Fun Ghost Bat Facts For Kids
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The name of the ghost bat is very intriguing, isn't it? They are also called false vampire bats, and these mammals have light gray to white fur.
They have a wingspan of about 23 in (60 cm) and ghost bats (Macroderma gigas) have a length of about 3.9 - 5.1 in (10–13 cm), and weigh about 0.165 - 0.319 lb (75–145 g). Ghost bats have large eyes as well, which they use to locate their prey.
You will find female ghost bats gathering in groups during the breeding season and giving birth to their young in these groups. The average litter size of these bats is just one, which means that female bats give birth to a single young bat during each breeding season.
These bats require a warm cave to raise their young in and the ghost bat's diet includes large insects, reptiles, frogs, birds, small mammals, and some other bat species too.
Ghost bats can roost in old mines and tunnels, caves, and deep rock crevices. These bats are found in various regions of northern Australia, western Australia, and South and Central America.
They are the only known Australian carnivorous bats and these bats live for about 12 years. According to the IUCN, the status of ghost bats is currently declared as Vulnerable.
Here on our page, we have lots of interesting facts on ghost bats that everyone will enjoy. Let's have a look at these interesting facts, and if you do like these, then do read our hoary bat and red bat facts too.
Ghost Bat Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a ghost bat?
Ghost bats are mammals that belong to the bat species. They are the only known Australian carnivorous bats.
What class of animal does a ghost bat belong to?
The class of animal that an Australian ghost bat belongs to is mammals. They are light gray to white mammals and this species of bats has long ears and a wingspan of about 23 in (60 cm).
How many ghost bats are there in the world?
It is estimated that there are about 7,000-9,000 ghost bats left in the world. In line with this low population, the IUCN has given the ghost bat a conservation status of Vulnerable.
Where does a ghost bat live?
Ghost bats are seen roosting in old mines and tunnels, caves, and deep crevices in rocks. These medium-sized bats are found in various regions of northern Australia, western Australia, and South and Central America.
What is a ghost bat's habitat?
The basic habitat of a ghost bat includes old mines and tunnels, caves, and deep crevices in rocks. These bats ordinarily roost in their colonies, however, as their roosting sites are being sadly destroyed, it isn't easy to locate large colonies today. These bats also choose steamy and warm caves to raise their offspring in.
Who do ghost bats live with?
Ghost bats are found living with their own species. These bats like to roost in large colonies but these are rarer to see today due to the destruction of their roosting sites.
How long does a ghost bat live?
The average life span of a ghost bat is 12 years.
How do they reproduce?
During the breeding season, female ghost bats gather in groups. The average litter size of these bats is just one as female bats give birth to a single pup during their breeding season.
What is their conservation status?
According to the IUCN, the conservation status of ghost bats is declared as Vulnerable. This means that are under the threat of becoming endangered or even extinct.
It has been stated that there are only about 7,000-9,000 ghost bats left in the world due to the destruction of the natural caves that they live in by mining (resulting in habitat loss) and land destruction due to agricultural needs.
Ghost Bat Fun Facts
What do ghost bats look like?
These bats from Australia have light gray to white fur and large ears. Ghost bats have large eyes as well, which they use to locate their prey.
They have a wingspan of about 23 in (60 cm). Ghost bats (Macroderma gigas) have a length of about 3.9 - 5.1 in (10–13 cm), and they weigh about 0.165 - 0.319 lb (75–145 g).
* Please note that this is an image of a bat, not a ghost bat specifically. If you have an image of a ghost bat please let us know at hello@kidadl.com.
How cute are they?
Whether ghost bats are cute or not is subjective, but they got their names owing to their scary appearance so they are not traditionally considered to be cute.
How do they communicate?
Ghost bats make use of the sound waves in order to communicate. They produce these waves via their mouth and nose and these waves ricochet off objects in their paths, such as insects, and return back to their ears.
This is how they assess the distance between themselves and their prey.
This is also how these bats can find and locate their prey even in the dark. One of the best northern ghost bat facts about their mode of communication is that this species of bats is known to use echolocation to find their prey.
How big is a ghost bat?
A ghost bat (Macroderma gigas) is 3.9-5.1 in (10–13 cm) long in size and has a height of about 9.8 in (25 cm). Ghost bats are approximately six times bigger than a rat.
How fast can a ghost bat move?
Ghost bats can fly at a speed of 100 mph (160 kph).
How much does a ghost bat weigh?
Ghost bats weigh about 0.165-0.319 lb (75–145 g).
What are their male and female names of the species?
Male and female ghost bats are simply called male and female. They do not have specific names.
What would you call a baby ghost bat?
A baby ghost bat is called a pup.
What do they eat?
Ghost bats prey upon large insects, frogs, reptiles, small mammals, birds, and some other species of bats. They are the only known Australian carnivorous bats.
Are they dangerous?
Any ghost-faced bat interesting facts can vouch for the fact that, although these bats look spooky, they are absolutely harmless to humans. They are, of course, carnivorous though and so they are dangerous to frogs, birds, and small mammals.
Would they make a good pet?
They would not make a great pet as humans are not able to provide them with the best environment and conditions that they prefer to live in.
Did you know...
One of the best ghost bat facts for kids is that ghost bats are also known as the false vampire bat. This might be due to their spooky face. Despite this scary name, they are harmless to humans.
Ghost bats are known to be the only Australian bats with a carnivorous diet.
Why is the ghost bat endangered?
These bats are at risk of becoming endangered due to changes in their habitat. The destruction of cave and mine shafts that these bats roost in is caused by humankind, for example, a lot of this land is destroyed to meet agricultural demands.
How far can a ghost bat see?
A ghost bat uses echolocation to detect objects and prey in its path. However, they can also use their normal vision to detect objects too. Their effective range of vision is 32-64 ft (10-20 m).
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals, including the American mink or the black witch moth.
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our scary bat coloring pages.
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Sources
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Macroderma_gigas/
https://australian.museum/learn/animals/bats/ghost-bat/
https://www.britannica.com/animal/ghost-bat-mammal-grouping
https://perthzoo.wa.gov.au/animal/ghost-bat
https://www.adelaidezoo.com.au/animals/ghost-bat/
https://www.batcon.org/article/ghost-faced-bat/
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