In what city does the short bat live. Volatile drugs (VD) - Delirants - Inhalants. Why do bats live in caves

Winged animals can be found almost anywhere in the world. They have not mastered only the polar regions, the tundra and especially remote oceanic islands. In some island territories, they are the only representatives of mammals, since capable of long non-stop flights above the water surface.

The largest number of bats, in terms of total number and species diversity, lives in humid hot areas: up to several hundred in the basins of tropical rivers such as the Congo and the Amazon.

In the northern zones of the taiga, there are only two or three species of bats.

40 species nest on the territory of Russia. The number of individuals per square kilometer is 50-100 in the middle lane and increases to 1000 in Central Asia.

Favorite places to live

Where do bats live? Since these are animals of nocturnal and twilight activity, they need a secluded and safe day shelter.

Depending on the size and structural features of the limbs, it directly depends on where the bat lives. These animals choose the most suitable ready-made natural shelters for them - caves and rock crevices, recesses in the walls of cliffs and slopes of dunes, hollows and burrows left by their inhabitants.

Some tropical species build themselves impromptu huts-umbrellas from large leaves, they gnaw out personal recesses-niches in bunches of palm fruits or climb into the voids between the nodes of bamboo trunks.

Human intervention in nature destroys the natural habitats of bats; many of their species are becoming rare, disappearing. However, the adaptability of the bat to the habitat is very high and, in the neighborhood of people, bats try to discover new shelters similar to their favorite caves, burrows, hollows and crevices.

In Egypt they mastered the inner labyrinths of the great pyramids, in worked out mining - abandoned mines and adits, in cities and villages they inhabit attics, cellars, cellars, haystacks, woodpile, they make their way behind the shutters and under the window frames.

Reference: Representatives of most species prefer to settle in large colonies.

To attract bats in the conditions of gardening and farming on trees, at a height of at least 3 meters, hanging special houses from planks with a secluded lower entrance - a narrow slot, similar to inverted mailboxes.

A photo

Adaptation to the characteristics of the environment

Chiroptera creatures show amazing adaptability to the most extreme temperature conditions. They withstand both an increase in body temperature up to 40 degrees, and a decrease in it to zero.

Often they become unwanted neighbors of a person, settling in attics and balconies of houses and apartments. Some people do not consider it necessary to kick out guests, but such a neighborhood has more disadvantages than advantages. If you decide from them, do not forget that some of their species are listed in the Red Book and their destruction is prohibited. Therefore, be patient and achieve a peaceful relocation of bats to more suitable places for them.

Useful video

In the video below you can see something about the habitation of bats:

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Nature knows how to surprise. Some of her creations are so unique and mysterious that you are simply amazed. For example, bats. Who doesn't remember the chilling story or movie about Count Dracula? Who in childhood did not hear horror stories about vampire mice that will fly in at night and drink your blood? Why are there children, many adults are full of fears and superstitions when it comes to these twilight hunters. Of course, all this is nonsense. A bat will not drink human blood (although there are indeed vampires among them). On the contrary, for farmers and gardeners who are not burdened with groundless fears, this animal is a welcome guest, because the benefits of its activities on agricultural land are simply enormous.

Territory of bats settlement

A creature with webbed hands-wings is the only flying mammal on the planet. This fact alone makes it unique and inimitable. To meet him easily, in ordinary life, like a dove or a sparrow is unlikely to succeed. Although it is believed that the bat is distributed throughout almost the entire globe, except perhaps for the Arctic Circle, the tundra and the very distant islands in the Pacific Ocean. But on some other islands it is the only representative of the order of mammals. And all because others simply cannot reach such long distances, and mice can overcome huge spaces above the water surface without landing.

Most bat populations live in the tropics, in the Amazon and Congo basins. There, the number of their varieties reaches several hundred, and the total number is the most numerous on the planet.. But in the northern taiga zones, the species diversity is represented by only two or three families. There are about 40 varieties of bats in the vast Russian territories. The middle lane is inhabited by about 50-100 individuals per 1 km2, but in Central Asia this figure already rises to 1000.

