#minor epauletted fruit bat

[sitting-on-me-bum]

A dwarf dog-faced bat (Molossops temminckii) from Paraguay.

Sweet Bat Portraits Dispel Stereotypes of These Incredibly Important Mammals

Photographer: Dr. Merlin Tuttle

Hairy-legged vampire bat (Diphylla ecaudata) from Mexico. This species does not cause problems for people or for livestock. It feeds almost exclusively on the blood of birds.

A minor epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus labiatus minor) in Kenya.

An African sheath-tailed bat (Coeura afra) from a cave on the Mombasa Coast of Kenya.

[megabat-nerd]

Some Flirty Guys ~

Chapin's Free-Tailed Bat (Chaerephon chapini)

While flirting with a female, males of this species will extrude a crest of long hairs from the head - a mohawk! These help disaperse scent. I think he's extremely handsome, doing a great job.

Minor Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomophorus minor) Epauletted fruit bats have groups of hairs used to disperse scent and attract females. In this species, it's on the shoulders... yep, these bats have shoulderpads! They flap their wings to waft scent towards a female. They are also believed to be visually attractive.

Greater Short-Nosed Fruit Bat (Cynopterus sphinx) The males of this species create recesses in plant stems to contain their harem of females, and females find this very attractive; deep holes usually attract more females. I mean, if a potential partner built you a house by hand, wouldn't you be flattered too?

California Leaf-Nosed Bat (Macrotus californicus) and Hammerheaded Bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus) These two bats look nothing alike and belong to completley different groups, so why have I put them together? Because they share a rare mating behaviour, lekking. During mating season, the males will form large groups and position themselves consistent distances apart in an area. From these miniature territories, the bats will perform displays to visiting females, including singing and wing displays. From these, the females can select a partner to continue courtship with. Males will fight if they enter each other's territories. This has been described as a bat 'singles bar'!

[sur-un-fil]

I really (reaaaaaaally) wanna pet them !

A dwarf dog-faced bat (Molossops temminckii) from Paraguay.

Sweet Bat Portraits Dispel Stereotypes of These Incredibly Important Mammals

Photographer: Dr. Merlin Tuttle

Hairy-legged vampire bat (Diphylla ecaudata) from Mexico. This species does not cause problems for people or for livestock. It feeds almost exclusively on the blood of birds.

A minor epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus labiatus minor) in Kenya.

An African sheath-tailed bat (Coeura afra) from a cave on the Mombasa Coast of Kenya.