There's so many bat species in the world today, we know that bat have long given rise to horror stories (vampire bats), myths and misconceptions (such as blindness). Bats come in all shapes and sizes and are a very interesting and unique creatures. each of them has their own uniqueness but these 10 bat species below could be weirdest, unusual and the most unique bat species in the world. before this we have a bumblebee bat or Kitti's Hog Nosed bat which is included into one of the rarest animal found on earth. so how about another unique and weird bat species?
1. Banana Bat (Musonycteris harrisoni)
This Banana Bat is a species of bat in the Phyllostomidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Musonycteris. It is endemic to Western Mexico. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss. the banana bat is noted for its very long snout, the longest of any bat (relative to size). It is nectarivorous, which means it feeds mostly on nectar and is an important pollinator in its tropical deciduous forest habitat. It gets its name because it is often found in banana plantations
2. Ghost Bat (Macroderma gigas)
found in tropical rain forests from Mexico to Brazil, and also in the island of Trinidad, in the Caribbean. It is a solitary animal that spends daylight roosting under a palm leaf, and then flies high at night, hunting moths and other flying insects. this species was also known as one of the largest microbats in the world, It is largely insectivorous but will also consume frogs, lizards, and other small animals, including other bats. It hunts by sight as well as with echolocation. After killing its prey with its powerful bite, it carries it to a feeding perch to eat. They roost in caves, mines, and tunnels in small colonies, usually of less than a hundred bats.
3. Chapin Bat (Chaerephon chapini)
This Chapin bat is a species of bat in the Molossidae family. It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is moist savanna. This bat species was notable for their weird hairdo, They are insectivores and live in the rain forests of central Africa.
4. Wrinkle Faced Bat (Centurio senex)
Wrinkle faced bat is a species of bat in the Phyllostomidae family. It is the only identified member of the genus Centurio. It is found in various countries in and around Central America. It eats fruit but is not classified within the fruit bats. It is classified as a leaf-nosed bat but does not have a leaf nose. it is also known as “murcielago viejito” (“old man bat”) or murcielago zopilote (“vulture bat”), due to its naked, wrinkly face. They have a large flap of skin that they use as a mask to cover their face when they sleep.
5. Big Eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii)
These bats feed on flying insects and, just as many other bats, use echolocation to find them. Their enormous ears gives them even better hearing than that of smaller eared bats. They belong to diverse genera and are found in many parts of the world. They're a medium-sized bat, about 3.5 - 4 inches long.
6. Fisherman Bat (Noctilio leporinus)
This bat species is native to Latin America. The bat uses echolocation to detect water ripples made by the fish upon which they prey, then use the pouch between its legs to scoop the fish and its sharp claws to catch their prey, The fish is then stored in the cheek bags and chewed only while being on land. Repeating this strategy, the bat can catch up to 30 fishes per night., this bats reaching up to 13 cm in length, while their wings stretch up to 30 cm across. They’re often called bulldog bats for their cheek bags and small eyes that hold a close resemblance to those of a bulldog. The Fishing Bat’s natural habitat is forest regions and seaside marshes in Central and Southern America, ranging from Mexico to Argentina and they’re also found of the islands of Trinidad and Antillia.
7. Ghost faced bat (Mormoops megalophylla)
This bat species It occurs in Belize, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico. Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and in Texas in the United States, they has a ghost faced name due to their unusual appearance of their face. This ugly appearance is due to the flaps of skin that are found hanging on their chin and along their face. They also have a very poorly developed nose and "large, round ears that join across their forehead" They feed on nocturnal insects.
8. Sucker Footed Bat (Myzopoda aurita)
this unique bat species comes from madagaskar, They roost inside the rolled leaves of palm trees, using their suckers to attach themselves to the smooth surface, Today it is known that they don´t use suction, but rather adhesion, by producing a sticky substance that acts as a glue- the same kind of adhesion found in tree frogs and salamanders.
9. Tube Nosed Bat (Murina grisea)
This tube nosed bat found in rainforest area on south east asia or specifically in Philippines, this bat species was also known as the critically endangered bat species, this species is noted for its strangely tubular nostrils and the stripes on its back (very few bats have stripes). They feed mostly on figs and other fruit but may eat insects on occasion. They are 3.3-6.0cm in length and have round heads, large eyes and soft fur. They are brown with white-yellow and underparts and have specks of orange around their neck. While they are roosting, their fur, which seems to look like a dead plant, camouflages them from predators.
10. Hammer Headed Bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus)
This hammer headed bat or Big Lipped bat species was included as the most unique and weirdest bat species, it was found on the rain forests of Africa, this large bat gets its name for the huge, strangely shaped head of the males. Most of the male’s thorax is actually a resonating chamber that allows them to produce very loud calls to attract females. They feed on fruit and, occasionally, on other animals.
Bonus : Blasius's Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus blasii)
This is a medium-sized horsehoe bat, with a length of between 46.5 and 56 mm (1.83 and 2.2 in), and a weight of between 12 and 15 g (0.42 and 0.53 oz). The fur is fluffy, with the base of hairs almost white. Dorsal side hair is grey brown, sometimes with a lilac tinge, while the hair on the ventral side is almost white.
Is there any other bat species which is worth to be included into Most unique and weirdest bat species in the world?
Source : Wikipedia, Listverse
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