The house of the bat - what is it?

Considering that the chiropteran animal leads an active life in twilight or night darkness, it is logical to assume that during the day it needs to hide from prying eyes and sunlight. The dwelling that a winged creature chooses for itself depends on the structure of its limbs and the general size of the animal. For a secluded, peaceful rest, the mouse looks for natural shelters: the depths of caves, rock crevices, depressions in the sandy slopes of dunes or cliff walls, hollow trees, burrows abandoned by former inhabitants.

Some tropical representatives build themselves something like an umbrella-shaped hut from large foliage of jungle plants, gnaw through cozy niche houses in the fruits of palm trees, use the voids formed between the bamboo stem nodes.

Human life is constantly destroying natural conditions, the natural habitats of the flying beauty are becoming less and less. Some animal species are already on the verge of extinction. It’s good though that the adaptability of bats is at a fairly high level, and they learn to adapt to a new habitat, close to a human neighbor, to look for suitable shelters, at least somehow reminiscent of their favorite caves, burrows, cracks.

For example, in Egypt, bats are perfectly accustomed to the labyrinths inside the great buildings, in abandoned mines they have chosen used adits, even within the boundaries of cities and villages they inhabit cellars, attics, woodpile, spaces behind shutters and architraves, haystacks. Many farmers themselves, in order to attract a pest hunter, hang houses made of planks on trees.. Such a dwelling should be at a height of at least 3 m from the ground and with a narrow lower entrance-slot (a sort of prototype of a mailbox).

Photo

Unique adaptability to the external environment

Nature has given the bat truly amazing opportunities for survival. So, the animal is able to endure the ambient temperature, equal to both + 40C and 0C, without loss to health.

The diet of mice is also adapted to the conditions in which the animal lives. The greatest variety of taste preferences falls on tropical residents. There are also absolute "vegetarians", whose menu is flower nectar, the pulp of fruits and fruits, and there are outright predators who prefer the blood of other mammals for dinner. And yet, the vast majority of winged mice are insectivorous, in extreme cases, allowing themselves small frogs or birds.

In the middle lane, colonies of bats prey on a large scale on flying pests. Mosquitoes alone, the animal exterminates about 1000 pieces per night. Plus an incalculable number of field, garden, garden harmful insects.

In the United States, an interesting experiment was carried out: one part of the corn field was covered with a net, and the other was left for the free access of bats. So, it turned out that the place where the animals did not have the opportunity to hunt insects suffered from pests half as much as the open part of the field.

This clearly proves that the benefits of winged animals are very significant, given that they do not harm crops in any way.

As soon as the warm season ends, and the amount of food is sharply reduced, flying families begin to prepare for hibernation.. It is important for them that the temperature in the shelter does not fall below 0C while they are in suspended animation for several long months. With the advent of the first spring insects, the winged patrol is back in service.

You may not know this, but there are many animals that are able to hover in the air and at the same time do not have the ability to fly.

True flight is when an animal can move through the air without assistance, even for a long time. For an animal to fly, it must have wings. Living organisms that can actually fly are able to control their direction, speed and altitude while moving through the air. Such animals include:, insects and bats.

But there are some animals that can float through the air. It's like flying, but with less control, shorter duration, and shorter distances. Such animals use certain body parts to help themselves float through the air.

In this article, you will learn about 9 representatives of the animal world that defied the laws of gravity.

flying fish

There are over 60 species from the family Exocoetidae. These incredibles have evolved the ability to jump out of the water and glide through the air to avoid predators. Some individuals were able to stay above water for 45 seconds.

Mobuls

Mobuls are another example of flying fish. Their pectoral fins are fused with the head and outwardly resemble wings. And although these fish are able to jump out of the water to a height of about 2 m, they linger in the air for only a few seconds, and then hit the water with a roar.

