Bats are SuperMoms!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! Mothers (of all species) work relentlessly hard to raise their children, and they deserve our appreciation!

Did you know that bats are supermoms? Keep reading to find out why!

#1:SOME PREGNANT BATS EAT TWICE THEIR BODY WEIGHT IN INSECTS EVERY NIGHT!

Not only do some pregnant bats eat up to twice their bodyweight in insects a night, but they also work hard to fly and catch all of those flying insects all by themselves!

Can you imagine eating double your weight in sandwiches every day?!

#2:NEWBORN BAT “PUPS” WEIGH 1/3 OF THEIR MOM’S WEIGHT!

When baby bats (also called “pups”) are born, they weigh roughly one third of their mother.

Can you imagine that? That’s the same as a human giving birth to a 2 year old child! 

#3:MOMMA BATS CARRY THEIR BABIES IN FLIGHT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS.

Bat pups are born with full-sized feet to help them cling on to their moms during flight. By gripping their clawed feet into their mothers side and biting onto their mother’s nipple, the babies are able to stay on and avoid a deadly fall. These supermoms deal with the pain and the strain, all for their little one.

#4:MOST BATS ONLY HAVE ONE PUP A YEAR.

Because raising a bat pup takes so much energy, most bat species only have one baby a year.

But some species, like the Hoary Bat and the Eastern Red Bat, regularly have twins! (Bonus points to these super moms!)

#5:MOMMA BATS INVEST TIME INTO RAISING THEIR BABIES. THIS MAKES THEIR POPULATIONS SLOW TO RECOVER, AND THEY NEED OUR HELP.

Like humans, momma bats pour a lot of time and energy into raising their baby. Because of this, bat populations take a long time to recover.

Right now, bat populations are declining almost everywhere it has been investigated. (See this video to learn why:)