Their sense of smell is also important, especially in raising young and for nectar-feeding bats seeking flowers. Bats are not blind, though they use their eyes much less than other mammals. It is such a sensitive system that the bat is able to determine the size, speed and direction of travel of a moving insect, and, in the same fraction of a second, plot a course of interception. The bat is then able to "see" what is around it by interpreting the returning sounds. When these sounds hit that object, they "bounce off" and return to the bat. As a bat flies, it emits a series of high frequency sounds. Since these bats are active at night, they have develooped a sophisticated navigation system called "echolocation," which is much like our modern day sonar. Many people are familiar with the insect-eating species of bats such as the Mexican free-tailed bats found at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. If a colony is disturbed during one of these sensitive periods, mortality rates may be extremely high, jeopardizing the entire colony and, in the end, the species. This is especially true while hibernating or raising babies. They do not seek out people and simply want to be left alone. The truth is, bats are gentle, intelligent animals. ![]() Among the last bats to enter hibernation, big brown bats seek out caves, buildings, mines and storm sewers in October, November or December. ![]() In reality, bats are very beneficial to the environment.īats suffer a bad reputation due to a lack of knowledge and understanding. A colony of 150 big brown bats can eat enough cucumber beetles during the summer to protect farmers from 18 million rootworm larvae. These sources usually portray bats as evil or associate them with death and disease. Most of the impressions and feelings that people have about bats are derived from myth, horror movies and sensationalized media stories. To many people, this is not good news as bats can conjure up images of vampires and haunted houses. Twenty-eight species of bats call Arizona home.
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