Black-footed paddlefish

Gliding in the air has evolved at least twice among tree frog families, and some species have learned impressive aerial maneuvers such as turns and yaws. Frogs have acquired these abilities through enlarged toes that can act as parachutes or wings when the animal moves its limbs while jumping.

Flight also gives tree frogs an advantage. Since they live in trees most of the time, they can glide between them and not descend to the ground.

flying squirrels

As many as 44 species of squirrels in the process have developed fluffy skin membranes that extend from the wrists to the ankles, giving the animals remarkable freedom to soar through the air. Their navigation in the air is impressive. They are able to change the direction of flight with the help of a barely perceptible movement of specially adapted carpal bones. Flying squirrels also use their tails as air brakes.

flying dragons

Lizards of the genus Draco unusual use of their costal bones, which support the wide skin folds on the sides of the body. Instead of using them to protect the body, these arboreal reptiles use them as wings. Some species have been known to fly up to 60 meters with little loss of altitude. Other species of lizards, including several species of geckos, have evolved additional folds of skin along their tail, head, body, toes, and limbs, allowing them to soar from one tree to another.

Caguana

Although sometimes referred to as flying lemurs, kaguans are not true lemurs. Found hovering between trees in the Southeast, kaguanas are best adapted to flying among bats, with the exception of bats. For some time they were considered a close living relative of bats, although they are now classified as primates.

Kaguanas can hover in the air for a distance of about 70 meters without losing height. This is an impressive feat, as they are comparable in body size to opossums.

Pacific squid

Although it sounds like something out of a horror movie, it's true: there are squids that can jump out of the water and float in the air. One species is the Humboldt squid. This is a large one that is known to be aggressive towards people. Although, if you see him flying, this is most likely an attempt to run away from a threat, and not a way to attack a person. Flying squids fly just like flying fish, only they use their mantles as wings.

marsupial flying squirrels

Although they are often confused with flying squirrels, marsupial flying squirrels are those that have developed their furry membranes independently of squirrels. Some species, such as the sugar glider, have become popular exotic pets. Like other marsupials, these animals can only be found in New Guinea, where most species are endangered.

ballooning spiders

This may be any arachnaphobe's worst nightmare, but many spiders are capable of flight. However, unlike other flying animals, spiders have aerial skills because they weave specialized parachutes from their silk. Few adult spiders rely on such balloons for regular travel, but juveniles of many species use this technique to leave the nest and build webs in remote locations. Spiders have been found on their balloons at almost 5,000 meters above sea level!

Decorated tree snakes

Some tree snakes have evolved the ability to flatten themselves, turning their body into a concave wing. The aerodynamics of their movement is similar to the Frisbee, and they can fly up to 100 meters. Their ability to fly is so unique that it has attracted the interest of physicists who want to understand how these snakes can glide through the air. Cases have been seen of snakes making sharp 90-degree turns while hovering.

A bat is an animal that belongs to the class of mammals, order bats, suborder bats (lat. Microchiroptera).

Bats got their name not because they are relatives belonging to the order of rodents, but most likely due to their small size and the sounds they make, similar to a mouse squeak.

Bat - description, structure. What does a bat look like?

Bats are the only mammals on Earth that can fly. Often this entire detachment is mistakenly called bats, but in fact it is not. The order of bats includes the family of fruit bats (lat. Pteropodidae), which does not belong to the suborder of bats (lat. Microchiroptera). Fruit bats, often called flying dogs, flying foxes, fruit bats, differ from bats in their structure, habits and abilities.

Bats are small mammals. The smallest representative of the suborder is the pig-nosed bat (lat. Craseonycteris thonglongyai). Its weight is 1.7-2.0 g, body length varies from 2.9 to 3.3 cm, and the wingspan reaches 16 cm. This is one of the smallest animals in the world. One of the largest bats is the giant false vampire (lat. Vampyrum spectrum), which has a wingspan of up to 70-75 cm, a wing width of 15-16 cm and a weight of 150-200 g.

