What is a bat’s natural diet?

The bat is one of the more unusual mammals on earth, which starts with the fact that these animals can fly. There are very few mammals that have this capability and the bat is the one that is the most dominant of them all.



These creatures are so unique in the mammal world because they are so different from other animals that fall into this class. Not only are their bodies shaped significantly different than what you would see with other mammals, but they are also extremely lightweight. In fact, the average bat weighs no more than a few ounces, making them very much like birds in this way.

The Diet of the Bat

Like birds, bats must eat a great deal of food each day to be able to sustain their ability to fly. Because a bat expends so much energy in keeping airborne, it requires that it takes in a great deal of food each day. In fact, the average bat will eat 10 to 20 times its weight each day to be able to maintain normal bodily functions to include the ability to fly. This is quite an extraordinary amount of food for such a small amount.

So, what does a bat eat? This is important because it not only must have the food needed to sustain normal bodily functions, but also has to have a significant amount of protein. However, it should be noted that not every bat is the same. While most bats are carnivores that feast on animals and insects, there are those bats that eat mostly berries. They get their nutrition from a diet that does not include meat or very little meat, despite the fact that they have teeth that makes them look like they would be true carnivores. It is an interesting paradox to say the least.

The vast majority of bats, however, eat things that are easy for them to capture and eat. This starts with things like coach roaches, beetles, and crickets. These insects are quite a hearty meal for a bat, and this is why they are so highly sought after. However, bats will eat lots of other kinds of insects, including moths, wasps, bees, and flies.

A lot of bats prefer to go after flying insects like flies, bees, and moths, because it is easier to go after them. Bats do not want to reach the ground if they can avoid that, so they will seek to find bugs that are in the air so that they can just swoop in and get them in midair. It is interesting that bats do not like to be in the light because of their very limited vision, but they will do so when hunting. Many insects are attracted to large lights, and bats find these areas as the perfect opportunity to get a meal quick.

Bats will also go after small rodents if the bat is large enough. Consider that a bat does not have a lot of weight to it, so a six ounce bat trying to carry a 10 ounce rat is not likely to happen. Most will go for small mice, lizards, and frogs. They are light enough to carry or they can be eaten at the place where they were captured. Best yet, these animals are easy to go after because they are not equipped to fend off an attack form a bat.

The bat is simply looking for a great deal of protein because this becomes its primary source of energy. They are not going to be attacking such things as cows or horses for food, because these animals are simply not a good choice for the small bat. NEED LOCAL HELP? We have wildlife removal professionals servicing 95% of the USA. Click here to hire a local bat removal expert in your home town. Updated 2018. It's best to be educated on the subject, so browse this site and especially read the bats in the attic home page, or email me if you have any more questions about What is a bat’s natural diet?



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