From: Paper, Scissors, Clocks #2
January 1999

Bats and Rabbits

BATS

A bats' wings are actually fingers--greatly elongated--that have evolved over time. A thin membrane stretches from the fingers to the body, much like the membrane on a flying squirrel. But, unlike squirrels (which can only glide from tree-to-tree), a bat is capable of true flight.

There are 900 species of bats, which are divided into two sub-orders:

- MEGACHIROPTERA (that's Latin for "giant hand-wings") and

- MICROCHIROPTERA ("tiny hand-wings")

The order of Megachiroptera includes both flying foxes and Old World fruit bats, while microchiroptera includes brown bats, vampire bats (everything else).

It is possible that the two sub-orders have different origins (an example of parallel evolution).

Microchiroptera (the lesser bats) rely on echo-location ("sonar") in order to "see."

Megachiroptera ("Megabats") are more visually-oriented. Fruit bats use their eyes to navigate and look for food.

Only one genus of Megabat, Rousettas, possesses echo-location. This includes the Egyptian Fruit Bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) and Geoffroy's Rousette (Rousettus amplexicaudatus).

ECHO-LOCATION

A bat's sonar is very sensitive. A bat can detect tiny objects--such as insects--and is able to tell the difference between two objects of similar size and shape.

The "nose leaf" that grows over many species' nostrils may be used to amplify the sound.

GIANT BATS

The world's largest bat is the Malayan Flying Fox, Pteropus Vampyrus, which has a five foot wingspan.

The Pteropus Vampyrus is not to be confused with the American vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus).

MICROBATS

The smallest bat is Kitti's Hognosed Bat, aka "the bumblebee bat" (Craseonycteris thonglongyai), which only weighs as much as a dime.

Kitti's Hognosed Bat has a six inch wingspan and a tiny body (similar to that of a bumblebee).

The largest carnivorous bat is the Spectral Bat, or "False Vampire" (Vampyrum Spectrum). Spectral Bats have a 2-3 foot wingspan. They feed on birds, rodents, and other bats.

The Spectral Bat ranges from Brazil to southern Mexico, and the island of Trinidad.

FISHING BATS

Fishing Bats (such as the Greater Bulldog Bat) have long hind legs and extra long claws which they use to catch fish. The bats swoop down and snatch fish out of the water (like an eagle).

At least three genera of bats (Noctilia, Pizonyx, and Myotis) are known to catch fish.

THE BAT CAVE

Most bats prefer to live in caves or empty buildings, where they form colonies of a few dozen to hundreds of thousands of bats.

The floor of a bat cave is typically covered with a thick layer of bat guano, as well as insects which feed on the guano, and other animals which prey upon the bats (in South America, ASSASSIN BUGS drink the blood of baby vampire bats that fall to the floor).

THE VAMPIRE BAT uses razor sharp teeth to slice through the skin of sleeping pigs or cattle. The teeth are so sharp that the host feels no pain. After making an incisision, the vampire bat laps-up the blood. The bat gorges itself until it is too heavy to fly. Before taking-off, the bat defecates to rid itself of excess weight.

Vampires will return to feed on the same host animal night-after-night.

Vampire bats are surprisingly social. It is one of the only animals that is known to share its food. A vampire bat will regurtitate blood to feed an unsucessful hunter.

Vampire bats are known to carry rabies, and a virulent disease affecting cattle. The wounds left by a vampire are breeding grounds for parasitic Botfly larva.

THE LIFE CYCLE OF A BAT

A bat's mating season only lasts for a couple of weeks. Females bats often migrate to special nursery roosts.

Most bats give birth to a single pup, but the SMALL BROWN BAT may have a litter of up to four pups.

It takes two months for a bat to reach maturity. Some species carry their young while hunting for food. The babies cling to a set of false nipples.

Bats have a long lifespan, an estimated 10-12 years for some species, while others have been known to live for up to 20 years in captivity.

Bats have almost no natural enemies, and have adapted in such a way that they can lower their body temperature and slow-down their metablism. Bats are often groggy and slow to respond if they are disturbed while they are resting.