The structure of the skull in different species of bats is different, as well as the structure and number of teeth. Both depend on the nutrition of the species. For example, in a nectar-eating tailless long-tongued leaf-bearer (lat. Glossophaga soricina) the front of the skull is elongated to accommodate its long tongue, with which it gets food. Bats, like other mammals, have a heterodont dentition that includes incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. Individuals that eat insects with thick chitinous coatings have larger teeth and longer fangs than those that eat soft-shelled insects. Small insectivorous bats can have up to 38 small teeth, while vampires have only 20. Vampires do not need many teeth, since they do not need to chew food, but their fangs, designed to make a bleeding wound on the victim's body, are razor-sharp. In fruit-eating bats, the upper and lower cheek teeth resemble mortars and pestles in which fruits are crushed.

Many bats have large ears, such as the brown earflap (lat. Plecotus auritus), and bizarre nasal outgrowths, like those of horseshoe bats. These features affect the echolocation abilities of the bat.

In the course of evolution, the forelimbs of bats were transformed into wings. The humerus shortened, and the fingers lengthened, they serve as the frame of the wing. The first finger with a claw is free. With its help, animals move in a shelter and manipulate food. In some species, for example, in smoky bats (lat. Furipteridae), the first finger is non-functional. The second, third and fourth fingers strengthen the part of the wing between the first and fifth and form the interdigital membrane, or apex of the wing. The fifth finger is extended to the entire width of the wing. The humerus and shorter radius support the trunk membrane, or base of the wing, which acts as a load-bearing surface. The speed of a bat depends on the shape of its wings. They can be highly elongated or slightly elongated. By the shape of the wing, one can judge the lifestyle of a bat. Wings with a small aspect ratio do not allow to develop high speed, but make it possible to maneuver well among tree crowns. Highly elongated wings are designed for high-speed flight in open space.

Bats of small and medium size fly at a speed of 11 to 54 km/h while searching for prey. The fastest flying animal is the Brazilian folded lip (lat. Tadarida brasiliensis) from the genus of bulldog bats, which is capable of speeds up to 160 km / h.

Taken from: www.steveparish-natureconnect.com.au

The hind limbs of bats, unlike other mammals, are turned to the sides with the knee joints back. Animals hang on them in shelters with the help of well-developed claws.

Some species are able to move on all four limbs. For example, an ordinary vampire (lat. Desmodus rotundus) during the hunt, landing on the body of the victim or next to it, he approaches on foot to the place where he bites.

Bats have tails of various lengths:

• partially enclosed in the interfemoral membrane, with a free tip located on top of it, like in sac-wings (lat. Emballonuridae);
• completely enclosed in the interfemoral membrane, like in myotis (lat. Myotis);
• protruding beyond the interfemoral membrane, as in folded lips (lat. Molossidae);
• long free tail, like a mousetail (lat.Rhinopoma).

The body, and sometimes the limbs of mammals are covered with hair. The coat of a bat can be even or shaggy, short or not very, sparse or thick.

The color of bats is dominated by gray, brown, black tones. Some animals are lighter in color - in fawn, whitish, yellowish shades. Occasionally there are also bright specimens. For example, in the Mexican fish-eating bat (lat. Noctilio leporinus) fur is yellow or orange.

Taken from: www.mammalwatching.com

There are white bats with yellow ears and a nose - these are Honduran white bats (lat. Ectophylla alba).

Taken from faculty.washington.edu

In nature, there are bats with a body that is not covered with hair. Two species of naked-skinned bats are known from Southeast Asia and the Philippines (lat. Cheiromeles torquatus and Cheiromeles parvidens) they are almost completely devoid of wool, only sparse hairs remain.

