Summer is bat season. While you're trying to avoid those buzzing insects, some kinds of bats are busy catching and eating insects. HOORAY FOR BATS!
And while you're appreciating bats find out why some bats are in trouble--plus how scientists are working to help bats survive.
Mother and Pup Reunion
Mother Mexican free-tail bats leave their babies behind in a nursery cave. When they return, they always find their baby. How do they do it? Play this game to find out.
Cut a sheet of paper into twenty pieces. On each of ten slips, write the name of a sound, such as tweet or click. Copy the name of each sound onto a second slip of paper. Next, have a group of twenty people gather together. Pass out one set of sound slips. Those players are now the “Mother bats”. Have them leave the room. Or they can go to one wall and turn their backs on the others. Next, pass out the other set of sound slips. These players are now the “Bat Pups”. Have these bats stand close together.
Tell the Mother Bats that their job will be to find their baby, the Bat Pup making their same sound. On your signal have the pups start making their sounds. Also have the Mother Bats move toward the pups while making their own sounds. Give the Mother bats just ten seconds to find their Bat Pups. Any Pup without a Mother dies. How many of the Pups were lost?
Just Like Bats
You could say bats did it first. They make noises and listen to the echoes to find their way through the dark. Now, human inventors are copying them to help people who are blind.
What they invented is called the “UltraCane”.
To build it, scientists first studied the way bats make ultrasonic (super high-pitched) sounds and listen for echoes. Hearing these echoes alerts bats to things they might run into. It even lets them “see” when its pitch dark. Then scientists made a cane that puts out ultrasonic sounds and picks up the echoes. It has a short range mode that picks up things that are about 6 feet (about 2 meters) away. It also has a long range mode. That picks up any object about 13 feet (4 meters) away. This way it senses things a blind person might run into.
Then two buttons on the handle—one for things that are close and one for things far away—vibrate. Being warned what’s coming up lets the person have time to change directions.
Like a flying bat, they can move freely through their environment. The UltraCane limits the risk of bumping into things.
What they invented is called the “UltraCane”.
To build it, scientists first studied the way bats make ultrasonic (super high-pitched) sounds and listen for echoes. Hearing these echoes alerts bats to things they might run into. It even lets them “see” when its pitch dark. Then scientists made a cane that puts out ultrasonic sounds and picks up the echoes. It has a short range mode that picks up things that are about 6 feet (about 2 meters) away. It also has a long range mode. That picks up any object about 13 feet (4 meters) away. This way it senses things a blind person might run into.
Then two buttons on the handle—one for things that are close and one for things far away—vibrate. Being warned what’s coming up lets the person have time to change directions.
Like a flying bat, they can move freely through their environment. The UltraCane limits the risk of bumping into things.
Can you think of anything you might invent based on what’s special about bats? Think about these things:
- Backward facing knees to make it easy to hang upside down. Also help steer in flight.
- Funnel-like ears for sharp hearing.
- Leather wings can wrap up in to stay warm and protect against rainy weather.
- Wings that let a bat flip and turn easily in flight.
Brainstorm to think what you might invent that mimics bats and would help people.
Visit My Cave
What's it like to live like a bat?
Cover a table on three sides with a blanket or paper to create a cave. Have your family or a group of friends crawl inside your pretend cave with you. While you're there with this group, think about these questions.
- Why is a cave a good home for small bats, like Mexican Free-tailed Bats?
- Why do you think big bats, like Grey-Headed Flying Foxes, camp in the open in trees instead?
- What are some problems to sharing a cave with other bats?
What Good Are Bats?
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| Check out the hand-like structure of a bat's wings. |
Try this to find out.
Take a large bowl of popcorn kernels to the gym or outdoors to a paved area of the playground. Work with friends to scatter 50 popped kernels on the floor or ground. Count to ten. Then have people place two more popcorn kernels next to each original kernel. This is as if the insect pests have multiplied.
Now pretend you are an insect-hunting bat. Have four others pretend they are too. While someone counts to five, have each “bat” pick up all of the insects they can carry. Then have other children place two popcorn kernels next to each remaining kernel.
Repeat these steps two more times, having “bats” collect “insects”. Then have any remaining “insects” multiply.
Take a large bowl of popcorn kernels to the gym or outdoors to a paved area of the playground. Work with friends to scatter 50 popped kernels on the floor or ground. Count to ten. Then have people place two more popcorn kernels next to each original kernel. This is as if the insect pests have multiplied.
Now pretend you are an insect-hunting bat. Have four others pretend they are too. While someone counts to five, have each “bat” pick up all of the insects they can carry. Then have other children place two popcorn kernels next to each remaining kernel.
Repeat these steps two more times, having “bats” collect “insects”. Then have any remaining “insects” multiply.
Now look at the results.
- How much of an affect did the “bats” have on the “insect” population?
- What limited how much of an effect the bats could have on the insects?
- What do you think would happen to populations of insect pests if there weren’t any bats?
My Favorite Bat
- Where does it live?
- What does it eat?
- How is this bat different from other kinds of bats?
- How does it care of its babies?
- Does it have any enemies? If so, what must it watch out for?
Bats for Good Measure
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| Again, here's a good chance to see the arm and hand-like structure of a bat's wing. |
The wingspan of the largest flying foxes can be up to 6 feet (about 2 meters). Take string that length. Find at least 5 things about the same length. What are they?
Now, measure each of these things. Find out how longer or shorter each is compared to a large flying fox’s wingspan.
- The teacher’s desk
- The class’s two shortest students lying head to feet on the floor.
- The classes two tallest students lying head to feet on the floor.
- Your teacher’s armspan (from fingertip to fingertip with both arms stretched out)
The wingspan of the Bumblebee bat is 6 inches (15 centimeters). Take a piece of string that length. Find at least 5 things about the same length. What are they?
Now, measure each of these things. Find out how much longer or shorter each is compared to a Bumblebee Bat’s wingspan.
- The smallest book in the classroom
- Your pencil
- The shoe of the student with the littlest foot
- Your right hand span (from thumb to little finger with your hand spread wide). Draw around your hand span on a piece of paper. Then compare to your bat wing measuring string.
So now what do you think about bats?!
