LINKS ATTACHMENTS

Bats
Armenia is also home to millions of Vespertilio otherwise known as bats. The only mammals capable of true flight, bats are an important part of the ecological system. Misunderstood and thought to be dangerous, the bats have lost much of their breeding grounds are now endangered. Myth: bats feed off of human blood and carry rabies. Truth: the bats found in Armenia feed off of insects (up to 3 times their weight per day) and pollinate nearby orchards and vineyards. They do not carry rabies and do not bite humans.

Bats in Armenia live in tree hollows, caves and crevices in cliffs, and hibernate 7-8 months during the year, being most active in the summer time. They live in large groups, colonies in Armenia can be up to 2 million. Bats give birth 1 time a year, normally one or two at a time, and live up to 20 years. Their sophisticated sense of radar (sending 0.2/100 milimicron pulses at 130 kilohertz amplitude ultra-voice) allows them to unerringly swerve out of the path of anything larger than a June bug. One of nature's spectacles is at dusk, as the nesting bats fly out of the cave in a fluttering cloud that twists and turns in the evening air.

There are six species of bats in Armenia: Rhinolophus euryale, Rhinolophus mehelyi, Myotis nattereri kuhl, Barbastella leucomelas, Miniopterus schreibersi kuhl and Tadaria teniotis rat. Bats are categorized in Latin as Vespertilio , in the order Chiroptera, with suborders Desmodus, Diphylla and Diaemus. Fruit bats are known as Megachiroptera.

write TourArmenia -

Top