Bats have unique hearing. It is the leading sense organ in these animals. For example, false horseshoe bats (lat. Hipposideridae) catch the rustle of insects swarming in the grass or under a layer of leaves. On the ears of many bats there is a tragus - a narrow skin-cartilaginous outgrowth rising from the base of the ear. It serves to amplify and better perceive the sound.

Taken from: blogs.crikey.com.au

Vision in bats is poorly developed. There is no color vision at all. But still, bats are not blind, and some even see quite well. For example, the California leaf-bearer (lat. Macrotus californicus) sometimes, with appropriate lighting, looking for prey with the help of the eyes.

Bats have not lost their sense of smell. According to the smell of the female Brazilian folded lip (lat. Tadarida brasiliensis) find their young. Some bats distinguish members of their colony from strangers. Big night bats (lat. Myotis myotis) and New Zealand bats (lat. Mystacina tuberculata) smell prey under a layer of foliage. New World leaf-bearers (lat. Phyllostomidae) find the fruits of nightshade plants by smell.

How do bats navigate in the dark?

The main means of orienting bats in space (for example, in dark caves) is echolocation. Animals emit ultrasonic signals that bounce off objects and echo back. Sounds originating in the throat, the animal makes through the mouth or directs them to the nose, radiating through the nostrils. In such individuals, the nostrils are surrounded by bizarre outgrowths that form and focus sound.

People only hear how bats squeak, because the ultrasonic range in which these animals transmit echolocation signals is inaccessible to the human ear. Unlike humans, a bat analyzes the signal reflected from an object and determines its location and size. The mouse "echo sounder" is so accurate that it captures objects with a diameter of 0.1 mm. In addition, winged mammals clearly distinguish between all kinds of objects: for example, different types of trees. Bats hunt using echolocation. By reflected ultrasonic waves, winged hunters in complete darkness not only find the prey, but also determine its size and speed. During the search for prey, the frequency of sounds reaches 10 oscillations per second, increasing to 200-250 just before the attack. In addition, the bat can squeak when inhaling, exhaling, and even while chewing food. Before the discovery of ultrasound, these mammals were thought to have extrasensory perception.

Representatives of the suborder are able to make both low-frequency and high-frequency sounds, and at the same time. The animal screams and listens at a speed incomprehensible to humans. Some bats, hunting nocturnal insects, emit up to 250 calls per second when approaching them. Some potential victims (, crickets) have developed the ability to hear the squeak of a bat in advance and respond to it with a deceptive maneuver or falling to the ground.

By the way, echolocation is developed not only in bats, but also in seals, shrews, scoop butterflies, and also in some birds.

Where do bats live?

Bats are widely distributed throughout the world, with the exception of Antarctica, the Arctic and some oceanic islands. These animals are most numerous and diverse in the tropics and subtropics.

Bats are nocturnal or crepuscular animals. During daylight hours, they hide in shelters, which can be located in a variety of places underground and above ground. These can be caves, rock crevices, quarries, adits, various buildings built by man. Many varieties of bats live on trees: in hollows, bark crevices, in branches, in foliage. Some mice take refuge in original shelters, such as under bird nests, in bamboo stalks, and even in cobwebs. American suckers (lat. Thyroptera) roost in young folded leaves, which unfold after the animals leave their homes. Leaf-bearers-builders (lat. Uroderma Peters), biting the leaves of palm trees and other plants along certain lines, they get a semblance of an awning from them.

Some species of bats prefer to live alone or in small groups, such as the lesser horseshoe bat (lat. Rhinolophus hipposideros), but they mostly stay in colonies. For example, females of the great bat (lat. Myotis myotis) gather in colonies from several tens to several thousand individuals. The record for the number of members is one of the colonies of the Brazilian folded lips (lat. Tadarida brasiliensis), numbering up to 20 million individuals.

How do bats hibernate?

Bats that live in cold and temperate latitudes hibernate during the cold season, which can last up to 8 months. Some species carry out seasonal migrations over distances of up to 1000 km, such as the red hairtail (lat. Lasiurus borealis).

