What Do You Mean You Didn’t Order More Bats?

Tickell's Bat, photographed by Adil Khan, (source)

Sound on 🔊🐱

PROOF IN CASE YOU NEED IT

Lesser long-eared bat, via

This bat is alive! Just being X-rayed.

“No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to others is a wonderful legacy to leave behind.”

— Unknown

Gregor the Overlander

When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it -- until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland forever.

Okay I'm aware the audience for my Tumblr blog is not quite the same as the audience for middle-grade portal fantasy, but if this website is still talking about Percy Jackson then I can talk about this one. I read a lot of 6-to-8-book middle grade fantasy series and I can say with one hundred percent certainty that this is the best one. It's brutal. It's weird. You'll cry about a cockroach the size of a dog. You'll question the nature of fate itself. If any of you know any 8-12 year olds who haven't yet been scarred for life by a book series that will change their brain chemistry forever, do them a favor and pick them up this book.

Also, if you liked the Hunger Games, it's the same author. Did she tone it down when writing for younger audiences? Not even a little.

aw, nice, thanks for the bat friend!

Also, to add to the cool bat facts listed above... https://batworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/free-tails-smell-like-tacos.pdf

May I humbly request a bat friend?

Happy Bat Week!

Your bat is the Mexican Free-Tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis)!

Oh gosh. This bat, man. One of the most agriculturally important species in the U.S. These guys live in MASSIVE colonies in the southern U.S.; there are 1.5 million living under Congress Ave Bridge in Austin, Texas and another 20 million (YEAH. TWENTY MILLION HOLY CRAP.) living in Bracken Cave, which is considered to be the largest colony of bats of any species living anywhere in the world. BONKERS. Not only do these bats live in huge colonies, but they are also the fastest flying animals, clocking in at just under 100mph (hawks only reach the speeds they do by diving; these bats reach 100mph USING ACTUAL MECHANICAL FLIGHT. DO YOU REALIZE HOW BONKERS THAT IS?????). During birthing season, mothers will leave their massive roosts to go hunt insects. They will fly up to 50km away to hunt. When they return, they are able to find their pups in a crowd of literal millions by the sounds of their voices. Do you know what a huge colony in a cave also means? Guano. Lots of it. And you know what guano means? High levels of ammonia. In a cave. The levels are so high that you physically cannot enter Bracken Cave without a respirator. So how do the bats survive? WELL. They have evolved to be able to change the amounts of CO2 in their blood via respiratory mucous to protect against blood pH changes. AND!!!!!!!!! THEY KNOW HOW TO VENTILATE THEIR CAVES. They fly in a circular motion as they leave and enter the cave to move the air and ventilate out some of the ammonia.

Fluffy Animals ૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა ♡

src for bite force figure in tags: Freeman, Patricia W. and Lemen, Cliff A., "Measuring Bite Force in Small Mammals with a Piezo-Resistive Sensor" (2008). Mammalogy Papers: University of Nebraska State Museum.

Normally would say 'Lasiurini are never not cute', but this particular image...

Hoary bat

no source, was sent to me. posting it because it's fucking funny

lets get fruit with mama