BAT FUN FACTS:

CANNIBALISM

Cannibalism is not unheard of in the bat world. The aforementioned False Vampire Bat likes to feast on its cousin the fruit bat.

THAT'S A LOT OF INSECTS!

Five caves in Texas host 100,000,000 female MEXICAN FREE-TAILED BATS, and 100,000,000 pups, who together consume 20,000 TONS of insects every year!!!

SYMBOLISM

In the Western World, bats are associated with vampires and devils, but in Asia, bats are a symbol of good luck.

BATS ARE SEXIST

Many species will only hang (sorry!) with members of the same sex.

RABBITS

Rabbits belong to the family Leporidae, order Lagomorpha (rabbits, hares, and pikas). The Lagomorph's teeth grow continually--much like those of a rodent--but rabbits and hares have an additional set of cheek teeth, which sets them apart from the Order Rodentia.

A rabbit's chewing muscles are also less developed than those of a rodent. Their chewing lips are divided into two lobes (i.e., a hare lip).

Rabbit fur is used to make felt.

Rabbits make noises only when they're frightened. Their cousin, the Pika, is known for its familiar squeaks and whistles.

Rabbits form the staple diet of many predators. Consequently, they are most active from dusk until dawn.

Rabbits first appeared in Asia during the Paleocene era (50,000,000 years ago). They reached the British Isles along with the Romans, and followed human civilization northward.

Today, rabbits are found throughout Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.

There are two main sub-divisions:

- Oryctolagus (including Old World Rabbits and domesticated Lop-eared Rabbits), and

- Sylvilagus (including 13 species of Cottontail)

Rabbits are not native to Australia, but were introduced there by settlers in the mid-19'th century. Like many non-native species, the Australian bunnies have bred out-of-control, becoming major pests in their new environment, with an estimated 600 million rabbits by 1950.

Rabbits have adapted to life in the tundra, grasslands, desert, forests, marshland, brush and mountains.

European species (Old World Rabbits) dig elaborate rabbit warrens, made up of many individual burrows.

Cottontails dig burrows or build nests in the grass.

The Mexican Volcano Rabbit (Romerolagus diazi) maintains elaborate runways through dense vegetation.

Rabbits carry several diseases which are harmful to both humans and livestock, including RABBIT FEVER (Tularemia).

RABBIT FUN FACTS

BUNNY BIO WARFARE

In Australia, a disease called Myxomatosis has been used to control the wild rabbit population. Bunnies infected with Myxomatosis suffer an extremely agonizing death.

Myxomatosis was discovered in South American rabbits, and was first tested in Australian in 1938. After wiping out 5/6 of the rabbit population, Myxomatosis has become less and less effective, as Australian bunnies have developed a genetic resistance to the disease.

AQUA BUNNY

The MARSH HARE and the SWAMP RABBIT can both swim, if necessary.

FUCK LIKE BUNNIES

Rabbits are able to bear young when they are 10 weeks old. The Doe (female) will give birth to several litters per year, each containing 2-8 young.

A rabbit gives birth just one month after fertilization.

SHIT EATING GRIN

Some rabbits practice coprophagy, which means that they eat their own feces.

Rabbits produce both hard pellets (dry) and soft pellets (wet). The soft pellets are re-injested and the rabbit gains additional nutritients. In principle, coprophagy is similar to a cow's rumination.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RABBIT AND A HARE?

When Rabbits are born they are naked, hairless, and blind. Hares emerge fully-formed, and are able to hop-around almost as soon as they are born.

Rabbits are social, whereas hares are solitary.

Hares prefer open spaces. Rabbits prefer areas with lots of cover. Rabbits will scamper short distances to escape from predators, whereas hares have highly developed ears which allow them to hear predators while they're still a good ways off.

Hares are usually larger than rabbits (16-28 inches long) --although some domestic rabbits weigh as much as 16 pounds.

HARES have powerful hind legs that allow them to reach speeds of up to 50 mph. Their ears are always longer than their head.

The COMMON HARE (Lepus Europus) is found throughout Central and Southern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The VARYING HARE, or NORTHERN BLUE (Lepus Timidus) is probably related to the ARCTIC HARE in America.