Why do bats sleep upside down?

Bats stand out among mammals not only because they can fly, but also because they know how to rest: during daytime rest or hibernation, bats hang on their hind legs upside down. This position allows the animals to instantly fly straight from their starting position, simply falling down: less energy is spent this way, and time is saved in case of danger. Suspended upside down, bats cling to wall ledges, tree branches, etc. with their claws. Being in this position, the animals do not get tired, because the tendon mechanism of closing the claws of their hind limbs is designed in such a way that it does not require the expenditure of muscle energy. Some species, settling down to rest, are wrapped in wings. Species such as large bats cluster in dense heaps, and small horseshoe bats always hang on the ceiling or vaults of the cave at some distance from each other.

What do bats eat?

Most bats are insectivorous. Some catch insects on the fly, others pick up bugs sitting on the foliage. Among tropical species, there are those that feed exclusively on fruits, pollen and plant nectar. But there are also varieties that eat both fruits and insects. For example, the New Zealand bat (lat. Mystacina tuberculata) feeds on various invertebrates: insects, earthworms, centipedes and, but, at the same time, consumes fruits, nectar and pollen. The diet of fish-eating bats (lat. Noctilio) consists of fish and other aquatic inhabitants. Panamanian large leaf-bearer (lat. Phyllostomus hastatus) eats small birds and mammals. There are also species that feed exclusively on the blood of wild and domestic animals, some birds, and sometimes humans. These are vampire bats, among which 3 species stand out: terry-legged (lat. Diphylla ecaudata), white-winged (lat. Diaemus youngi) and ordinary (lat. Desmodus rotundus) vampires. Other types of vampires live in other places on the globe, but they don’t drink blood.

Types of bats, photos and names

Below is a brief description of several types of bats.

• White leaf-bearing(lat. Ectophylla alba)

A tailless species that belongs to the genus of white leaf-bearers. These are small animals with a body length of 3.7-4.7 cm and a weight of no more than 7 grams. Leaf-nosed females are smaller than males. The body color of the animal corresponds to its name: the boiling-white back passes into the sacrum of a grayish hue, the lower abdomen also has a gray color. The nose and ears of the animal have a yellow tone, and the eyes are underlined by a gray frame around them. White leaf-nosed live in South and Central America, namely in countries such as Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama. Animals prefer moist evergreen forests, climbing no higher than seven hundred meters above sea level. Usually these white bats live alone or live in small groups of no more than 6 individuals. Animals feed at night. The diet of these bats includes fruits and some types of ficus.

• Giant evening party(lat. Nyctalus lasiopterus)

This is the largest variety of bats in Russia and European countries. The length of the body of the animal varies from 8.4 to 10.4 cm, and the weight of the bat is 41 - 76 g. The wingspan of the animal reaches 41-46 cm. Darker coloring prevails on the head behind the ears. The bat lives in forests, and its range extends from France to the Volga region and the Caucasus. Probably, the species is also found in the countries of the Middle East. Often the animal inhabits the hollows of trees together with other representatives of the suborder, less often forms its own colonies. The wintering places of this species are unknown; apparently, the animals make long-distance seasonal flights. In nature, the bat feeds on fairly large insects (butterflies, beetles), as well as small passerine birds, which it catches in the air at fairly high altitudes. This bat is listed in the Red Book.

• Pig-nosed bat (lat.Craseonycteris thonglongyai)

This is the smallest bat in the world, which, due to its modest size, is called the bumblebee mouse. The body length of the animal is 2.9-3.3 cm, and the weight does not exceed 2 grams. The ears of the mammal are quite large, with a large tragus. The nose looks like a pig's snout. The color of the animal is usually grayish or dark brown with a slight shade of red, the animal's abdomen is lighter. Pig-nosed bats are endemic to southwestern Thailand and nearby Myanmar. Animals hunt in groups of up to five individuals at night. They fly over bamboo and teak trees in search of insects that sit on the leaves of trees, and when they find food, they hover over prey right in the air due to their small size and wing structure. The number of pig-nosed bats in the world is extremely low. These animals are among the ten rarest species on Earth and are listed in the International Red Book.

