Some Interesting Busted Myths and Facts About Bats!

Did you know that bats are the only flying mammals in the world?!

Bats play an important part in maintaining our ecosystem, not because they have evolved from vampires but truly because they maintain a healthy balance between different food chains.

Here are some fun myths and facts about bats that we will be busting in this article.

Make sure you read till the end!

Common Myths about Bats

1. Bats are Blind

One of the most common bat myths we all have believed for at least once in our lives. Bats are not blind rather they have limited vision due to small tiny eyes but they work just fine.

Most bats are known to have better night vision and often hunt at night, but that does not mean that they are blind. In fact, megabats hunt for fruits and nectar in daylight.

2. Bats have Rabies

Another widely believed myth about bats is that almost all of them have rabies. According to the CDC, only 5-6% of the bats captured showed signs of rabies, as that would have been the case with any other wild animal.

In fact, other wild animals are more likely to show signs of rabies than bats! However with that being said, you should always maintain a safe distance with wild flying bats.

3. Bats can Attack your Eyes

If you are from a South Asian family, then you must know about this common bath myth well! In many South Asian households, bats are believed to be eye snatchers if you look at them for too long!

Well, it turns out any animal will try its best to protect itself, if it feels threatened in its natural habitat,...even if that's your rude staring contest!

Bats are very much harmless to humans and do not attack anyone until and unless provoked.

4. All Bats suck Human Blood

Remember all those classic vampire movies we all used to love as children? Well guess where it originated from; always from a flying human blood sucking bat!

I am sure till date the innocent creature is still unaware of its blood sucking superpower..I mean have you ever seen how innocent bats look!

Now the human blood sucking part is definitely a big myth, but the blood sucking part nearly isn't. Vampire bats are a particular kind of bats that can only survive on animal blood. Most of the time the animal is not aware of its presence on their body, while these blood suckers get their fill.

5. Bats are like Flying Mice

Another myth busted is that bats have evolved to become flying mice. It might be because of their similar looking pinched noses and small tiny eyes, but bats are very much of their own unique species, that has not originated from mice at all. They originate from a class known to be said as ‘chiroptera’ that means- hand wing.

Now that we have busted some serious myths about bats, let's get down to some interesting facts about bats.

Here are Top 10 Interesting Facts about Bats!

Bats can travel up to 60 miles per hour! In a study published by university of Tennessee, Mexican-free tailed bats can fly up to 100mph making it the fastest flying mammal on earth.
Bats can live up to 30 years! Given their tiny structure, that's a long time for a flying mammal!
Vampire bats have special anti-blood clotting properties in their saliva that is being used in one the clotting drug trails!
Bats can find hunt and find their food in total complete darkness
Bats can get up to 1200 tiny insects in an hour- an all natural pesticide found in your backyard!
Bats will have only one baby bat in a year- these small baby bats are called ‘pups’!
Bats happen to have the most nutrient dense droppings. Their droppings are being currently used as natural fertilizers
A certain kind of bats, known as pallids are known to be fond hunters of scorpions. These pallid bats are completely immune to scorpion sting and poison.
Bracken cave in Texas is home to Millions of Mexican free-tailed bats.
Bats can stay in a cave for months in the winters!