International Bat Appreciation Day, celebrated annually on April 17th, serves as a reminder of the significant role that bats play in nature. April is the best time of the year to observe bats. As they have emerged from hibernation (or elongated torpor), they are starving and are very active in foraging for insects.

Given the frequent unpopularity and misunderstanding of bats among people, it is worth exploring some intriguing facts about these creatures.

Fallacies:

• Bats do not get tangled in hair. In fact, they are avoiding humans.
• They are not associated with significant dispersal of pathogens to humans.
• They are not winged rodents J. They’re more closely related to humans than they are to mice or rats.
• They are not blind.

Facts:

• They fly using their…hands, making them the only mammals capable of true powered flight.
• There are over 1,400 bat species worldwide, comprising 20% of all mammals.
• The longevity of some species exceeds the 40 years.
• They can see! Many of them can see just as well as humans.
• Insectivorous bats can consume up to 60% of their body weight in food per night!
• They use echolocation to perceive their surroundings. This allows the bats to commute in the dark while also locating their prey and estimating their speed.
• A bat’s heart rate during flight can reach 1,000 beats per minute!
• The world’s smallest bat weights 2-4 grams!
• Bats have very few natural predators. Humans and their activities pose the most serious threats to them.
• Temperate bats typically give birth to a single pup per year. They mate in the autumn; however, the fertilization occurs in spring.
• Bats are very social animals. They often form aggregations that can reach tens of thousands of individuals!
• Greece is home to 37 out of the 55 bat species found in Europe.
• All bat species are strictly protected under the Union and National legal framework.