Taken from: www.thewildlifediaries.com

• Two-color leather (two-color bat) (lat.Vespertilio murinus)

It has a body length of up to 6.4 cm and a wingspan of 27 to 33 cm. A bat weighs from 12 to 23 grams. The animal got its name because of the color of the fur, which combines two colors. The back is colored in shades from red to dark brown, and the belly is white or gray. The ears, wings and face of the animal are black or dark brown. These bats live on the territory of Eurasia - from England and France to the Pacific coast. Northern border of the range: Norway, Central Russia, Southern Siberia; southern border: southern Italy, Iran, Himalayas, Northeast China. The habitat of the two-colored kozhan is mountains, steppes and woodlands. In Western European countries, these bats are often found in large cities. Two-color leathers do not mind being close to other types of bats, with which they share common shelters: attics, cornices, tree hollows, rock cracks. Animals prey on, caddis flies, moths and other small insects throughout the night. The species is endangered and protected in many countries.

Taken from: www.aku-bochum.de

• Greater harelip (fish-eating bat)(lat.Noctilio leporinus )

It has a body length of 6.5-13.2 cm and a weight of 60 to 78 g. The coloration of males and females varies: the former have a reddish or bright red body, the latter are painted in dull grayish-brownish shades. A light stripe runs from the back of the head to the end of the back of the animal. These bats are found from the south of Mexico to the northern part of Argentina, they are found in the Antilles, the southern Bahamas and the island of Trinidad. Chiroptera settle near the water in caves, rock crevices, and also climb into hollows and tree crowns. Large harelips feed on large insects and aquatic inhabitants of fresh water bodies: fish and crustaceans. Sometimes they hunt during the day.

Taken from: reddit.com

Taken from: mammalart.wordpress.com

• Water bat (Dobanton's bat)(lat.Myotis daubentonii)

It got its name in honor of the French naturalist Louis Jean-Marie Daubanton. This small animal has a body length of no more than 4.5 - 5.5 cm and weighs from 7 to 15 g. The wingspan is 24 - 27.5 cm. The color of the fur is inconspicuous: dark, brownish. The top is darker than the bottom. The habitat of the animal extends from Great Britain and France to Sakhalin, Kamchatka and the Ussuri Territory. The northern border runs near 60°N, the southern border runs from Southern Italy, along the south of Ukraine, the lower Volga, through northern Kazakhstan, Altai, northern Mongolia, to Primorsky Krai. The life of a bat is connected with water bodies, although animals are found far from them. During the day, they can climb into a hollow or attic, and with the onset of night they begin to hunt. These bats fly slowly, often fluttering over the surface of water bodies, and catch medium-sized insects, mainly mosquitoes. If there is no reservoir nearby, then the water bats hunt among the trees. By destroying blood-sucking insects, water bats contribute to the fight against malaria and tularemia.

• Brown earflap ( he is ordinary earflap)(lat. Plecotus auritus)

It has a body length of 4-5 cm and a weight of 6-12 g. The body is covered with uneven dull fur. Ushan habitats cover almost all of Eurasia, including Portugal in the western part of the range and up to the Kamchatka Peninsula in the eastern part. Also, brown earflaps are found in northern Africa, in Iran and central China. The lifestyle of bats is sedentary. These winged animals hibernate not far from their places of stay in the summer, inhabiting caves, various cellars, well log cabins and hollows of powerful trees, sometimes meeting in the attics of houses that were insulated for the winter. The big-eared bat flies out to hunt in complete darkness and hunts until the moment the sun rises.

