If you were asked to name a spooky animal, bats would likely be near the top of the list. Yet, what makes bats seem scary? Is it because they come out at night, have sharp fangs, and are associated with vampires in books and movies? That may be the case, but should we be afraid of bats? What about vampire bats? Do they really drink our blood? In reality, bats are harmless to humans. They are pollinators and insectivores, playing a crucial role in the ecosystem. Bats don’t drink our blood or turn into vampires. So, if blood is off the menu, what do bats eat?
What Kinds of Bats Are There?
There are over 1,400 recognized bat species, accounting for around 20% of mammals worldwide. Over 47 species live in the U.S. While these groups may be more closely related than previously believed, scientists have traditionally divided bats into two groups: microbats and megabats.
Microbats
Most bat species are microbats. There are around 1,000 species of microbats on every continent except Antarctica. Microbats are typically small bats that primarily use echolocation to forage for food. Depending on the species and their location, they roost in caves and tree hollows. Bats in urban areas may live in tunnels, storm drains, and even in buildings.
Megabats
Megabats are typically larger than microbats. They live in tropical and subtropical areas of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania, including Australia and many Pacific and Indian Ocean islands. These bats do not use echolocation, but instead rely on their senses of sight and smell. They make their homes in rainforests and wetlands.
Microbats, such as the common pipistrelle, can be found in rural and urban areas.
©Rudmer Zwerver/Shutterstock.com
What Do Bats Eat?
Most microbats are insectivores. They mostly eat insects like mosquitoes, moths, crickets, beetles, spiders, flies, cockroaches, and many other flying and terrestrial insects.
Vampire bats do exist, but they are not interested in humans. These bats are sanguivores, living solely on the blood of other animals. They generally drink blood from livestock, such as horses, cows, pigs, goats, and chickens. They may also sometimes drink from wild mammals, but they very rarely bite humans. There are about a dozen species of microbats that are carnivores. These bats eat fish, frogs, lizards, rodents, and even smaller bats.
Megabats are generally frugivores. They eat fruit including figs, bananas, mangoes, guava, and papaya, among others. They also feed on pollen and nectar.
Ghost bats are carnivorous and their diet includes mice and other bat species.
©Visanuwit thongon/Shutterstock.com
There is a wide variation among species, but here is a list of some of the foods consumed by bats that are insectivores, sanguivores, carnivores, and frugivores:
- Mosquitos
- Moths
- Crickets
- Beetles
- Flies
- Other flying and terrestrial insects
- Blood from livestock
- Mice
- Frogs
- Fish
- Lizards
- Birds
- Other bats
- Figs
- Bananas
- Guava
- Papaya
- Other fruits
- Nectar
- Pollen
How Do Bats Hunt For Food?
Megabats like this flying fox primarily use their sense of smell to locate food.
©iStock.com/phototrip
As noted previously, microbats use echolocation to hunt. Echolocation is a form of sonar that bats rely on to navigate in low light, as microbats are primarily nocturnal. As they fly, they emit high-pitched sounds that bounce off of insects and other objects. The bats listen for the echoes, which allow them to determine the location. Their excellent hearing does not mean they are blind, however. They can actually see very well in low-light conditions. They use sight to identify objects outside the range of their echolocation, which scientists estimate is about thirty-three to sixty-six feet.
Like other microbats, vampire bats also use echolocation. However, it is primarily utilized for navigation in low light. Vampire bats have heat-sensing organs in their nose that help them locate an animal’s blood vessels. These bats have pain-killing proteins and an anticoagulant in their saliva, so the animal is unlikely to feel them make the incision and lap from the wound.
Most megabats do not use echolocation, but they use their senses of sight and smell. Megabats have large eyes and an acute sense of smell that helps them detect odors in the air. Researchers found fruit bats could locate and track odors in the range of 3–15 parts per billion.
