this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2023
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Bats

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Bats are cool

Bats are the only true flying mammals. There are over 1,400 species of bats, and they can be found on nearly every part of the planet. Not only are they cute, they are also important...

Studying how bats use echolocation has helped scientists develop navigational aids for the blind. Without bats’ pollination, seed dispersal, and pest control we wouldn’t have bananas, avocados, mangoes, agave, or cacao… that’s right, bats bring us tequila and chocolate!

Found a bat in need of help?

Celebrate bats with us!

Our community's mascot is Baxter. Baxter is an Egyptian fruit bat that was cruelly kept alone and confined to a small cage for 12 years before being rescued by a bat sanctuary. You can read the full story by clicking on his name.

Our rules for posting and commenting, besides the rules defined here for lemmy.world, are as follows:

Everyone should feel welcome here. Hateful or bigoted language will not be tolerated.

Don’t post anything a fruit bat would not approve of.

Please don't hate on bats in this community (this includes all of your edgy covid humor).

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[–] Tag365 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Wait, bats pollinate fruits? I had no idea!

[–] ickplant 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

They do! Chiropterophily is the official term for pollination of plants by bats. They mostly pollinate at night, and they can carry a lot more pollen and thus spread it farther.

[–] Tag365 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I wonder if there are any other non-insect pollinators out there...

[–] ickplant 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I know that hummingbirds pollinate, so that’s a yes.

[–] Tag365 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] ickplant 1 points 10 months ago

This is actually super cool, I'm glad you asked. Apparently honey possums, lizards, geckos, skinks, and slugs can all pollinate. There are probably more that aren't mentioned here.

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