• Bat-dwarf ( he is small or small-headed bat) (lat. Pipistrelluspipistrellus)

Quite a numerous species belonging to the genus of the inexperienced, the family of smooth-nosed bats. This is the smallest species of bats in Europe. The body of the dwarf bat resembles the body of a mouse, its length is 38-45 mm, and the length of the tail is 28-33 mm. The mass of a dwarf bat is usually 3-6 g. The wingspan of this small bat reaches 19-22 cm. The body is covered with short, even hair, which is brown in the European form of the animal, and pale grayish fawn in the Asian. The lower part of the body has a lighter color. The dwarf bat is widespread in Eurasia: from west to east from Spain to Western China, and from north to south from southern Norway to Asia Minor and Iran. This species of bats, in addition to Eurasia, is found in North Africa. Settles in places associated with human habitation, does not occur in the depths of forests and steppes, avoids caves, sometimes settles in hollows of trees. In winter, bats make seasonal migrations. Adult males are extremely rare in the spring-summer period, as they keep alone or gather in small groups separately from females and young individuals. Bats hunt after sunset. They fly low, in the lower part of tree crowns. The food of this tiny mouse is made up of small insects. The dwarf bat is one of the most useful bats in the Eurasian fauna.

• Great horseshoe(lat. Rhinolophus ferrumequinum)

The dimensions of the animal are 5.2-7.1 cm, the wingspan reaches 35-40 cm, and the mass of the bat is 13-34 g. The color of the back varies depending on the habitat from dark chocolate to pale smoky fawn. The belly of the animal is whitish with a gray tint, lighter than the color of the back. Young animals have a monochromatic grayish color. The species is distributed in northern Africa (in Morocco, Algeria), in Eurasia, the habitat of the horseshoe bat extends from Great Britain and Portugal through the mountainous regions of Central Europe, covers the Balkans, the countries of Asia Minor and Western Asia, the Caucasus, the Himalayas, Tibet, and ends in the south of China, Korean peninsula and Japan. On the territory of Russia, this bat is found in the Crimea and the North Caucasus, covering the range from the Krasnodar Territory to Dagestan. The habitual places of settlement of the horseshoe bat are mountain crevices, grottoes, cellars and ruins, as well as caves. In Central Asia, these animals live under the domes of tombs and mosques. Bats live relatively sedentary, making local seasonal migrations. They hibernate in damp caves and dungeons. They hunt low above the ground for moths and small beetles. The large horseshoe bat is listed in the Red Book of Russia.

• Ordinary Vampire ( he is big bloodsucker, or desmode) (lat.Desmodus rotundus )

The most numerous and famous species of real vampires. Largely due to this genus, bats have their bad reputation. An ordinary vampire really feeds on blood, including drinking human blood. This animal is small in size: the length of the bat is 8 cm, the weight is 50 g, the wingspan is 20 cm. Bloodsucking vampires live in large colonies. During the day they sleep in the hollows of old trees and caves. An ordinary vampire flies out to hunt late at night, when his future victims are immersed in a deep sleep. He attacks large ungulates, such as,. It can also bite a person sleeping in an open area or in a house with open and unprotected mesh windows. With the help of hearing and smell, vampire bats find a sleeping victim, sit on it or next to it, crawl to the place where the vessels come close to the surface of the skin, bite through it and lick the blood flowing from the wound. A special secret contained in the saliva, which the vampire wets the victim's skin, makes the bite painless and affects blood clotting. As a result, the victim may die from blood loss, as the blood flows out for a long time without clotting. But not only this dangerous ordinary vampire. With its bite, the virus of rabies, plague and other diseases can be transmitted. Vampires also suffer from rabies. The spread of disease within the species is due, among other things, to the propensity of vampires to share regurgitated blood with hungry tribesmen, a habit extremely rare among animals. Vampire bats live only in the tropics and subtropics of Central and South America. There are other kinds of vampires in other parts of the world, but they don't feed on blood. Thanks to these three types of bats, a negative attitude towards bats, which are not only harmless, but also useful animals, has taken root.