid deforestation